Surprise!

This year will see my hubby to 50 years of living.  He's a great man, dedicated to family and helping others.  The kids and I wanted to do something super special for him.  Of course he's one of those dads that always tells you to not worry about his birthday, he doesn't need any gifts, and he would prefer a handmade card.  Coming up with something to buy him is near impossible, but we knew something that would mean more to him than any material gift.  So, we made plans to surround him with all of his children and grandchildren.  It was a challenging task that took six months to plan and tremendous effort to keep under wraps, but we did it.  We pulled off the ultimate surprise without a hitch!  Yep, you read that right.  Something went completely perfect for our family, and it was amazing.

Our youngest daughter and her husband flew in from Missouri, and our Navy son flew in from South Carolina.  Due to the government shutdown, we did not know if the Navy son would be able to take leave until the day before the party!  So glad he was granted leave.  It would not have been the same without him since he was an integral part of the surprise, and who would have helped me clean the house?  We gathered all the children, minus two, and all the grandchildren, minus one, into our home. Vehicles were hidden down the road, finishing touches were made, and pictures were taken.

We prepared a traditional holiday meal, had a photographer do family photos, and we waited.  I knew better than to try and capture the moment myself.  Our family is just too big, and it takes too much effort just to keep the party rolling for me to be in charge of photography.  It just isn't humanly possible.  So, for the really big events that I just don't want to be without pictures I hire out, and I breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy the party.

We wrapped up all the details in plenty of time, and we waited.  I watched out the office window for his car to emerge through the trees, and there it was.  "He's home!", I yelled, and everyone got into place.  It was so awesome to hear everyone yell, "Surprise!", as he walked through the door and see the look of confusion on his face when our son in law was the first person he laid eyes on.  Totally priceless!  He was so touched and enjoyed himself so much that he thanked me for it for days.  Pulling this off for him is sure to remain a high point in my life.  SO AWESOME!

SURPRISE!

Smith Family Part Two; the Third Batch

The Family

All present and accounted for!

Mr. & Mrs.

Happy Birthday to You!

Ultrasound pics of #13

It really was a great time.  We missed the children and the gandchild greatly that were unable to attend.  With eight children and 12 grandchildren it's no wonder we can never seem to get them all in the same place at the same time, but we are a houseful nonetheless.  The cousins always have such a wonderful time together, and I am so happy we find ways to get them together now and then.

It just feeds my husband's soul to have his family around him.  If we could have figured some way to make it work we would have had everyone possible here (siblings, parents, grandparents, cousins, friends, etc.), but it just could not be done.  Guess we'll save the super big bash for when he turns 60.

Photo Credit: 
 https://www.facebook.com/Knixon.DontBlinkPhotography

My Travel Kits

Well, I did it! I made my first travel kits. They were a hit when I delivered them, but I'm waiting for an after trip report. The kits were made for my good friends and their three grandchildren who headed out yesterday from Michigan to Georgia with their daughter-in-law. It is a special trip to watch their son graduate from something in relation to the National Guard. He started out in the Air Force and is currently working on becoming something to do with Border Patrol...I do believe.

This is a long trip; 20 plus hours with rest-stop breaks and such. The children are in the age range of three to eight, so it's really going to be a long trip. I kept their ages in mind and took the advice to provide similar gifts to children in this age range to prevent issues. You know how kids are. They always want what the other guy has.

Anyway, here are the pictures:

Here are the gift items grouped for each child along with an adult and snack grouping. I labeled the glow bracelets to open after dark. Each child got the same thing just a different color, title, etc. The adult bag included a crossword search, calming aromatherapy, snacks and toys for sharing. (finger puppets, pencils, sharpener, and pinball game)

I used different style wrapping for each child and the adults. Just in case I labeled each gift with their first initial. I did wrap some snacks individually to include in their bag. (slim jims and cracker sandwiches) The grands requested no sugar!

Here are the finished bags. I accidentally purchased two the same, so I just made sure that each child had a different color and gave the matching one to the adults.

Making Memories

About a week ago, Pat and I took two of our grandchildren, Harmony and Dustin, to the Detroit Zoo along with our youngest son, Adrian. What a great time we had! It was so much fun to see the kids get excited about the animals, the fountain, and the train.

Despite the fact that it was so hot that day it was pure joy for all of us to experience elements of nature that are rare and exciting. How often do we see a flamingo or a penguin? Harmony just loved the penguins. Although, it did take her a few minutes to warm up to the reptile house.

The highlight for Dustin was the train. Oh, how he loved the train! We had a great time sharing in his joy. Isn't it fun to watch the uninhibited enthusiasm of a child? He was so excited!

Our time was maximized due to the fact that we went prepared. We all had our hats, sunscreen, and plenty of snacks and water. We had everything that we needed to stay comfortable and healthy without having to spend a ton of money while we were there. Although, since our membership does give us a discount in the gift shops, we did get the little ones a memento from the day.

Despite the fact that they are two and almost three both of the young ones remember our day at the zoo. Harmony asks if we are going to see the animals every time she comes over now. Even Adrian, 14 years old, enjoyed the day and looks forward to going back. I am sure we will see many visits to the Detroit Zoo before our pass expires next year.