Surprise!

Today is Mike's 31st birthday, but I thought we'd celebrate early so I threw a surprise party for him on Friday. He thought we were going to have a rather typical, low-key Friday night, but to his surprise Matt, Kelly, Leah, Lauren & Josh ended up bustling through the back door with a bushel of balloons in hand!

He was so excited, surprised & touched that it brought tears of happiness to his eyes! What a sensitive guy!





I made slow-cooker sloppy joes earlier that day; they were rather tasty & easy to make. I can't stand being stuck in the kitchen when I'm having a get together, so I love crowd pleasing, make-ahead meals. If you're interested in checking out the recipe, click here.



Cam wasn't exactly a fan of the birthday hat!



But Mike was!



Mike & his gal pals, Lauren & Kelly.



We couldn't decide who was taller so Lauren & Kelly went back-to-back. I think Kelly ended up being a hair taller, but it was super close.



Same goes with me & Matt; it was too close to tell!



Kelly loves her KC Boy!





I made Reese's peanut butter cup inspired cupcakes since Mike adores the combination of chocolate & peanut butter. I found this recipe in my Food Network Magazine; click here to check it out. Instead of mini cupcakes, I made regular & instead of homemade, I used a mix to save some time.



I think Mike enjoyed them. He thought they tasted good warmed in the microwave to soften the peanut butter & chocolate.

















We tested out Lauren's birthday present; an awesome camera Josh gave her that very night. We got a little goofy with our poses, but it was a blast!



It was an awesome night & I'm so happy that my friends helped me pull off the surprise. Happy Birthday, Mike! I love you!