Surprise!!

Sorry I've been MIA lately. We had good friends from Texas here from Thursday through today and we had a great visit. Also, our daughter, Ashley (you can see her picture below with her grandmother and her cousin) arrived on Friday and left today. We were on the go 24/7!! Friday, Sharon (my Texas girlfriend) and I visited the Shelton Winery in the Yadkin Valley - about an hour away. We did a little wine tasting, had a great lunch (and a little more wine) at their restaurant, and took a tour .... and did a little more wine tasting!! And, I had to drive home - I was OK but beginning to get a headache!! We went back to my house and tried to take a quick nap before hitting the road again. The guys (and Ashley) picked us up shortly after we got home and we went to the Prickly Pear Restaurant in Mooresville. We met the rest of my family and some more friends from Florida and we all surprised my mother when she walked in for her birthday. She thought just my sister was taking her out to dinner for her birthday and we would be having a cook out on Saturday for her birthday. Ashley called her earlier to wish her a happy birthday and told her she wished she could be there but maybe she could visit in August. She was really surprised!! We had a tiara for her to wear and a blinking Happy Birthday pin!

On Saturday, we had her 80th surprise birthday party at her clubhouse. We had close to 100 of her friends and neighbors at the party. She was blown away and definitely surprised!! When she walked in, we all yelled "SURPRISE" and she burst into tears. Of course, my sister and I were crying with her. She had the time of her life visiting with everyone. After the party was over and we cleaned up the clubhouse, all the family came back to my house for sandwiches and fellowship. It was a great night but I sure was glad when it was all over!! She kept wanting to know what Sunday's surprise was going to be! It didn't come from us, but her Sunday School teacher was the preacher at church and announced to the whole congregation that it was her 80th birthday. She acted embarrassed but I know she loved it!

We were able to take some family pictures at the party. It seems like we never all get together long enough to get pictures! But, this time we got pictures of all us kids with mom and later some of the grand kids and husbands and wives and friends .....!! Now my sister and I have got to get busy and scrapbook all the pictures!!