Send Josh to the Tour de France for his 40th Birthday!

Hello friends and family,

What's this all about?
I have a big secret I want to share with you. It's about an amazing person in all of our lives named Josh Mitchell. As you may know, July 7th of this year will be a big day for Josh. He will be turning 40 years old. You also probably know that Josh is a huge fan of cycling, and as a lover of all things French, the Tour de France is particularly special to him, not only because it is the most important race in the cycling world, but also because every year it runs over his birthday.

I know that for a long time he has dreamed of being there for his birthday, but of course when babies come along, your wife quits her paying job and you decide to go back to school, dreams have to take a back seat for awhile. (Well that's what he thinks!)

I've secretly purchased Josh a ticket to fly to Toulouse, France a few days after his birthday, where he will be picked up by a cycling tour company and given the opportunity to ride sections of the Tour de France course in the Pyrénées, as well as experience legs of the actual race itself.

Why?
I would love your help in showing Josh how much he means to all of us and give you the opportunity to share in this exciting surprise for him. I'm sure I don't have to tell you why Josh deserves this experience. For me, it's because he is one of the kindest, most thoughtful and hardworking people I know and I feel so lucky to be a part of his life. He always puts our boys and me first (not to mention his job and schoolwork!) and it's time he was given the opportunity to do something that brings him pure, selfish joy.

How to Contribute
If you choose to take part in this gift, thank you! If you would simply like to send Josh a birthday wish, please do so in the comments here or email me back a message for him and I will include it in a card when I tell him the surprise later this month.

I have made suggestions below for various gifts he might appreciate while away. However, if you have something particular in mind you would like to give instead, please let me know. Here some ideas for what your gift would buy:

$5    – an espresso at a hilltop café
$10  – a bottle of wine after a "hard day"
$25  – a post-ride massage
$40  – dinner out
$75  – bike rental for a day
$100 – general contribution toward the trip, or you decide!

Thank you for joining me in celebrating Josh's BIG birthday! And, if you know of someone else who might like to take part in the surprise, too, please pass this link along.

Sincerely,
Kelly Mitchell