HOLY COW! Yes (Dad) I know I am 3 weeks behind in Project 365, so I am going to start with the most recent events and go back...
Now... onto the BIG SURPRISE I had for Jeff's 50th birthday... SERIOUSLY... his 50th... Battle of the Bear game... Chris' senior year... game was at home... I just HAD to do something special... so I had t-shirts made up for our family and special friends that were at the game (Battle of the Bear logo on the front and "Happy 50th Jeff" on the back)...... I had stickers made up to hand to the crowd/Rowdy Crowd/Cheerleaders that said, "Happy 50th Jeff"...
...and I took out a 1-page ad in the football program for Jeff...I am always at the game around 3PM on home game days to handle the Booster Membership booth and the volunteers for the snack bar, so I had plenty of time to get everything ready before Jeff showed up. Mom and Dad, Jeff's Dad, neighbors Ted and Ida and Anna all arrived at the game around 6:15PM and had to hide their shirts until the surprise was revealed to Jeff.
So, how did Jeff find out about the surprise? Our favorite Vice Principal, Mr. Alan Williams, met Jeff at the front gate wearing one of the stickers, but Jeff didn't see it. I had stickers plastered on the front gate... too big of a crowd and Jeff didn't see it. So our friend, Mindy, went out the front gate and hugged him, jumped up and down and showed him her shirt... HOLY COW was he surprised!!! I was waiting just inside the gate and told him the whole story.
Immediately people started telling Jeff, "Happy Birthday" and I knew my plan was going to work! Jeff started walking towards the stands and the game announcer (our friend, Mr. Jeff Dunn) announced that Jeff was here. The ENTIRE ROWDY CROWD (our "spirit team") was on their feet and cheering like we had just won the game... and they sang Jeff "Happy Birthday" at the top of their lungs. I was standing there and started crying... happy tears... I just couldn't believe that my special surprise had worked so beautifully... after surviving cancer, every special event becomes special in a MONUMENTAL way.
Jeff is such a wonderfully beautiful, loving and generous person, that I wanted him to feel at least a bit of the love that he shares with so many!!!So, we lost the Bear... but it put a smile on our faces that as our Principal and VP Williams headed across the field to present the Bear to the winning team, that all our stands could see were their backs... that boldly said, "Happy 50th Jeff!!!" (TV can't write this stuff... only real life is THAT good!)
The next night was our special double birthday party... we celebrated my 40th from a few weeks ago and Jeff's 50th. Enjoy these photos of the special night... family... friends... we are soooo blessed!!!
John, Penny, Aunt Sarah, Me, Jess and Mary...
The family gals... Mary, Mom, Aunt Sarah, Me, Jess, Kyle...
Even the dogs had fun... Jess holding Abby who is getting sweet nothings in her ear from "cousin" Fielder...
Aunt Sarah, Mom, John, Dad... sooooo cute...
Yep, the food was GREAT, huh, Chris...
Jeff Dunn... my sweet 50-year-old... and my cute Dad...
It was a WONDERFUL weekend... we didn't win the Bear, but we had lots of reasons to celebrate none the less! Make it a GREAT day!!!
1 comment:
You still tell the best stories, Tracey, and they always pull at the heartstrings!
I hope you and Jeff both enjoyed your big O birthdays! (I don't know why facebook didn't tell me about your birthday)
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