Surprise 25th Anniversary Party!

I suppose I had been planning this party for the better part of the last year, however, I didn't really get started till about a month ago. With my siblings on board, I decided to throw a small surprise 25th anniversary party for Mom and Dad. I could go into great detail on how elaborate our plan was to surprise them, but I'm afraid this blog would go on for quite some time. It's hard to keep a surprise in such a small town, let alone Synnove (she LOVES to spill the beans!). We covered all of our tracks and made sure that the party was a well kept secret.

The plan was to invite them over for a "pre-mother's day dinner" at my house. Henry was leaving for Junior's Abroad with GFU to Australia and Dad was going to be working on Mother's Day (their actual anniversary), so it was a good excuse to get together. I told them to meet at my house at around 1:30. It worked out perfectly, because we had to find a way to get them here after everyone arrived...but everyone goes to church (some of them the same church) and if they left early from church, that would look quite suspicious. Fortunately, my church gets out quite a bit later than everyone else's, so it was a logical reason to meet at my house later than they would get out of church. Make sense? We, of course, skipped church to prep for the party. We decided to try to hide everyone's car for a true surprise. Adam spent all morning clearing out 3 of the 7 bays of the shop (yes, every one is FULL) and strategizing. He successfully hid about 6 cars!

Grandma Barbara offered to make spaghetti and and bread and left church early (and yes, my parents asked where they went!) to come over and finish making it. All morning I was stressing out about Mom and Dad's arrival. It wasn't until my brother texted me saying "Grandma Backe just told mom and dad that Grandma Barb (her daughter...not to be confused with Grandma Barbara) is headed out to our house for a party!" I couldn't believe it!! I was sick. For those that don't know, my Great Grandma Backe is 99 years old and lives in a retirement/care home...the same place where a gentleman at my parent's church lives. Normally, I think, my grandparents (the ones who left church early) take him home after church. BUT, since they weren't there, my parents did...and when they did, they decided to visit Grandma Backe, whom they haven't visited in MONTHS!! That day...of ALL days...WHY!!?? ANYway, my Dad corrected her and said something like "no, we're going over to Nicole's for a Mother's Day dinner." No suspicions arose, no damage done. Phew!

Elise and I strategized on how they would arrive. They would all go in one car...Elise's truck. That way, they wouldn't have the chance to turn around in the driveway and risk seeing the cars parked on the side of the house. Like I said, it was an very well thought out plan.

All the guests (just the Thompson families and the Balensifer families) arrived on time and we anxiously awaited Mom and Dad's arrival...they were 30 minutes late. I stood at the top of the stairs with a video camera while everyone stood silent hidden in the living room. Mom didn't even seem to think it was odd that I was holding the camera while they walked in the door, and it took them a while to finally realize that the party was for them. It worked out perfectly. The party was awesome...just plain awesome. It was so nice to give them a special day complete with cake, gifts, toasts, family, and food (something they didn't get when they eloped 25 years ago!).

I included a bunch of pictures, but they are all terrible...taken with that camera that I took back. But, they're all I got!...

The cake "table"

Waiting for Mom and Dad to arrive. I stole 5 photo albums from my parent's house of the "early years" from before they met till Henry's birth.

Just coming up the stairs and realizing that the party is for her :)

Still arriving...Dad's finally cluing in.

All of the people present on their actual wedding day. To the right of my dad is my Uncle Mark (my Dad's brother) and to the right of my mom is my Aunt Jeanne (my mom's oldest sister). I was 4 when they married and proudly adopted by my Daddy :)

Some heartfelt and tearful toasts to the happy couple...

I stitched them up a gift and had it framed...a special anniversary record with names, dates, children, etc.

Dad, opening up the "2nd Honeymoon Fund." Instead of guests bringing gifts I told them to bring cash to put in a special gift box. It's hard for proud adults to accept money from their family...so this way they didn't have a clue who gave what!

Yes, we made them do it all...and they were gracious receivers.

Mom and Dad got the first bite...and Soren got the second :)

Thanks Mom and Dad for being such wonderful parents. I love you both so much, and it was a pleasure to surprise you. You deserved your day in the spotlight :)