Birthday Bound: Bethel or Bust

I just like a good alliteration to spunk up a title!

Love

This whirlwind weekend we celebrated my other half's 27th birthday. We are big birthday celebrators in our house and this year The Hubs wanted to take a trip to Sac to visit his BFF and his Family (the legendary Fisher's of Kim Walker Smith concert glory) and then all of us make our way up to Redding to visit Bill Johnson's Bethel Church.

Friday afternoon we embarked for Sacramento. Along the way we encountered the best smelling stretch of highway (honors go to I-5 before Santa Nella; the fragrance from the orange orchard blossoms was such an unexpected treat.) We arrived safely, our girls reunited, we chowed down on In N Out grilled cheeses and hit the hay.

Saturday was THE day my husband first entered the world 27 years ago (Happy Birthday Love!) and was also a day of firsts for me. I rented my first car (a Suburban for the crew) and we did a quick side trip to Davis en route to Redding. *** On a side note- I would totally go back for a long weekend in Davis. What a quaint town!***

The Suburban

I was wary at first on renting the car but it turned out to be quite enjoyable: I didn't have to drive, I got to nap, one tank of gas lasted the whole weekend and 3 car seats, 2 moms and 2 dads plus baggage (including 2 strollers!) fit comfortably. Did I mention I didn't have to drive? :)

Third-row sitting

                                                 

After checking into the hotel we cruised around downtown Redding with a quick walking tour and ended up going back into a suburb and eating at the Olive Garden. Somehow our trip coordinated with Prom and the wait time for tables was longer than usual. (But people watching was fun, all those prom fashions!) Only two things saved us from complete and utter chaos with  2, 3 and 5 year old girls: Netflix on the phone and appetizers. Our dinner lasted two hours with nary an outbreak. I think I held my breath throughout the entire meal. This was not by choice and something I wouldn't recommend but, the girls did great and we ended up with some coupons for future meals so it was a win- win.

Excited for Olive Garden

Sunday morning dawned bright with an early wake up call: it was time to get ready for church! And not just any church we were going to Bethel and we were going to be blessed with a sermon by Bill Johnson! If you haven't heard of Bethel or Bill check out the website here! You will thank me later.

Who doesn't like a good walking shot?

This was our second visit and we were all anticipating greatness and it was delivered! (To hear the sermon click here.) And I personally talked to Bill twice which I'll equate to meeting a celebrity because it was a big deal. This man's books are life changing and I highly recommend The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind. We left Bethel with a refreshed spirit and were ready for the trip back home.

Us with Bill Johnson

I'm still processing all the wonderfulness of this busy weekend. I know I will be filled for weeks to come and that keeps me smiling. Especially since I returned to work today, no time off for me! I'm just a rebel like that.

Family

How do you celebrate your birthday? Big bash or private affair? Do share!