I had a delicious swordfish, but the food isn't the attraction for me...it's definitely the ambiance & the view...I love Santa Cruz!
Last weekend (March 17th), we were scheduled to watch the Middleton grandkids while Kyle & Amy took a "much needed overnighter alone without the kiddos"...come to find out, that was just an excuse to get us out of the Riverhouse. When Adia got home from school, she gave us a note from her parents with instructions to leave the kids with Adia & meet them back at the Riverhouse at 5:00pm. We were confused & had no idea what was going on...did they change their mind because of the bad weather? Maybe they talked Brent & Rochelle into joining us for a game night? When we got there...SURPRISE! All 10 of our kids & their spouses were there to celebrate the day we became a family 20 years ago! We couldn't believe it!!! We were so overwhelmed...
As soon as we walked in, the girls began singing "our song" - All I Ask of You from Phantom of the Opera. I couldn't stop crying as we went around the room & hugged each one individually - we couldn't believe they were ALL there! I just wanted to stare at them all!
They had decorated so beautifully (including our party hats)...
They presented us with a beautiful book with a personal message from each of them - "A Children's Guide to Love & Happiness." Each message was full of tender feelings, sharing how they feel about us & being a part of this crazy family.
Ben & Brent did the grilling in the rain & they all pitched in to fix a delicious dinner.
They even fixed our favorite desserts Glory Albin's mint brownies & white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. The almond cake was made by THE Glory Albin herself (Thanks so much, Glory!)...delicious!
After dinner we played some very clever games. The kids were given a story frame with key words missing & they had to fill in the blanks to create an outrageous "Love Story." They traded them around for each to read one aloud & it was our job to guess who wrote which story...some were definitely outrageous!
We played a "Name The Love Tune from 1992" - we had to watch a clip of the music video & name the title & the artist...I did NOT do very well at all, I didn't even know 1/2 of them! We also played the "Not So Newlywed Game." Ty & Christi (our newliest newlyweds) were kicking everyone's tails, but Jill & Kiff scored big on the bonus question for the win.
After the games we cut the cake & celebrated with some sparkling cider. They made us feel special - it was definitely a night we will NEVER forget!
They all spent the night & the next day we went out for pizza & a movie...we took up two whole rows in the theater.
After the movie, we hung out at the Riverhouse & enjoyed visiting & more games before everyone headed home early the next morning. We still can't believe they were able to pull this off! BEST. GIFT. EVER!!! (Many thanks to all the grandparents who watched all the grandkids so they could make this happen...& thanks to Terri & Jill for taking all these pictures - I didn't even take my camera out of its case the entire weekend!)
10 comments:
So glad you two found each other! SO glad I get to be part of this amazing family!
I've already seen these photos and ready T-lees' bloggity but I STILL Cried again... SOOOO Special and so fun. BLESSED BLESSED BLESSED... and such a gorgeous family!
It WAS a great surprise!!! Glad we were able to pull it off. It was fun just hanging out with no kids. Happy Anniversary!
Your probably don't remember me but Jill trained me in the mission. I was just so touched by this when I saw Jill post some pictures on Facebook. What a great family. :) Congratulations on 20 years.
where are the pictures from 20 years ago? that's a great bunch of people. congratulations!
Ah, you have the coolest kids ever! I Love them! Congrats on 20 years.
Such a great surprise and I love that pictures. Beautiful family! Love you guys!
That is amazing that everyone was able to be there, AND that you had no idea! Sneaky kids. Happy anniversary! I'm happy you two found each other. Love you!
Tears, tears, and more tears. I can't imagine the spirit that was there - I felt it so incredibly as I read your post and saw the photos - families are forever! We love your family and are so grateful your kids gave you a celebration you well deserved!
I talked to you on the phone about this but never did add a comment that I cried when I read this blog. I'm so glad you found each other. What a blessing you are to each other and to the lives of your wonderful children and grand-children. Memories of an event that you will hold in your heart eternally!! Can't wait to see the book they put together when we come in July.
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