Mama's 2 Birthday Parties

Mama turned the big 4-0 on December 16th.  We had a little party for her that night with Potato Leek Soup being her pick for dinner.  Homemade ice cream and Golden Jo-Jo's (Jo Jo's are cookies very similar to Golden oreos that we get from Trader Joe's), along with other toppings, was the chosen dessert!

 Eating dinner!

Lexi asked Mama to smile and Mama did the above! :)

Lexi and Eden made this necklace for Mama...I think they did a great job!

Time for cards and presents!

We had 2 boxes sitting in our living room for a few days and we all were wondering what was inside.  Both were for Mama...one for her birthday and the other for Christmas!

Mama watching the box being opened by her children.

What is it?!

A whole new set of stainless steel pots!  Yippee! :)

 Lydia was really excited to have the cardboard boxes that protected the pots and pans.  She used them as hats! :)

 Not wanting to be outdone, Dowy (a.k.a. Mr. Jon) put his own "hat" on! ;)

(Dowy was at our house because he had helped Daddy out with some tree jobs that day.  He also went and helped Daddy today!)

A pot!

A top!!

Mama examining the new cookware.

 

Exciting stuff!

Daddy must like making us go on searches because after the pots were opened and examined, he told Mama she was cold.  So the hunt began!

Into the kitchen...

Daddy was the "HOT" and "COLD" man.  His hints led Mama to the cabinet...

 ...and to pot cleaner! :-D

Nothing like pot cleaner to bring some smiles! ;)

After the search was over the ice cream was cranked and when it was finished, we sang to Mama.

 

 40 years!  Way to go Mama!

 (The candles are in a bowl of Jordan almonds because we didn't make a cake! :)

"Happy birthday to you..."

Mom's a big blower! ;)

 All the ice cream toppings!

The last gift Mama opened was the movie for the night...The Chosen.  I really enjoyed the movie and it has become one of my favorites!  

Little did Mama know, as we celebrated her birthday on Thursday, that there was a surprise party being planned for her!  Paw-paw, Na-naw, and Aunt Mae-Mae were the main organizers for her surprise birthday party.  They ordered the pizza, contacted friends and family, and managed to keep everything a secret!  The surprise birthday party was to be on Saturday (Dec. 18) and we had to figure out a way to get Mama to Na-naw's house without her guessing what was going on.  (She thought we were going to celebrate her birthday on Sunday.)  So, Hannah came up with the idea that daddy would say Saturday morning that we would go out together and eat dinner, and then go on the Tacky Light Tour.  When Daddy mentioned it to Mama, she protested that we had plenty of leftovers and didn't need to go out for dinner, but when Daddy persisted Mama dropped it and said okay.  (What a good wife! ;)  We left the house around 5:10 P.M. for Na-naw's house.  Daddy had mentioned that Paw-paw really needed something we had borrowed, so we had to stop by their house first to drop it off.  As we were driving, Daddy asked me if I had brought the paper with the addresses of all the houses on the tacky light tour.  I said "no" and so he said that we would just hop out and look them up again on Na-naw's computer and then leave. When we turned onto Na-naw and Paw-paw's road those of us who knew about the surprise party were really anxious that Mama would guess why all the cars were at Na-naw's house.  BUT, she didn't.  She was actually a little upset that we were going to barge into Na-naw's house when she had a "party" going on.  I hurried into the house first so I could get my camera ready for when she came through the doors.  Daddy came in before Mama and said she still had no clue what was going on!  (My prayer was answered!)  Mama walked into the house and when everyone yelled out "SURPRISE!"...

...she finally figured it out!  I don't know if I've seen Mama smile that big in a long time! :)

All of Mama's local siblings were there along with the Nice's and Barthursts (Mama's piano teacher from when she was younger).  Soon, after saying hi to everyone, it was time to eat!

Yummy pizza from Giovanni's awaited us!!!

Eating dinner.

After dinner it was time for presents!

Smelly candles...Mama's favorite! :)

There is never a shortage of people to help with presents in our family!

 Jeremy Nice and Cadence enjoying themselves! :)

Paw-paw telling stories...

Uncle Sean giving Justus a chance to touch the ceiling (tall Uncles come in handy ;)!

I think Lexi likes Mom's sweater! :)

An onion chopper - no more tears!! :)

 The beautiful and big cake!

 Nothin' like some family love! :)

Most of the party gathered around to sing Mama "Happy Birthday."  We may look innocent, but we're loud when it comes to singing at birthday parties!

 I must add that Uncle Sean is the main instigator of the volume we sing "Happy Birthday"!  He starts off singing really loud and then gets the little guys going really loud and altogether it makes a really fun (and eardrum bursting) way to sing! :)

Ah, I love my family!!  There is rarely a dull moment with them around!

Judah looked very frightened as we were, ahem, yelling...it was so cute! :)

Blow, Mama, blow! :)

Auntie Mae-Mae and Na-naw serving ice cream and cake!

Thank you to everyone who put Mama's surprise party together!  She was definitely surprised and I think she really enjoyed herself!  (Thanks to all of you who came and made her party wonderful also!)

So, thus ended Mama's birthday!

As to the verses for this post, I thought these verses suited Mama most admirably:

  "Who can find a virtuous wife?
      For her worth is far above rubies.
        The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
      So he will have no lack of gain.
       She does him good and not evil
      All the days of her life.

Her children rise up and call her blessed; 

Her husband also, and he praises her:

Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
      But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised." 

Proverbs 31 (parts of) 

Thank you Mama for all you are and all you have done for our family.  We love you SOOOOO much!!

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We've been busy around here lately:  cooking, printing out our Christmas letters, signing cards, etc.  I'm so excited to see that it could possibly snow this weekend (on Christmas!!!)!  I've been praying it will...it just makes it seem more like Christmas if there's snow falling!

Merry Christmas (early)!

Kimber :)

P.S. - My next post will be on Uncle Sean's wedding, Lord willing!  If I don't get it done before Christmas I won't ever get it done!