When is Kmom due back, anyway? Seems like she's been gone a week at least?

Lori- Go you with "Whip Lori into shape!" I will watch and clap. Have fun at the golf course today- glad the upper nine worked out well yesterday.

Trig- Wait, what? Did you have 8 medium shrimp and 1 TB cocktail sauce for a WHOLE MEAL? Like, that was it? Girl. That is not enough!

Blue- Hope you are enjoying your parties and fun.
Jaz- LOVE the pix you sent. Such cuties! And so glad Ava is now O2 free. That is HUGE news.

•••••••

Well, we pulled it off!! I was so happy. Our family worked really well together, even when things looked a little challenging. My goal was to get ready to go out to dinner and then when it was nearing time to leave, tell Dh the dogs need to be fed, and then let out. Well, can you believe he FED them? He almost never does that without harassment. I was like WTH!!! And then he let them out! So I texted the boys and I was like "Help! Dad ruined the delay plan! We need a plan B!" So they came up with two completely believable scenarios- DS16 waited until we were getting ready to leave and then said WAIT! I have to brush my teeth! (believable!) and DS19 went into the bathroom.. and stayed there (also believable.) DH and I were sort of wandering around outside waiting for them, complaining about how ridiculous it is that they can never be ready for anything on time.

Then, we are driving to the restaurant and I am going pretty darn slow (like, the speed limit which in our area is dangerous. lol) Right when we get super close to the restaurant, my DD calls me. It rings in the car bluetooth speakerphone, and so I have no choice but to hang up on the call. Luckily I thought fast and I said "What the heck? She literally just left our house two hours ago. I bet she decided to come and mooch on a free meal. DS19, text her and see what she wants. I'm too aggravated." So he is texting her and I am freaking out because we are ONE left turn light away from being at the restaurant and he communicates to me that they (DD and Fi) haven't set up the decorations yet- they are a few minutes away. Well, nothing to do about that, I cannot do anything else this close to the restaurant. So (luckily) we have a long light to sit through, and then we have to wait on a number of cars to make our turn, and I am POKING along. I park at the far end of the lot, saying that I want the car in the shade (and ribbing DH that he needs to walk anyway! lol)

We get out of the car (the boys do so SLOOOOWLY) and we start walking and all of the sudden they TACKLE DH in the parking lot. I am freaking out a little bit because DH is still sore from the car accident yesterday and I have no idea what they are doing. So they run around for a minute with me sort of confused and shrieking. Then we go slowly into the restaurant. We get to the room and IT WAS AWESOME!! Apparently the boys had seen DD and Fi arriving with all the balloons and tackled DH to distract him. That gave her time to literally RUN into the room and throw the stuff (with the others helping) on to the table. When we walked in, he was TOTALLY surprised, had NO CLUE and EVERYONE was there and yelled SURPRISE! I was giddy with happiness at having pulled it off and having his whole family there to celebrate his birthday. My SIL got him a great cake and it was just marvelous. Good food, good company, big bill, totally worth it for a great 50th birthday surprise.

I'll send an email with a couple of pix and the video if I can figure it out.

I had lamb lollipops, a little of the mashed potatoes, cake and two whiskey sours. BTW I am such a freaking lightweight drinker. Not even 3/4 through one and my eyes were crossing. DD was our Designated Driver.

Back on track today. Even though I knew I would be off plan for dinner I was otherwise on plan yesterday and back on today. We leave Wed for Canada.

HAPPY!!!