Despite having to be on the road most of the day, I had a wonderful birthday. I spent the morning with Mom and Granddaddy. He has improved so much since I saw him in September. That's the best birthday present I could ask for! Last night the family we were staying with bought a cake for me and we went to the movies.

After leaving West TN this morning, I hit the road heading for New Orleans. I stopped to have Starbucks with a friend along the way, and then joined up with Stacy in NOLA who was waiting to go out for dinner. She mentioned one or two other people who might join us, but when I got there I discovered that she had set up a surprise birthday party for me! We had a delicious dinner at Rum House, a new Caribbean restaurant in Uptown. They had bought me a gorgeous cake from Whole Foods. Stacy made me a photobook with TONS of pictures from my time in Namibia. It must have taken her hours to scour through my blog to get them all together. It was one of the sweetest and most thoughtful gifts anyone has ever given me! We had a great time laughing and reconnecting. These peeps are some of my favorites in the whole world. We haven't seen each other in over 18 months and yet we can pick right back up like I never left. Several of them will be on the Israel trip with me that begins tomorrow. I can't wait to spend some more time catching up with them!

I feel very blessed and loved on my special day. I got phone calls all day from family and friends. My favorite one was probably from my 7 year old cousin who sang to me, ending it with "You look like a monkey and you smell like one too!" He told Kelly before he called me, "I'm going to do the monkey part. She has lived in Africa after all!" What a cutie!

Thanks to all of you who have supported me this past year. It was certainly a year to remember and I look forward to many more just like it to come!