My ever-youthful aunt turns 70 at the end of July, which was why her surprise birthday party took place at the beginning of July. She thought she was going to a fundraiser. Instead, we raised the roof.
The evening’s lineup was deceptively simple, but like all surprises, involved months of planning and stress from keeping the details away from the notoriously nosey birthday girl, especially when she’d called up random people to guilt trip them about not making any plans for her upcoming milestone birthday.
Since the theme was “Mardi Gras,” the party planner encouraged us to wear purple and masks. My sister and I thought, “No problem!”
She’d just go to the local party store, pick up some masks and that’d be the end of it.
Not so.
The party store was closed due to an older woman driving her car through it. So, our plan B was to make our own masks. Here’s mine:
At least the place setting wasn’t hideous.
Unlike Mom’s side of the family, Dad’s side of the family hardly ever hosts a reunion. We normally get together only for funerals, weddings and birthdays. I only know my first cousins’ children because they resemble them. I managed to catch a few names in passing.
Although my aunt was initially ticked that no one had spilled the beans, she rallied to the cause. Not only did she warm up the dance floor, but kept it hot the whole time with whatever combination of partygoers who happened to join her.
Before retirement, my aunt was a top-of-the-line cake decorator. Her former coworkers/supervisees baked her a superrich yellow birthday cake.
During one of the most sentimental moments of the evening, my cousin told his mother how much she meant to him, his wife and children.
At least he’s known for being a talkative person.
Unlike my aunt’s husband. His tribute to her was not only the most I’d ever heard him speak in one setting, but it nearly brought many of us to tears.
After all was said, danced, and eaten, the group picture-taking began.
Here’s the male cousins’ pose.
Followed by the female cousins’ pose.
More female cousins joined the group and for some reason, my nephew as well.
The last time this side of the family got together was for Dad’s 86th birthday, but we didn’t dare surprise him.
My sister and her husband, had spent a few hours at the beach prior to going to the hotel to get cleaned up to attend the party AFTER the surprise.
Better late and with the better phone camera!
