Today is my husband's 50th birthday! He doesn't look 50 years old, he doesn't act 50 years old, and he certainly is more healthy than many 50 year olds!
To celebrate, I thought it would be fun to throw him a surprise party! That was the secret! I started planning it the middle of March and the more I tried to plan, the more I thought that I might have to cancel it. His best friend was going to be on call, another friend was not able to fly in like I had hoped, and I really wasn't sure I could get very many people to come due to the fact that we have only lived in the area a couple of years. But, I planned on, praying and putting the whole thing in God's hands.
I snuck into his computer for emails and phone numbers. I sent out invitations. I planned a menu and secretly purchased food and decorations. All without him finding anything out! The day started like any other Saturday. He even changed the breaks on my car. Around 4:00 p.m., my mother arrived. He knew she was coming for the weekend, but what he didn't know was that his mother had come with her. He was excited!
To get him out of the house, his mom asked him to take her to Walgreens,s o of course he did! When he got back, almost everyone was here. We stood in the entry way and yelled, "SURPRISE!", blew horns, popped poppers, and threw confetti! He was smiling ear to ear!
Fred's mom made his favorite cake, a Texas Sheet Cake! He was happy about that and it was really good!
The Lin Family arrived first, Kevin, Jennifer, Paul and Suzy(not picutered here). Jennifer was dressed in Korean Formal Birthday dress. She looked beautiful! They all helped me finish the cooking and putting things on the table while Fred was out with his mom. They were a big help and an absolute joy to have at the party. They brought a gigantic tray of homemade, fresh sushi and it was a huge hit!
Here is Fred's mom, Etta, with our middle son, Aaron. They both enjoyed the party. Aaron, who will turn 21 in a couple of months, actually complimented the party. That was a huge compliment coming from him! And it was extra special visit from Fred's mom. It is only the second time she has been down to see us since we moved to Texas!
Here is a picture of Fred opening some of his gifts! He got some really cool things. One of them is the antique cane that he is using. :) He got some funny gifts and some serious gifts and he had a lot of fun opening them. He felt very special.
One of Fred's favorite gift came from this little guy, Collin. He is five years old, and our friend, Tricia's little boy. Rebecca babysits him once a week, so he is special to us. He cleaned out his own piggy bank, wrapped the money, and presented Fred with this very special gift just from him. Fred thanked him with a big, old man hug! Collin will be back to do some swimming in the backyard pool as soon as it gets a little warmer. I am sure that Fred will be out there playing water games with him. It was fun having a young guy around the house and we look forward to spending more time with him.
The ladies enjoyed sitting and visiting with one another. In this picture from left to right is Ashley, my mom Mary Ann, Tricia, and Erin! I have known Erin since I was in the sixth grade and it was great to spend time with her and introduce her to Fred! We did a good amount of catching up!
Here is Fred's best friend, Dan. He is laughing at Fred while he blows out the candle on his cake! He shares the same birthday with Fred....only he already turned 50! We are SO happy to live near he and his wife, Lori, again!
Gunny and Theresa are spoiling our dog, Rusty! They are so fun to be around and we were both happy they came! Every time we are with them, we wonder why we don't get with them more often. Hopefully, we will!
Outside enjoying the beautiful Texas spring evening are Dan and Lori and Geoff and Debbie. These are the airport buddies and Fred loves hanging out with them. I think they could talk about airplanes for days on end and never run out of something to say. It was great that Geoff and Debbie drove in from Ponder to spend the evening with us!
Here is my mom, Tricia, and Erin. Aren't they lovely? I wish I could have had more time to just sit and chat with these ladies.
And here are the young ladies. They were perfect hostesses, they entertained Collin, they watched all the adults have a great time, and they looked forward to the day that they turn 50! NOT! They could not even grasp how old that is since all of these beauties are 14 years old. They were way fun to talk to and we were so blessed that they attended and spent time with all the old folks.
Happy, Happy 50th Birthday to the best looking 50 year old I know! (Well, all the other 50 year old men are pretty good looking too...go back and look at these photos...it will prove it to you!)
So, the secret is out! The party was a hit!
The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.
~Psalm 126:3
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