Earlier this week, my children and I were invited to a surprise 16th birthday party for one of their friends.
The birthday girl’s father and sister were getting her to the site under the ruse of taking her out to dinner.
In the meantime, her mom (who is also one of my dear friends) and the rest of the guests were waiting in a private room within the restaurant.
I had nominated myself as the official photographer for the night. When we received the two minute warning that the trio were on their way, we all gathered near the door, ready to yell, “Surprise!” I thought it would be a great idea to capture a shot of some of the guests near me as we waited.
However, I forgot that I had the flash on and only proceeded to blind those who were waiting to take a photo of the moment the birthday girl arrived.
Notice the “Are you kidding me?” look on this young man’s face:
Fortunately, he was a good sport and harbored no hard feelings. At least that’s what I told myself.
The birthday girl was completely and totally shocked, which is the perfect outcome for any surprise party. She was enveloped in a flurry of hugs and well-wishes after we all sang a rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday.” It was a joyous moment.
You may ask why I do not have any photos of her grand entrance…and I would have to tell you that every single one of them ended up being blurry.
I was then forced to fire myself as the official photographer.
Moving on…
The party was a catered affair and we all had a our choice of delicious French cuisine.
You know what’s sad?
I had three years of French in high school. I got all A’s. Yet, I did not know what any of this meant, other than “avec” which means “with.”
My son currently has an A+ in French so I could have asked him for assistance but he was all the way across the room at the kids table. So, I proceeded to place my order by simply pointing to the item on the menu.
I am certain our waitress was impressed by my sophistication.
Our host encouraged us to be brave and try something we have never eaten before. In the end, I just couldn’t do it.
My daughter was much more adventurous than her mother. She actually ordered frog legs.
She said they tasted like chicken. Who knew?
The food was absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious…
Here are my kids awaiting their dinner:
Interesting story about my son’s tie.
None of us knew how to tie one and my husband was in Vermont . So, during the drive to the party, my son downloaded an app onto his i-Pad that showed him what to do. Thank goodness for technology.
During the course of the evening, I was thrilled to meet a fellow Pittsburgh native and we had a great time speaking Pittsburghese.
Overall, it was just a wonderful night! There was so much laughter and fellowship as we celebrated the life of this special young lady. I am certain it will be an evening she will never forget.
Bon Anniversaire N.! You are loved!
Power Of A Moment 