Dad's surprise 70th b-day party

I started out trying to put together a blog post about our trip to Cincinnati beginning to end, but then I realized that my dad's surprise 70th birthday party is really deserving of a post of its own. Surprise parties really aren't done on my side of the family -- I think the last one I remember was for my great aunt Mary Lee, and it was probably over a quarter century ago. I was surprised when Grace texted us siblings with the idea a few months ago. My first thought was that Dad is probably the last person to want a surprise party. The next thought was sure, why not?😁 

Grace curated a playlist full of Dad's favorites, such as the Bee Gees, Motown, Frankie Valli, and '80s and '90s country, just to name a few. Scotty and Faith hosted at their farmhouse in Kentucky that has come a long way since even the last time I visited. It now has a nice patio and fire pit, and more of the land has been cleared and leveled. They've put so much of their heart into it and it really shows. There was barbecue and lots of other good food to eat. My siblings and mom put a lot of thought and effort into it, and as usual I just got to show up in time for the festivities.

Since I stayed with my parents we all went over in my car, so I had a front row view of Dad's reaction when he saw the sign that said, "Scott's 70th birthday." He'd thought we were going over there to celebrate Scotty since the two of them share a birthday. He was like, "What is this? Oh no... who cares about my birthday!" Someone, probably Scotty, thought it best that he get a heads-up as he came down the driveway rather than ambushing him as he came through the door. Dad said later he was really glad to have had that warning. He recovered quickly and enjoyed the night.

He gave a short speech: "My real birthday is on the fourth, so if I don't make it to the fourth, this is all for nothing." This encapsulates beautifully his morbid, fatalistic sense of humor. My mom has joked that his last words will be "just my luck." But he's super healthy and there's every indication that, God willing, he'll be around for awhile yet. He shows no sign of slowing down and is always busy -- painting stuff, fixing stuff, renovating stuff, replacing stuff, going to visit a friend and help with stuff... And he never naps. The day he sits down and dozes off on the couch, someone might want to make sure he's breathing. "Just my luck -- I finally take a nap and now I'm dead." (Maybe I inherited a bit of his morbid humor if not his propensity for hard work.)

😄😄

There was a good turnout of people, mostly from my mom's side of the family because there is a lot more of them. I got to visit with aunts, uncles and cousins I hadn't seen in forever. In the picture above, looking like she could be another sister, is our cousin Natalie. Right after she arrived and we'd exchanged greetings, I said to her that I'd wished I'd gotten a picture of us when were were talking at Sophie's wedding (two years ago). We spent so much time together as kids; our mothers were very close (her mother, Connie, passed away when she was 12). Then I said, "Let's get one now." Anna took the phone from me to do it, and Faith said, "You and Grace get in the picture too, and I'll take it." 

It's a weird little story to include, I know. But I share it because I find myself in the past couple years going through something where moments happen and I take a lot of pictures, but apparently not enough of them because I find myself regretting ones I didn't get. A few days later, it happened that Sophie gave Timmy a hug and said, "Birthday buddies!" And Timmy was hugging her back, which for one of my kids is kind of a big deal. There they were practically cheek-to-cheek with their cute dimpled smiles, and my phone wasn't handy, and the moment passed. It's just one of those things I "offer up" and try to accept that try as I might, I'm never going to be able to get all the pictures. 

On a side note, I should mention I did not take all the photos I'm sharing here. I got some from Anna, Faith and Becky, a family friend who seems to have a gift for eliciting the best smiles from people.

As you look at these nighttime pictures, play this in your head: 🎜Well, you get down the fiddle and you get down the bow / kick off your shoes and you throw 'em on the floor / Dance in the kitchen till the morning light / Looseana Saturday night...🎝 If those lyrics don't ring a bell, then do yourself a favor and take a listen.