Best Birthday Ever!
Turning 70 usually isn't cause for much celebration, especially if your birthday is on
April Fool's Day. I certainly did not expect anything unusual on March 26th, the Friday my Doug had planned a special date to see the flowers at Temple Square in Salt Lake City. He was sad to see the weather turn cloudy, cold, and windy. When we finished a few hours at theFamily history library, I visiting with my old friend and college roommate Kathy Harmer (who works there), and Doug learning how to use the new Family Search Program, we rolled over to the temple grounds. Brrr!! Are we having fun yet? Few flowers were out to brave the nippy temperatures. Scrap that plan. I didn't even try to take a single photo with my Canon. Doug was visibly disappointed. My cute husband loves flowers as much as I do.
Next: Church Museum of Art and History for a special exhibit I had previously checked out while he was doing research. We read all the personal accounts of adversity, challenge and conversion-- all twenty or so-- and enjoyed the great black-and-white photography. Then we headed out for another sure winner in hot or cold weather-- Deseret Book Store! Nothing like books and Cd's for a happy shopping experience.
Five o'clock. Dinner reservations at Market Street Grill restaurant. Visions of crusty sour dough bread, steaming clam chowder, and gourmet fish platters fill my mind, summoning growling tremors in my stomach. A nice ending to a pleasant afternoon with my sweetheart.
We arrive right on time and are escorted to a room at the front. But what is this? 6 guests seated at a large table with menus in front of their faces??? Dare I think.... could it possibly be....???
SURPRISE!!
(I've been told I'm a big mouth. What do you think?)
Grinning faces, beloved children from faroff places like Sacramento, Bakersfield, Phoenix,and good ole Orem, Utah, 40 miles down the freeway from Salt Lake City. Craig, Deborah, Becca, Cathy, Liz and her husband Lane! Cathy had flown in a night early since that was the only flight she could get. She rented a hotel room so she wouldn't spoil the surprise, and walked around the town all day Friday waiting for 5:15 dinner! Craig and Debs had arrived early and had to kill some hours as well. Becca too had flown in one day earlier than her family, who were arriving the next night at our place so we could watch their four munchkins during their much-needed holiday! That meant Matt was driving without any help 13 hours from Phoenix with 4 young children (including a 2-yr-old!)
Touched and brimming with emotion, my appetite fled. Nothing could be better than to be in the presence of five of our children (and one spouse) again, together in one place. How humbling to know what it cost in time and money to be there!!! Words were totally inadequate to express my gratitude and delight.
It was the best, most fantastic, nicest, humbling, thoughtful, loving, kind, spectacular, unexpected, delightful, and astonishing experience!
I could not seem to find time to choose something from the menu; I just wanted to look at our children, these fine people in our life that meant so much to us! They were right there. In living color! Sitting with us at the table. Laughing and joking. It seemed like a dream.
SURPRISE #2!
--a hard-bound book with family photographs artistically arranged of each family and the grand-children. There were written memories and tributes. (Was this my own funeral?) We giggled and guffawed over pictures and comments. Then I cried when I read the stories and looked at the pictures. Obviously this book represented priceless time and effort gathering photos and writing down memories, etc. It was priceless-- a sacred record, our own "small plates" that recorded shared times. I felt terribly spoiled!
Finally we ordered dinner-- cioppino for me, same as Craig, but I felt too excited to taste much. I opened a present from Doug-- a macro lens for my camera. Didn't expect that either! When we finished eating and ordered dessert, I was given a cupcake with a candle that Liz had brought which said AGELESS (--Liz is full of surprises.)
The perfect dessert.
The night was so fun I didn't want it to end. The good news was that Deborah, Craig and Becca would be spending a couple nights at our home before flying home, extending the fun for us.
NOW, how do you say Thank you for a memory like that?
I wonder what 90 will bring. Sting?
