Though her 80th birthday will not roll around until October 21st, Memorial Day weekend, we threw my Mema a big surprise party. With the combination of my still being fairly new at my job & not having the luxury of time off whenever I would like as well as my sister's expected move out of the country in September, my Uncle wanted to go ahead & celebrate while both Haley & I were available to come. Mema thought we were just coming for a visit. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that there was a party in store for her--especially months in advance. The guests had all arrived & were chattering when my Uncle Roger announced that she & my mom had arrived. As is typical at a surprise party, when the door opened, we all shouted, "SURPRISE!" To say she was stunned is an understatement. As I guessed, she turned towards my mom & Roger & asked what was going on & who the party was for. They told her it was for her. She said, "Well it ain't my birthday." Once she got past the initial shock, she began to wander down the center aisle checking out all of the faces there & pointing certain individuals out. Along with family & friends were a number of the kids that she had babysat throughout the years (many of which are grown & married with kids themselves). Her eyes were so big with joy that she looked like a kid in a candy store. After everyone had their plates filled, Haley turned on a slideshow she had put together featuring pictures of my Mema throughout the years as well as video messages from family & friends here in St. Louis that were unable to make the trip down to share in her party. There were many laughs to be had during the show thanks to the many clothing & hair styles represented through the years! At the same time, many of our hearts missed numerous individuals pictured that have since gone on to be with the Lord. How precious to remember the times spent with them though. After pleading & convincing Haley that the song was perfect for the slideshow (she's not a big fan of Southern Gospel or old hymns), she used the song "Precious Memories" for part of the show. Precious Memories indeed. Long after the party was over (& still today), my Mema raved about how excited she was. Another precious memory indeed.
