Surprise!!

So you all know that Wednesday was my dad's 70th birthday, right? What I didn't tell you was that today we had a day filled with surprises for him. With his birthday so close to the holidays, it wasn't going to work out to have a big surprise party... It wasn't even going to work out to have a small surprise party... What DID work out, was to get all of the kids and some of the grandkids together for a short time, and that is what is most important to Dad, I'm sure.

Surprise #1... My sister from Utah flew out with her boyfriend. He was definitely surprised to open the garage door to leave for lunch and find my sister and her boyfriend and B and the kids and I all standing behind his car. I think opening your garage door and finding people there would surprise just about anyone!

We fixed him a super yummy lunch (Ina Garten's Blue Cheese Cole Slaw and Caesar Club Sandwiches) and sat and visited. It was super relaxing and we actually had him convinced that my brother from San Jose was NOT coming.

We finished lunch JUST in time for the next crowd of people. We managed to engage Dad in a bit more conversation and about that time in walked my oldest brother and another brother and sister-in-law and three of their four kids. Boy was Dad surprised!

After a fiery cake (with trick candles OF COURSE) we opened gifts and spent more time visiting (and watching the two youngest kids dance... CRAZY!).

Just about the time that most of the people listening to Dad's money talk had fallen asleep on the couches, the door bell rang. We made Dad answer it and you should have seen the look on his face when he found the babysitter on the other side of the door. He could NOT figure out why she was there.

We all got cleaned up and dressed up and headed out with Dad still very confused as to where we were going. Once we got into the city, he figured out we were going to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. The final surprise of the evening came once we were inside waiting for our table and the last sibling showed up with her husband.

We enjoyed a spectacular dinner with great company and I think that all in all, Dad had a pretty spectacular 70th birthday!