Blasting off my next year with a surprise birthday party!!!

Everyone but me was in cahoots in planning and putting on a marvelous surprise birthday party for me.  I guess it all started when I mentioned last winter that none of our children or grandchildren would be around to celebrate my birthday with me this year.

Mila and Owen decided that they would organize a surprise party for me.  Since it was to be a surprise, they couldn’t celebrate my birthday ON my birthday or after my birthday.  They decided to celebrate my June birthday in April, and that the party needed to be a big family birthday party for me.  So they planned this surprise party to be when we brought Ida, Alden, and Wilder up to the cabin this week to visit them.

And this wasn’t just a surprise birthday party…..IT WAS A BIRTHDAY BASH!!!

There was confetti raining down upon me and singing as I entered the cabin….

Noise makers….

“Sombreros” and a #1 Mom badge for me….

Balloons….

And more balloons everywhere….

A Happy Birthday banner and hugs….

Loving and beautifully made birthday cards from everyone, big and little….

Cousinly love….

My favorite candy—chocolate covered cherries….homemade by Hannah!

Love and good cheer from my love, my husband….

Cuddles from our sweet smelling, precious, littlest grand baby….

A delicious birthday breakfast made by Ida, Owen, and Mila….

My Happy Birthday lemon and berry cheesecake made by our dear daughter, Mila….

And birthday cupcakes for the children frosted by Hannah….

Thoughtful, loving presents….

From our grandchildren….

Needlepoint crafted by Hannah and a glass “shark’s tooth” treasure that she found…

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A family bible for my Danny and me….

Baby cuddles….

A box from Owen filled with gratitude for me, his Mother—with notes and photos of memorable times from his and also Mila’s past, including things that he wished he had said and shared with me….

Truly, a box filled with treasures that I will read often, and keep all these thoughts and messages in my heart forever….

Mama and baby cuddles….

Loving goodbyes….

This was a birthday that I will remember forever.  Thank you to all of you who surprised me with this fabulous family birthday party.  You may have surprised me with my party, but you DID NOT surprise me with all of your love that surrounds me and my Danny every moment of every day.  

We are truly blessed by this love that we share with all our children, grandchildren, and family.

Ida, Alden, and Wilder traveled from the Pacific Northwest rainforest….

….to visit Grandma and Grandpa in the Sonoran Desert!

Alden admiring the model cars that Grandpa built….

Ida and Grandma working on their projects….

Alden and Wilder building model airplanes with Grandpa….

Wilder amazed at the height and beauty of Grandma’s prickly pear cactus….

Wilder offered to help Grandma prune her cactus….and he did a fabulous job!

Swimming, swimming, and more swimming…..every single day.  And did our grandchildren love the water—they’re just like three fish in the water!

Every cowboy needs a hearty breakfast before riding hard out in the desert!

Our wrangler, Tom, who picked Grandpa off the ground when Grandpa’s saddle slipped off his horse.  Luckily Grandpa’s a tough old cowboy who climbed back up on his horse—with some bruises to his body and his pride.  Since we didn’t get to see a rattlesnake, Grandpa’s fall provided the most excitement we had out on the range!

The Three Amigos and Two Amigas!

Walking to breakfast at the Leisure World Rendezvous Cafe….

 

Fun times at our mountain cabin in Pine with Uncle Owen, Aunt Mila, Hannah, Vernon, Robert, and Gideon….

Lots of loving for Grandma and Grandpa from Robert!

Robert looks like he’s pretending to be a baby, but this is actually his tiger impression!

Wilder gave his little cousins with horsey rides….

And a very Happy Birthday to our dear grandchildren—Ida, Alden, and Wilder!!!

 (We never get to be with them on their actual REAL birthday.)

All this fun, laughter, and love was only our first three days with Ida, Alden, and Wilder.  We still have three more days together before they have to go home.  And we have planned about five days worth of fun and things that we want to do together during these three days—maybe we just won’t send them home….