SURPRISE!!!

Well, I was fooled again. In my last post you read how my family surprised me with a lovely birthday dinner. I had no clue they were planning it and they completely surprised me. Last night it happened again. Jer and I went out for dinner with some friends and then headed back home at 7:00 because the friends had "a thing" to go to later that evening. Okay with me, I thought. It will be nice to get Elise to bed at a normal hour and Jer and I could enjoy a quiet evening watching a movie and going over our budget (yes, it's a weird thing to do on a Saturday night, but if you knew my husband you wouldn't find it odd). As we are leaving the restaurant, Jer gets a call from our friend James saying their car won't start so they need a jump. (This wasn't weird because they have been having car problems lately, but what was weird is that I know they have jumper cables and a second car so I couldn't figure out why they needed us, but I didn't think much of it.) Jer told him we would be home in about a half hour and we were on our way. We get home and I walk in the house and, "SURPRISE!" Holy cow, I think I wet my pants. They scared the living day lights out of me. Decorations everywhere. Food and drinks spread out over three different tables. And many caring friends all standing there staring at me as I try to recover gracefully and control my shaking hands. I had such a fun time and can't believe that people went to so much trouble for me. My friends Joy and Cookie were the two instigators behind it all and from what saw they put so much time and work into it. Thank you so much, you two, for caring about me enough to put that all together. You both mean so much to me! And thank you to everyone else who came and celebrated with me. This party came at such a perfect time for me. Whenever I go up to Chicago, I get a little sad when we leave because I realize how much I miss my friends and family up there. But this party showed me what great friends and "family" I have down here, too. Thank you for loving me and my family, Memphians!!!


I'm the Birthday Queen!



Joy, Me, & Cookie