We Pulled It Off!....

First, let me apologize for not posting any pictures of Rachel's surprise party last night, but in a typical Jean-move, when I thought I had charged my camera battery, I had put it in upside down, so needless to say, it was dead on arrival. Thank goodness I can rely on Brenda to always bring her camera; which she did. I'm sure she'll be posting soon. So, on to the fun! For the last week and a half or so, Karen Collings, Brenda and I have been planning, scheming, inviting and preparing for a surprise 50th birthday party (at Karen's house) for Rachel. Well, we pulled it off, and everything came together beautifully. Jim and others who were in contact with Rachel during the last few days managed not to spill the beans, so that when she arrived at Karen's last night in her soccer gear, she really thought she was there for coffee with a few friends from church who were supposed to be there to surprise Dave Ebels (whose birthday was the same day as hers); and then she was planning on heading for her game. Jim and Chad were in Detroit for the Pistons game (nice win, Pistons!), so she drove over by herself.

When Ellen Moes greeted her at the door, we all ran out from our hiding places and yelled "surprise!" and from the look on her face, I think she really was (surprised that is). From there we had a great evening of sharing some of our memories of Rachel over the years (everyone had written, or in my cased typed - hey, it's faster) on index cards and she read them aloud - lots of poignant, funny and wonderful memories of our dear sister, aunt and friend. She then opened a few gifts, and through the course of the evening, we enjoyed plenty of good food and wine, and many, many laughs. Speaking for myself, I think we all had a grand time. A special thanks to Karen for coming up with the idea in the first place, and for sharing her beautiful home with us. Happy Birthday, Rachel, and many, many more!