Surprise #4!

Genavive and Lily Ryann

Lily Ryann dancing for Oona

 My last surprise for the day was at Ryan's.  Genavive and I went to the front door and rang the door bell but no one answered.  I heard voices in the side yard.  I could hear Lily Ryann saying " push me! push me!" so I opened the gate, and said " push me! push me!".  Nicole turned around and dropped the hose and came running to give me a hug.  Ryan looked up and just smiled while Lily Ryann just kinda looked at me funny ( like, I know that lady but what is she doing here?)  After all the hugs, I went inside to surprise the other two, Hannah and Taylor.  They had just taken a shower so were still in the bathroom.  I knocked on the door and Hannah opened it up, with a towel wrapped around her.   She just looked at me and said " Hey". (like it was a every day thing that Oona would be knocking on her bathroom door...lol)  Taylor peeked around Hannah and squealed while she jumped up and down, yelling "It's Oona!!!"  All in all, the whole day of surprises went better than I expected.  I wish I could have gotten pictures of every one's faces the first instant that they saw me.  Afterwards, it was hard for me to even remember to take pictures of everyone.  I guess my mind was on a high from all the fun. 

Surprise #3

Genavive with her sweet surprised smile

Next surprise!!!! To be at Melissa and Billy's to surprise Genavive when she got home from school. ...and it worked! When Genavive called me on Mother's Day, I asked her all kinds of questions about school, so I could find out what time she usually got home from school and where she would be.  It worked.  She gets home between 3:00 and 3:15 and Billy picks her up.  So, I left Christina and George's at 3:00.  When I knocked on the door, Billy answered and there again the look on his face was great!  His eyes got big and he smiled.  I put my finger over my mouth again and he called Genavive to the door, then he stepped aside.  When Genavive saw me, she instantly started crying and gave me the biggest hug.  She wouldn't let go of me.  Brought tears to my eyes.  When I could finally get her to let go, so we could go in the house,  I had planned on spending an hour or so with her because I knew she went to church on Wednesdays night.  Billy asked if she wanted to stay home from church that night and spend the time with me.  Of course everyone knows the answer to that!  I still had one more surprise that day...Ryan and his family.  I had made Shell promise not to put anything up on Face Book that I had surprised her for her birthday or all my other surprises would have been ruined.  Genavive and I had a little time to kill before we went to surprise her Daddy, so we went shopping.  After an hour of shopping, we drove by Ryan's work and his truck was still in the parking lot.  I decided to kill a little more time and we drove down our old street to see if any of the neighbors were out.  Nope...too darn hot to be outside.  I thought it might be sad for me to drive by our old house but it really wasn't.  I didn't have any emotions at all.  It was like looking at just a house that I had never lived in.  I guess because I would never want to live there again so it didn't phase me at all.  It was finally time to go surprise Ryan! 

Surprise #2

My German parents for 50 years.



A special lunch



Shell with Auntie Marina's picture and ring.



My second plan to surprise people was to just show up at Christina and George's front door.  My SIL ( not my friend) Elaine, was so nice to let me use her car for the whole day of surprises.  So, I started out early that Wednesday morning and drove down to St. Pete from Safety Harbor.  I pulled up into Christina and George's drive way and they didn't even know I was there.  I knocked on the door and George answered.  The look on his face was priceless and I put my finger over my mouth so he knew not to say anything.  He called Christina to the door.  When she opened the door to see who was there, I thought she was going to fall down.  George did too.  He held her up while she cried.  It was so much fun surprising people who love me.  We spent the whole day talking and talking some more.  Shell was able to come have lunch with us and what a special lunch it was.  Christina ( Oma) always has stuff for a German lunch on hand.  I always enjoy eating over there because it reminds me of my childhood of growing up with them and also of our trip to Germany.   After lunch, Oma came out with a picture of Auntie Marina.  I remembered when Marina had that picture taken.  She was in her 30's.  As we sat and talked about Shell's birthday and how Marina's birthday was also in May,  Oma, put the Emerald birthstone ring that Marina had on in the picture, in Shell's hand.   She said that it was meant for Shell to have it, when it came time for Christina's will to be read, but since this was a special time of me surprising Shell for her birthday and that we were able to all be together, she wanted Shell to have it now.  Yes, Shell cried and LOVED the ring.  I know Marina would be happy that Shell would be wearing her ring.  What a very special lunch!

SURPRISE!!!!!!



Birthday dessert

For a couple of months, I had been lying to Shell ...which wasn't easy, believe me.  I had planned to go down to Florida to surprise her for her 33rd birthday.  I hadn't been down in almost two years and decided it was time to go down to spend time with my family and friends.  Shell calls me five days a week and as the weeks got closer, the harder it was for me to talk to her because I had to make sure I didn't say something to spill the beans.  I flew down on her actual Birthday and Elaine picked me up at the airport.  During the weeks before, I had talked to Shell about where her birthday dinner was going to be and what time.  She didn't think anything of it because I always ask questions like that.  The dinner was to be at "The Pub" at the International Mall in Tampa.  As Elaine was driving me across the Courtney Campbell bridge, Shell was driving across Howard Franklin bridge, heading to the mall.  Little did Shell know I was lying through my teeth when I told her that Chuck and I had gone to Huntsville during the day and that when I came home, I went down to work in the garden, but it was too muddy because it had rained.  Then, I told her that her daddy was down at the barn and that he would call her later to wish her "Happy Birthday".  After I hung up from talking to Shell, I called Chuck to tell him to call her but if she wanted to talk to me again, to tell her that I had gone over to the BNOE's.  Elaine dropped me off at the mall early because she was going to her grand daughter's school concert.  I had two hours to kill, without running into Shell at the mall.  I knew I had to hide in a store that Shell wouldn't go into. ( Chuck had called and told me that her and Tony were already at the mall)  The only store I thought I would be safe in was " Build A Bear".  I ended up spending 1 1/2 hours in there, talking to the two sweet girls that worked there.  At one point in time, I did see Shell and Tony walking around the mall, downstairs.  Finally it was time to go surprise her at the restaurant. I asked the hostess if there was a party for Michelle Peterson and she told me that they were at the bar still.  If I would wait outside for another ten minutes, she would seat them and then take me upstairs to them.  I walked around for another ten minutes, carrying this present with a huge pink bow on it...yes people looked at me funny.  I was hoping it was because of the present so I just smiled at them...ha!  After I walked up the stairs and headed across the room to where Shell's party was sitting, Shell had her back to me and Tony was facing me.  Tony and I have never met so he didn't really know who I was.  As I walked closer, carrying this huge present, he says to Shell " Who is that lady?".  She turned around and cried " That's my Mama!!!" and came running to hug me with tears in her eyes.  She was so surprised and couldn't believe that I was actually there.  I think it was the best Birthday ever for her, except for me it was the day she was born.  I can't believe I actually pulled it off and she was totally surprised.  What fun it was!!!

Garden Goodies



Pretty Cabbage



Fresh dug new potatoes

We are getting goodies from the garden already.  The most fun has been digging up the new red potatoes.  I have fixed them a couple of times for dinner and man! let me tell ya!  They are the best potatoes that we have eaten...ever!  Next year, we are going to plant double of what we did this year.  The cabbage that the BNOE gave me this Spring grew to be giant heads.  I did have to fight the worms though.  Even so, I ended up with two large heads.  All the veggies that we grow seem to have a lot more flavor than the ones you buy in the store.  Not only does it taste soooo good when you put the first bite into your mouth, but you sit there and think..." I grew this!"  There's nothing else like it.  

The Color Blue

As Lady Melanie would say...Today is brought to you by the color blue.  I decided it was time that I got busy and painted everything that needed to by painted, on the front porch and then some.  I picked one of my favorite colors, blue and ended up loving the fact that I did.  It took me three days, but I got the swing, coffee table, sewing machine table base, bird house, one of the four Adirondack chairs and my seat less chair all painted.  The outside of the house is finally coming together with me planting plants around the house and adding my what nots in the yard.  I am working on the other three Adirondack chairs, in the barn.  Once I get all four painted, they will go down to the " fire pit area".  Hopefully we will be using the chairs and a fire pit come this Fall. 

The Library Tea

Me, Barbara, Ozelle and Andrea



Debbie and Lydia



The annual Lawrence County Library Tea was held the Saturday before Mother's Day as usual (except last year because of the bad tornado day).  Two of my friends from Quilt Guild, Barbara and Ozelle came to "spend the day" at Brambly Pines and then we attended the tea.  My dear friend Andrea joined us.  We met up with two more friends, Debbie and Lydia ( my neighbor).  The tea was held at Chuck and my friends Jack and Gail Burch's house.  The perfect setting for a tea party.  There must have been close to 50 women there, enjoying the wonderful food, three different kinds of tea that was served, a guest speaker and live music.  With my "tea dress", lace gloves, foo foo hat and my "bra purse", I was a hit at the tea.  My purse got passed around to several of the tables and got lots of laughs.  It was a really fun afternoon, sipping tea and being with friends.  I can't wait to attend again next year.  In all my dreams of living in Alabama, I never dreamed I would be having so much fun with so many people with so many fun things to do.