33 birthday thank yous and 33 giveaway winners

  I'm here in NYC with my bae (that's teenage speak for lover, husband, take your pick) on a spontaneous trip to the City for a few meetings, some birthday fun like Hamilton (FINALLY!!) and, as always when I'm in the big apple, LOTS of good eats. Today I have a little birthday surprise for some of the people I love in my life, and a BIG birthday giveaway to all of you guys.

Plaid bow blouse
Jeans
Packable rain boots
Nude tote

I'm trying to think of something adequate to say about how I feel on turning 33 … I actually am REALLY excited for this age change!! There's something exciting about two of the same number in a row, which apparently is called “repdigits” (I looked it up. Nerd alert). Because think about it – if you live to be 100, you only get these birthdays NINE times in your life!!

So I'm living up my last night of 32 by sitting in my pajamas, eating rice to riches, watching This Is Us and Fixer Upper and composing this list of 33 gifts I've been given by people I love over the years. So this is my little thank you to the people in my life (who could never be eligible for one of my giveaways, ha!) and then over on instagram, I'm giving away a gift to 33 of my most loyal followers. So read here, and then go there, to maybe get a little birthday gift from me 🙂

A thank you to 33 people:

1. Mom: for giving me the gift of life!! and a forever best friend
2. Dad: giving me the love of the gospel and a burning desire to share it with others
3. Brookie: forGIVING me for being a mean sister growing up (seriously) and giving me unconditional love in return
4. Stephen: for giving me a listening ear and being there for me that one time I needed YOU more than anyone else (you know the time)
5. Jake: for inspiring me to live more Christ-like from your letters and experiences the past two years
6. Neil: for your perfect FAITH in God, in us, and in me
7. Anabelle: for your explosive zeal for life and your hugs that make my heart burst
8. Lyla: for being mama's girl
9. Grandma Japanese: for teaching me times tables, chopsticks, and that perfect kindness comes without any denomination of religion
10. Grandma Doreen: for giving me my love of music!
11. Grandpa Black: for giving me a best friend until I was 6, and a deep love for pie for breakfast
12. Grandpa Foster: for bribing me to LOVE to read and passing down the legacy of hard work
13. Brittany: for being the closest to a sister a friend has ever been to me
14. Kendyl: for going through hell and back with me and being there for every joy and heartbreak the past 12 years
15. Melanie: for showing me what a little creativity and a lot of love can do as a mother to toddlers
16. Lizzy: for helping me see the real plan God had for me
17. Jessica: for showing me what enthusiasm for EVERYTHING really means and loving diet coke as much as I do (which is not an easy task!!)
18. Heidi: for giving me the best advice in a moment of crisis, and still coming back into my life years later to be the wind beneath my wings, and for making things funny, always
19. McKenzie: for having impeccable taste and being 10000% trustworthy
20. Bonnie: for teaching me that the music we learn in this life doesn't end here, but lasts into the eternities
21. Lexy: for showing me it CAN happen and giving me hope
22. Mireya: for loving the people who mean everything to me like family, and being like family to us
23. Natalie: for giving me the gift of instant friendship and the joy of seeing someone come unto Christ
24. Jen: for holding my hand in hard times and letting me hold a piece of heaven last week
25. Arielle: for being an angel to work with and a ray of sunshine and positivity
26. Marianne: for not giving up on me through rocky times and seeing past my high heels and immaturity as a 20 year old
27 & 28. Dan & Spence: for teaching me the pure joy that can come from a voice text! and giving me and Neil the experience of a lifetime
29. Mandi: for pushing me to do the work, and writing about things that really matter
30. Laura: for always having my back and selflessly giving your all to helping me grow!
31. Hilary: for giving me guidance and friendship and genuinely wanting the best for others
32. Jesus: for giving me the gift of being able to start over, make wrongs right, and a perfect example of living the best life.
33. Heavenly Father: for giving me literally every good thing I have in my life.

There was no possible way to thank or remember every person who has been kind and good and given me gifts of love and life experience over the years so if you're not mentioned here, I still love you! And if you're still reading this, you deserve a piece of birthday cake.

Don't forget to go enter to win my 33 winner birthday giveaway here!!