A Race of a Different Kind

This summer while in Peoria we picked up a flier for a glass fusing class. My mom remembered the place and planned for us to go there to make some pendants for my
40th birthday!

When I arrived at my sister's house I discovered that my other sister Becky had surprised me and come up to share the day with us as well. I was so excited to have everyone together. We could now to make our pendant and have a great dinner together.

After we made our pendants we stepped outside the door and my mom pulled out a poem to read to me. She is a beautiful poet and always write such lovely things but I knew I would probably cry so I asked her to please wait until we were sitting at the restaurant where I would make too much of a scene!

Well, my mom just went right on and started reading her emotional peom anyway. Then about 1/2 way through the poem it starts to mention something about an Amazing Race! I immediately started thinking all sorts of things and got totally excited! What they had planned for me was a "Race" around the outdoor mall. Now I LOVE LOVE the show the Amazing Race! I so want to be on it someday. I just love the idea of scavenger hunts and races with clues, etc. And a grown up version - how cool is that!

So my sister Liz handed me my first "clue" in a totally cool sealed envelope that opens just like the ones on the Amazing Race!!! What a neat touch! Oh and yes... they were ALL in on it! It had all been masterly planned. That in itself STILL amazes me. They gave me a mall gift card with so much money on my goal was to figure out the clues (which were NOT easy) and make my way to 8 different stores and purchase various things under sthe dollar amount on my gift card.

When I finished running around the entire mall back and forth - back and forth I might add! - I was rewarded with dinner at Flattop Grill!

I was TOTALLY shocked and it was SO much fun! A HUGE thanks and lots of LOVE to all of you who had a part in making my day such a special one! It was exactly what I needed to make my day one I will NEVER forget! And I am pretty sure the people I had to BEG $$ from with my bright red boa and cake headband won't forget me either!!