SURPRISE!!!!!

     This past Saturday, I turned 40. This past weekend also included Joe coming home from his nearly week - long Scout camping trip very late Friday night, and George and the Bearded Man leaving for an overnight camping trip first thing Saturday morning, until Sunday. I figured the Scouts had effectively ruined any possible birthday plans, and decided to catch up on things around the house for the weekend.
    
     Suddenly, I knew something was happening. I wasn't sure what, but, little comments from Kaila and my sister, and I knew something was up. I looked at Kaila and said: "I'm going to need to clean the house, aren't I? Am I looking at 'Hey! It's Aunt Bri and the kids coming to hang out!' clean, or, 'Company is coming!!!!!!!!!!!!!' clean?"
     "I don't know what you are talking about. Please stop asking me questions."

     So, I made sure the house was "Company is Coming" clean.


     Saturday morning began by packing George up shortly after dawn, and shipping him off with the Bearded Man. "Mom. I wish so much I could stay here. I can't tell you why. I just wish I could be here." he said longingly on his way out the door. "I am sure you will have so much fun,  you won't even think about it." I assured him. And then finished cleaning the house.
 
     At noon, I was hauled away "For reasons,  okay??" and, we spent three hours killing time, before I was allowed back home again. Kaila pulled in the driveway, and people began pouring out of the house for a surprise Birthday Party! There were people and decorations everywhere. Kids ran around with balloons, the dining room was strung with streamers, and the kitchen was full of food. It was just incredible! A flashing tiara was stuck on my head, and a sash was thrown over me, announcing I was 40, and I was instructed to not remove either of them. After awhile, my sister excitedly told me to look at the card she had brought me. The envelope read "MORIAH! GUESS WHAT????????" looking questioningly at my sister, I opened the card, while she barely contained herself. Opening it, I read "WE'RE GETTING TATTOOS THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!" The look on my mother's face was priceless. Brianna and I have talked about getting some sort of small "sister" tattoo for a few years now. She has already talked to a local tattoo artist. After some discussion though, we decided to do tattoos after the summer swimming season, so, maybe at the end of August.
 
     We had so much fun during that party! Deanna, my sister in law, had brought lots of food, and made a cake, and Joe perked right up because there was all this "Joe approved" food, after the depravation of Scout Camp, and the terrible things they tried to feed him. ("Mom. There were days when I literally only ate apples, because that was literally the only thing decent to eat. Even as a pretty much Mexican person, I could not eat the Mexican food they served one day!" "Joe. Once again - you are not Mexican. Not even a little tiny bit." "And, on the day they had ribs?? That day, they gave us two rib bones with hardly any meat on them!" He arrived home at almost 11:30 Friday night, and proceeded to eat two steaks, a spoonful of peanut butter, and a large glass of milk.)
    
     At one point, the guys marched all two thousand (give or take a few) kids down the road to the local ice cream place, and, all the ladies convened on the front porch. Where my sister began to regale us with her recent tea purchase experience.


     "I was here last Saturday, and Ri here was telling me she really liked this tea - it's spelled C-H-A-I I think", began my coffee addicted sister, "so, I went to East Aurora, because I heard there was a tea store there, and I got LOST. So, I was already all stressed out, when I finally found the store. And, there was the handsomest guy there and he started out all nice, but, I asked him for this tea, and I have no idea how these things work, and so he started to show me this - I don't even know how you say it - Chai? tea. He's telling me to sniff  the tea, while he waves the scent toward me. It was so disgusting. So, I finally picked the two that smelled okay, and said, "Okay, I will take those two." and he looked at me funny, and said I have to buy it by the ounce.  What the what? Okay, whatever. And then he starts to weigh it! He delicately puts these weeds into this bag, and weighs it, and keeps shaking the bag, and adding more, and it was this whole process, and I am rolling my eyes, and then I stop and say 'WAIT! How does she drink that??' and the guy is all shocked and says, 'you put it in water' and I was all 'YOU EXPECT MY SISTER TO DRINK WEEDS?????!!!!!!!' And so then I had to buy a special teapot, and he was trying to explain all these things, and I told him to just write directions down, so you could do this, but, my sister better not have to drink weeds."


     I was laughing so hard. I assured my sister I could brew the tea and not drink any weeds. There was a lot of laughing involved while we sat on the porch. I am not entirely sure what the ladies there who were not used to my sister thought, but, they must have liked it, because we did discuss all of us getting together once a month. The subject of her salon came up briefly, and she casually mentioned she just had to ban another four people this week. I am eternally grateful I haven't been banned yet. Honestly, she could make a fortune, she's this side of exclusive.
    





      It really was the best time, and I was so happy! Eventually, people began to leave, and I happened to walk into my house. It appeared that all two thousand children who had been there, had thrown a college style two day bender in approximately six hours. Gazing around at my house, I was amazed at what the pediatric population was capable of. I can only imagine what their future college years hold in store, because the little savages are really very capable of considerable chaos. It was worth every minute of it, too. I think they had just as much fun as I did! I shrugged and told parents all day that my house is pretty kid friendly, and they were fine. And, it was.




     Earlier in the day, shortly before we left the house, one of our neighbors had come over. They are getting a pool and had just dug up lots of concrete decorative edging. He had barely asked if I wanted it, before I burst out that I would love it. I assured him I would be over with the Bearded Man the next day to pick it up, and, in the back of my head already began to make plans for it. When Jasin arrived home the next day, tired and grouchy from his camping trip, he was not the most enthused person about going to haul concrete garden edging, but, we did go get it. The decision needs to be made now - do I re-edge an existing garden with it? Or, do I start a whole new garden? I need to think about this for awhile. There's a fine balance between garden friendly yard and kid/dog friendly yard...seriously. The neighbor had no idea that I absolutely considered garden things a birthday present. With the collection of bricks that I have, along with the new concrete goodies, I have the potential to do some pretty amazing things in my yard.


     One more thought on my party. All laughter aside, I need to mention that: My little sister is a struggling single mom, who works two jobs, and who does her level best to juggle things the best she can. She is regularly exhausted, and could use surgery on her hand, as well as considerable back and neck work. She is not on any form of public assistance, and does it all on her own.
     My sister in law, Deanna, also works two jobs, recently got married, and is a hugely busy person herself!
     And, last but not least, who out there, hears regularly of ANY 16 year old, not only buying tickets and taking their mom to a concert, but, helping to plan and pay for a surprise birthday party for their mom, too? While their car continues to sit in the driveway, because she spent most of her money on her mother, and didn't use it to put  their car on the road?
     It is honestly humbling, that these incredible strong wonderful ladies did this for me, and, I am honestly truly grateful. Keeping in mind that my sister took time off of work to do some of the pre birthday planning - including the tea buying experience - as well as the expense that all of these ladies went through,  is just really a recipe for making the happy tears flow. I can't thank them all enough!
     Even Lexi and Joe spent their own money and bought me birthday cards!
    
     Seeing old friends and new at the party was just so much fun, and it just made the whole day perfect. Seriously, it relit knowledge that there are still good people in the world out there. It was so nice to be reminded that wonderful people exist, and that I can call so many of them my friends and family.