This past Monday marked a very big milestone for my mom...her 65th birthday! She and Dave went to Savannah with some friends the weekend before to celebrate many of their June birthdays. She thought the celebration ended there, but she had no idea what other surprises were in store for her! On Sunday, June 14th, I secretly flew to St. Pete (Marshall had a business trip, and Colin went to stay with Grammy Mary and Grandpa Lee in the mountains). Adrienne picked me up from the airport and after getting ready and picking up some balloons, she, Evyn and I went to a super cool new restaurant in downtown called Locale. We decorated and wrapped a giant box, which would contain me until the big reveal. Drew and Rachel arrived, followed by my mom’s best friends, Jamey and Malinda. We got a text from Dave that they had arrived, and into the box I went! Although it was dark and stuffy, I could hear how surprised Mom was when she walked into the room…and the best part was that it was her idea to check the place out! Her brother Jeff and his wife Catrin were visiting from Ohio, and so they got to be a part of the surprise as well. Luckily, I didn’t have to stay in the box for too long (I think everyone was worried I might pass out from lack of oxygen!), and Mom didn’t waste any time tearing open the box. And trust me when I tell you, she was TRULY SHOCKED to see ME folded up inside!!! I’ll attach the video below so you can see her completely priceless reaction for yourselves (and my face is pretty hysterical too!). After lots of laughs and hugs, we enjoyed some good food and drinks together, and Mom got to open some fun gifts. She even got a Louis Vuitton wallet to match her purse. Adrienne, Drew, and I had one more surprise for her, a flashback photo of the three of us from circa 1988, which we recreated as adults and had framed side by side. It’s absolutely hilarious, and the three of us really nailed the outfits and facial expressions. Mom almost fell out of her chair. And of course, that photo will be attached below as well. Make sure you’re sitting down first :)
But one of the best surprises for me was meeting my Uncle Jeff and Aunt Catie for the first time. Their vacation to St. Pete had already been planned for some time, but it was a wonderful thing that it coincided with Mom’s birthday and my surprise visit. We had the best time together, relaxing by the beach and pool, having cocktails at sunset, going to the Rays baseball game, seeing Winter the dolphin and the other animals at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, shopping, playing games, and just getting to know each other. I have learned that life has taken us all in many different directions, but I couldn’t be more thrilled that our paths have finally crossed and that some peace and love has been restored to this part of our family. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a family photo, so we’ll have to save that for next time. So as it turned out, Mom’s birthday included a very special gift for me too…the opportunity to spend time with my aunt and uncle! I also got to hang out with Evyn for an extra day too, because she made a special trip back from Gainesville so we could have a slumber party. Ha! My heart is so full and happy after a week full of awesome surprises!
