Oh NUTS! Look who's 60!!

Ok, it's kind of hard to admit, but I am, indeed, turning 60.   Not that I'm one to spend much time dwelling on age, but I do recall thinking that 60 was "old" in my youth.  On the other hand, I also recall wondering if I'd end up being "pleasingly plump" and dressing in cotton shifts, as it seemed that is what Grandmas wore when I was a little girl.  Except for my Baba, her preference was velour pantsuits. What a trend setter!

Well,  here I am, a Grandma for nearly nine years, so you'd think I would have made some connection to age.  Not many grey hairs yet, but obviously plenty of "laugh lines", which we all know is just a nice way of saying wrinkles. And I'm pleased to announce that I don't own one cotton shift or, for that matter,  a velour pant suit either.

And so, sixty really isn't bad is it?  In fact, I was recently made aware that it is, indeed, a reason to celebrate.  And, how lucky am I to have children who would make the effort to assure that this year started out so special?

On Saturday, when I arrived at Stacey's house for a "steak and cake" dinner with she and her family, I  was overwhelmed when I opened the door and heard, "SURPRISE!"

And it was obvious that I was the guest of honor at an amazing party!   Not only were Amy and Jim with his family there, but my brother and his wife had driven from Va,  and my parents had made the trip across the state, all unbeknownst to me.   

Guests included several of my close friends from the area, as well as my nephew and his wife.  (Unfortunately, our oldest daughter was unable to make the drive.) Everyone, including my husband, had managed to keep the event a complete surprise!   

I know what you are thinking.....well....it's a surprise party....it's supposed to be a surprise.  But we all know how easy it is to let something slip, and I had to laugh when my son mentioned that they turned off their location apps on their phones, just in case I might think to check to see where they were.  (No worries....I DON'T make a habit of checking their whereabouts.)

It was obvious that Stacey had somehow managed to plan quite a party right under my nose,  which couldn't have been easy, as I was at her house several times over the last few weeks, with the most recent being on Wednesday!  

Amy and Jim both took a vacation day on Friday so that they could drive out to help with some of the last minute preparations.  And I can just imagine the chaos that must have ensued with four kids, five adults, and a pig all under one roof!

At the end of the day, I heard Amy say, "Well, Stacey.....we managed to pull it off".  And, that they did.

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you might recall my Sneaky Snacky Squirrel series, which seems to have entertained many followers, and has since been a source of imaginative gifts from my children from socks to books to figurines and ornaments.  

So, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise to read that the theme behind the party featured Sneaky, or at least the premise of Sneaky!  And what fun they had with that!

There were these scrumptious cookies made by Amy

Chocolate dipped Oreos made by Stacey

and packaged so beautifully

A box for each guest to take home:

How special was that?

Squirrels on the cake

and a Squirrel piñata (also made by Stacey)  filled with candy.  I can't quite figure out where she found the time to do all this!  Let's face it....that's one HUGE squirrel.

Luckily, the weather was fine, so the Piñata could hang outside on a tree, setting up some real entertainment by these two: 

I didn't personally see that set of Squirrel cheers, but I did find those photos to be extremely amusing.

By now, you must have noticed the personalized shirts, each sporting a squirrel on the back

with the front featuring the the name I am called by the wearer: Mom, Gramma G, Gamma, Barbara Ann or Barb, whichever applies, and note that the "0" in 60 was actually an acorn!  How clever was that?  

A photo booth was set up for fun, and as you can see,  there were plenty of laughs

Did you notice the squirrel peeking through in some of those photos?  He certainly can be sneaky!

I'm not sure if my brother was avoiding the photo booth, but there was no escaping!  I think that squirrel is smiling at him!  

Back outside, the little ones had a blast taking aim at the piñata.

And, of course, Gramma G needed to get in a swing.

In the meantime,  while all this fun was happening,  Wellie was having a field day of his own, munching away.   Obviously, it's not too difficult to figure out who decided to "Piggie up" this photo! 

Then it was time to head inside for cake! Is it just me.....or is that squirrel watching me blow out the candles? 

Who knew that a squirrel could be so much fun?

Before everyone left to head home, we managed to get a group photo: 

Smiles all around (except for the little one who was accidentally bumped on the head....no worries....she recovered in short time).  Don't we all look great?  

Honestly, I could't have been made to feel more special.  I had a fabulous time with everyone, and am touched by all of the efforts that my children put out to make the day such a special one for me.  And a very special thank you to Jeff and Stacey for hosting the party!

Let's face it, I am certainly one lucky lady!

By the way......is 61 considered to be a special birthday as well?   

A Time for Celebrating

I am writing today's blog as a surprise even to myself, as I actually had no intention of putting words to yesterday's sacred event.  But in looking through the many photos of happiness that I managed somehow to capture yesterday, I couldn't help but remind myself that these joyous events in our lives are all part of my gallivanting adventures, and surely worth an entry among the others.

When I met this woman over 32 years ago, we immediately connected, and within short time, it seemed as if we had known each other forever.

In fact, when we first began to fill in our lives to date and compare our histories, we soon realized that 10 years earlier, we had been enrolled in the same biology lab at the University of Pittsburgh.  Now, what were the chances of that?   Considering that as youngsters we had  grown up living nowhere near each other, and, after marrying and starting a family,  we had both moved to a place that was across the state, I'd say that was pretty unique.  And, unique is certainly an appropriate description of our friendship.

So, it should come as no surprise to learn  that I was around at the start, when her daughter, the bride (whose celebration is the subject of this blog), came into this world.  And I can honestly say that both Marty and I were honored to have been among those invited to share in the blessed event.

The Mass was certainly inspirational,  from the musical selections to the chosen readings, and with four priests concelebrating, certainly an exclusive event. 

I found myself filled with joy for these two from the opening greeting

and especially through the saying of the vows, which was a bit difficult to hear, as the bride had somehow lost her voice just days prior to the wedding.  But her intent was certainly made known!

A lovely rendition of Ave Maria was sung as she and her new groom offered their prayers at the statue of Mary.

And, soon it was time for the final blessing

and the presentation of Mr. and Mrs. 

Just look at the happiness on those faces!  It really doesn't get much better than that, does it?

We headed to the reception where we were treated to a quartet who entertained us with their beautiful musical arrangements.  

The guests were treated to a pair of sunglasses as a favor

and Marty wasted no time donning his pair.

I managed to capture a photo of the happy parents

and one of the bride when she arrived.

The venue was stunning, and after we were seated, and introductions were made, there was the traditional first dance

soon followed by the memorable dance with her father.

Afterwards, dinner was served, and I was lucky that the newlyweds humored me and let me take their photo in between bites.  

How cute are they?

Guests were asked to sign the Guest Log

and everyone was given an embossed box to fill with delectable treats from the dessert table.

and, believe me, there were plenty to choose from!

Then, after dinner, there was the ceremonial cutting of the cake

Perfect!

The reception was full of entertainment with lively dancing,  thanks to an exuberant DJ, and a photo booth for some added fun.

I managed to get my photo taken with a Giant Panda!  That doesn't happen everyday! 

And, really, nothing says "PARTY" like this couple!

Honestly......how could we not have had fun with Mr. and Mrs Entertainment at our table?

The DJ certainly kept us hopping, and Marty and I did our best to keep up with the younger crowd on the dance floor, although I must admit that there were a few selections completely foreign to us oldies, and we chose to sit those out.  

But young or old, I don't think you could have asked for a more participant crowd! What a tribute to the bride and groom who had put so much effort into planning this special event.  

So, here's to the happy couple!

May God bless them with a lifetime of happy memories together!

And, a big thank you to both of them for including us in their special day!