1-1-12 Party Three – Grandpa’s 70th Birthday

I already wrote about the blessings of church yesterday – sweet fellowship, beautiful singing, encouraging messages – all made more special because of family here. Among other readings, we heard about Paul being shipwrecked (Acts 27). Verse 25 stuck with me, where it says, …be of good cheer: for I believe God… So much of our discouragement comes from the simple act of disbelief; I want to remember this, that conversely: I believe God, so be of good cheer!!!!

Grandpa’s birthday really isn’t until February, but we decided to do his birthday party now because it worked out best for all of us kids and Grandpa’s siblings – except U. Dan and A. Shirley who were in FL and were greatly missed by all!!! So after church, after checking to make sure Grandpa had indeed gone home from church, Dad took the girls & me over to the fellowship hall where they changed clothes and we started getting things ready. ASK came soon after, and then a bit later A. Jill, A. Sandy, and Leah came to help too. We had a lot to do, but we had a great time working together, and everything went well.

Helping A. Jill put the centerpieces together.

We are so glad for A. Jill’s creativity! ASK and I are both very decorationally challenged :) - - I think A. Sandy does better than us, but decorations is definitely A. Jill’s area of expertise (well, one of her areas, that is. She has many!).

 

 

 

 

Work done – food cooking – time to wait around – and smile for A. Jill & A. Sarah -

 

Finally a good picture!

Red light, green light, dynamite, BOOM!

All in readiness – lights out – everyone here and hidden, Dad watching out the front (north) doors - - -

 

(these 2 px were taken in pitch black!)

Here they come!!!!

We weren’t sure which door they would come to, but we kind of figured they would come to the back (south) kitchen door, which they did (beside the frig in the picture). Grandpa & Andrew came in together, and Grandpa just marched right into the back room, not noticing anything in the kitchen, not noticing the pile of coats on the counter in the back kitchen room! He was a man on a mission – he was sent here to get ice, and he was going to find some ice! By this time we were all in the hallway between the big room and the small room, waiting for - - - we didn’t know what! After a few seconds (???), someone started singing Happy Birthday, and we all started running/walking towards the back room.

 

A. Jill took over then with her camera, and the rest of these px are from her (thank you very much A. Jill!). While we were all going to the back kitchen, U. Jeff and Grandma were at the south kitchen door, which had obviously closed again and thus locked them out! They banged on the door and someone let them in, so they only missed a very few seconds of Grandpa’s dumbfounded silence and open-mouthed shock. It lasted quite a little while, so they still got to see most of his surprise!

He finally got the door shut, and then he saw U. Harold & A. Karen and A. Velma!

Of course you probably know what he’s saying here - “Terrible. Just terrible. You guys are terrible. Terrible. Just terrible.” But I know he didn’t really mean us – I think he meant himself because he didn’t guess our secret! But he’s still wrong – he’s not terrible, and a secret isn’t terrible – not if it’s done to bless someone else!! And I think in spite of his shock, he was glad :)

   

How could he not be? He was surrounded by smiling laughing people who love him and wanted to bless him!!!!!!!!!

He tried to tell us that he had instructed us that we were NOT to throw a surprise for him like his older siblings had on their 70ths, but funny that NONE of us remembered that! Selective memory, he said. We said, yes, but whose memory??!!

Grandpa’s table – with his three sisters.

Grandson table -

Granddaughter table -

Three oldest grandsons and two brothers (oh yes there would have been room for you too U. Dan & A. Shirley!!).

Us kids & Seth -

  

Happy Birthday Grandpa!!

All 19 grandkids -

Hugs!!!

Grandpa & U. Harold blessed us with some great duets while we cleaned everything up and got ready for the next surprise (Grandpa still hadn’t figured out that those two cakes sitting on the counter would serve way more than 37 people!)(actually he probably didn’t even notice the cakes).

So while they were playing – he glanced up: “Well, look at that! What are Ken & Linda doing here? Huh! And there’s Fred and Jeanette! And Steve and Lois!” He asked U. Harold how to fake a heart attack!

(that’s really not that funny because had he not had two stents last weekend it might have been a possibility…)

 

 

 

First a few songs. Whoever heard of a singing where someone gives off a number, the pianist starts it, and everybody sings it . . . and no one has a book except the pianist?! And it sounds awesome??!!!

The last song was Happy Birthday to You, and then -

 

We watched a 15 minute slideshow of Grandpa’s life that Samuel had made. It was excellent!

A few words by Grandpa.

And he had a few gifts to open.

Josh wasn’t sure what to think!

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding!”

Grandpa started the fun, but the kids quickly jumped in to help him out!

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The first one in the light was an accident, but then it became a challenge – at one point there were about a dozen airplanes up there!

There were 70 airplanes (they were all numbered); needless to say, the kids had a great time!

Then cake & ice cream - - -

Yep, the kids had a blast - - -

and we did too!! I s’pose I should have been taking more px about this time, or at least passing out cake & ice cream, or cleaning up the kitchen, or something – - - but I was busy visiting - - -

Thank you very much to June and Victoria and whoever else kicked us (nicely) out of the kitchen so we could visit and watch Dad open his gifts. Almost all the cake was gone, and most of the ice cream, so someone did a good job of serving it, but it wasn’t me! Also thanks to AB and whoever else cleaned up the kitchen. Some things never change – one of them being that everyone pitches in to help where and when it’s needed! Total count of attendees was 102, which is, as you Steiners know, comparable to the annual summer reunion, although that did include a few of Dad’s cousins who were able to come too! Thanks to all who came to make it so much fun and special for Dad; and, to those who weren’t here – well, we missed you, but you missed out! It was a wonderful evening, and I strongly suspect everyone else enjoyed it as much as we did, because we didn’t get home until after 11:00!!!

And I firmly believe that Dad thoroughly enjoyed it too, even though he kept calling us terrible jerks.

:)

Happy Birthday Grandpa!