Friday was my dad’s 60th birthday. He thought that my brother Matt and my sister-in-law Ellie were coming from out of town to go out to dinner with all of us for his birthday.  Unbeknownst to him we had been planning a surprise party for him   It all started as Ellie and Matt’s idea and they did so much work to make everything come together.  It turned out great!!!

On Friday Matt and Ellie drove up to our house and cooked some food to prepare for the party.  My dad had no idea they were even in town.  Then they went to the place where we were having the party and decorate and got everything all set up.

All decorated with a few guests in the background.

The cake and punch table.  See the poster with all the pictures, and notice the pictures are in the shape of a 60.

Ellie had a great idea where she asked people to share a favorite memory or 2 about my dad… then she put them in these envelopes for him to read.

Matt and Ellie called my dad and said they were going to have to meet up with all of us at the restaurant instead of at my parents’ house.  So, my parents went to the restaurant where he thought we were having dinner.  When they got there, Matt and Ellie met them there and said they had been unable to get a table so we were going somewhere else.  Then they brought him to where the party was…

SURPRISE!!

He was shocked, at least he said he was, and he really did act pretty surprised.

Guests getting some food

A wonderful celebration for my wonderful dad!

Hunter sure does look up to Pa.

Reading some of the memories that people shared.

Happy Birthday!!

The party was a huge success!!  We had a great turn out and it was wonderful to see all the people who love my dad!!  The only thing that could have made it better would have been if my brother Mike had been able to be there.  He had taken time off of work when we went on our family beach trip last month and then he just bought a new house, so he wasn’t able to come   and we definitely missed him.  There were some other family members who couldn’t be there and we definitely missed them as well.  But it was still a great party and a wonderful time!!

We took some family pictures while we were at the beach.  I’m convinced that when you see pictures of families on the beach that they can’t really be taken on the beach.  It was so windy, so all of us had hair blowing every which way.  And everyone was either squinting or wearing their sunglasses.  Anyway, I still think we got some good pictures!

Grandma and Pa with Hunter and Hailey

All of us

All of us again

Me, Rich, Hunter and Hailey… this represents Hunter perfectly

Ellie and Matt

My parents, with Rich photobombing

The girls

The guys

Uncle Mike and Hunter

Us

A couple of months ago my sister in law had this great idea- we (my family, my brother Matt and his wife Ellie, and my brother Mike) would all rent a house near the beach and surprise my parents on their anniversary weekend.  My parents have been trying for years to get everyone to rent a house near the beach, so it would be the perfect surprise.  Since Rich and I live near my parents we kidnapped them and took them away to their surprise.  We told them the weather report and gave them some instructions for what to bring.  They had a couple of ideas of where they thought they might be going, but I don’t think they actually knew.  They seemed surprised- so either they are good actors and we surprised them

We arrived at the house in the evening and got all settled in and had some dinner.  Then we headed out to the beach.

Hailey at the ocean for the first time.

Hailey and Rich

Hunter with Aunt Ellie

Hailey loved it!

I love this expression as a wave was coming in.

Hunter loved it too!

The next morning we got up and got ready and headed back to the beach.

I love these little footprints in the sand:

Hunter and Pa

Hailey and Uncle Matt

Hunter enjoying the beach:

Hailey enjoying the beach:

Hailey, Rich and Hunter

Hailey burying Uncle Matt

Hunter “resting”

Rich and Ellie worked pretty hard on this sand castle

The next day I didn’t take very many pictures at the beach, but here are some that I did take:

Mike- “I am smiling.”

Hunter enjoying the ocean

Mike tried to take a nap, but woke up and found he had been buried.

Hailey loved being at the ocean!!