Mom's Surprise Party 02.12.11

Click here to view these pictures larger

Please don't get used to two posts in one day...it will probably NEVER happen again.  There were folks patiently waiting to see these pics and I decided that it was worth it to miss out on a little sleep so that I could get it done.  This party had been in the works for over five months.  My mom is one of the kindest, most compassionate people I know.  Not only to people that she comes into contact with, but especially to the furry four legged varieties.  In other world if you came back to life as an animal...especially a cat...you would want to live with the Kiefer's.  NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!!!  But wait - I digress.  Back on track.  Our family has never  been big on celebrations or party throwing.  When Zachary was born we threw some pretty great parties, but as for the adults we were just out of luck.  During the summer last year I started thinking about something over the top that I could do for my mom since 6o is a pretty big deal.  That is when the idea for the memory book started to take shape.  The lady that I scrapbook with had done something similar for her parent's anniversary, so I made a few changes and the project began.  But I soon realized that I wanted to do something even bigger and more special and that is when my dad and I decided that we weren't just going to attempt a party....we were going for the BIG KAHUNA...a SURPRISE party!  I cannot think of anyone more deserving of a party like this than my mom.  As the months ticked off more and more people knew my sweet daddy was convinced that there was no possible way that we were going to pull this off without someone "spilling the beans".  We were down to T minus 24 hours and I got a frantic call from my dad saying that flowers had arrived for my mom from my Godmother in KY...her birthday was not for another 8 days.  Luckily, Salli was quick on the draw and when mom called she belted out that she wanted mom to have a full week or more to enjoy her birthday flowers. Mom bought the story hook, line and sinker and the crisis was averted.  Three of her friends took her out on the day of the party and as soon as they left we kicked it into gear setting up and doing last minute decorations.  As you can tell from the pictures if she had even an inkling that anything was going on, she did I great job of hiding it.  We had great food and fellowship with friends and family from near and a couple from far away.  I couldn't have dreamed of a better outcome and I have never seen my mom...or my dad...for that matter more excited. 

So...if you ever need help with a party, or just need party favors - don't hesitate to give me a ring.  Now that a little time has passed, I am realizing that even though there were tons of details and even more stress, I am pretty sure that I had a great time doing it!  Have a great weekend and I hope you enjoy the post!

All photos in the post courtesy of Macy English.