Happy 65th Birthday, Michele/Mom/Mimi!

Larry had the idea about a year ago to throw a surprise party for my mom since she will turn 65 this May!  Dad and I loved the idea, and we all set about with some preliminary planning--mostly getting a date chosen.  We settled on March 29th since it fell during our Spring Break, was an easy weekend for Larry and Michelle to get away, and was two months before her actual birthday helping the surprise element even more.  We sent out a Save-the-Date evite right after the new year, and so many friends and family members were excited to join in!  Mom LOVES a theme, and has hosted MANY parties with various themes (including Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Cubs/Sox, Crayons, Roycemore, 40th Birthday, Roycemore, etc.) since she planned the Faculty Party each August for the Roycemore teachers before they started the new school years!  Our theme was Going to the Movies--Mom loves going to movies with each of us, friends, and now, Jackson.  She loves the snacks, the award shows at the end of each year and re-watching many favorites.  

A friend had an excellent suggestion to ask someone to be in charge of photography, so these pictures are very much thanks to Brandi (website coming soon!!!) with some from our family friend, Ray Narducy, sprinkled in:

My awesome neighbor, Aimee, continues to share her Silhouette machine so I could make this fun banner.

Film strip and ticket napkin rings

This is the cake I wanted to bake, but since we arrived into town about 24 hours before the party, there was no way I could do that secretly!  I made this decoration out of cake-practice materials, and it's even better since Mom can keep it as a memento!

Each rectangular table had two popcorn boxes filled with popcorn kernels with a double-sided card sticking up with a different movie poster on each side.  The movies we included were: "8 Miles," "American Graffiti," "American President," "Big Hero 6," "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Father of the Bride," "Bridesmaids," "Charade," "Dirty Dancing," "Gone with the Wind," "Legally Blonde," "Little Mermaid," "Love Actually," "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Pretty Woman," "Sabrina," "Singin' in the Rain," "Sleepless in Seattle," "Star Wars," "The Graduate," "The Music Man" and "You've Got Mail."

As a little activity/keepsake, we had the party invitation turned into a puzzle that guests helped put together while also signing a message on the matting which will help frame the puzzle :)

I couldn't believe how well everyone followed our request to arrive early!  We had PLENTY of time to enjoy appetizers and chat before Mom and Dad arrived!

Friends mingling :)

Appetizer table and presents!

Calamari, bruschetta and veggies for appetizers

SURPRISE!!!  She had a little feeling "something" was up, but she never thought of something like this!  We did it!

The party planners with the birthday girl :)

My handsome date!

This little girl was an amazing sport and helped Mimi celebrate all evening!

This girl (and her mama) drove pretty much all day to come in from Indy (there and back on the same day!), which meant SOOO much to us!  Unfortunately, they had to leave early since Jessi didn't feel well :(

 Enjoying dinner and the evening.  Dinner included minestrone soup, salad, family style entrees of chicken piccata, pasta with vodka cream sauce and eggplant parm roll-ups, and dessert choices of tiramisu or spumoni.  Everything was DELICIOUS! 

  Ron Richter provided the music for the evening, and he did a wonderful job!  My parents have been going out to eat and to hear him play music for YEARS!  It only seemed fitting to have the party at the establishment where they come almost every Saturday night and to have Ron play Mom's favorite songs :)

Everyone had SUCH a good time, and Mom was so surprised (more pleasantly than we had thought!).  We didn't get a picture, but we did have favors to complete the evening which were microwave popcorn packets wrapped in cute paper with the saying, "Thanks for POPPIN' by to help Michele celebrate turning 65!"  We were so thankful for everyone that came to help her start celebrating early!  

Touch a Truck!

Last year, the boys and I went to Touch a Truck while Josh was in NC living March Madness, and this year, the same event was also conveniently during the first weekend of madness!

 First truck of the morning!

 Not pictured is a small, daycare sized bus that Graham was dying to get on.  That was the start of his excitement to try out all cars and trucks :)  Here is Officer Jackson and his perp, Graham!

 The Martins Bread truck opened up its back for kids to run around

 Checking out the trolley as passengers.....

 ...and then as drivers!

 This moving truck had little dollies and empty boxes for the kids to practice moving!

 There they are!

 A Gator ON a tow truck!

 Graham having a turn

 This was cool!

 Jackson and one of the robots from the bomb squad truck!

 Random, but really cute!

 SO cool!

 The back was decorated really cool!

 An old-timey car

 Jackson was all about a photo op with the cow, but Graham was clinging to me for dear life as I took this picture!

 First face painting!

 Jackson got a police car and Graham had a star :)

On TOP of a fire truck!  The boys LOVED their morning with the trucks, as I knew they would :)  

The Bashores Back in Virginia!

A couple of weeks ago, I got a very exciting text: Rachel wanted to know if we were around and if they could stay with us for a few days--of course!!!

What else do two little boys need besides a buddy, cars, trucks, and animals?

Getting ready to go to the bus stop!

Silly faces!

High fives!  They arrived Thursday morning, and we got to spend most of the day together.  Jackson was really excited to see Reagan, Avery and Levi at the bus stop!  The weather cooperated, and it was just like the old days with all of the kids playing outside together.  We all had spaghetti dinner together before we introduced Rachel and Jake to Ticket to Ride--our new favorite game!  We stayed up playing for a while!

On Friday, I had a little volunteering to do at school, so Graham stayed home with Rachel.  Avery was off to a playdate, and Reagan was spending the day with a special friend, Madi.  She was LOVELY, and I was so glad to get to know her a bit.  Rachel took me to lunch with the girls, and we had such a good time visiting in peace without sweet little boy chaos around us.  We picked Jackson up from the bus and loaded up for a fun treat at Sweet Frog!  

Sweet faces!

Nora brought Christopher and Nicholas too!

Big day as Jackson FINALLY lost a tooth that had been SUPER wiggly for a LOOOONG time!

The kids all played outside again before taco dinner, followed by Aimee coming over for Rachel to show us some of the products she likes and is selling with Mary Kay.  It was SO nice to have some of the original friends/neighbors to hang out :)  We stayed up late again playing more Ticket to Ride :)

Showing off what the Tooth Fairy brought!

It was Pi Day!!!  Josh went to a geocaching even in honor of it.  The girls had playdates, so us grown-ups took the boys to Chick fil a for lunch and to play.  We used naptime to play more Ticket to Ride!  LOL!  We are such enablers!  Then, the boys and I headed to DC to the Carrillos for Diego's third birthday party and the Bashores started getting ready to meet some friends for dinner.  That was all well and fine, until we pulled up in front of Diego's house, and I realized the party was set for Sunday, not Saturday!  

Luckily, they were home and didn't mind unexpected guests!  

We played for a while, Diego opened his presents, and then we headed back home.  I was so embarrassed!

That's a lot of cuteness on that couch!

A little photo time before bed!

Friends :)

Sunday started off with such a bummer of having to say good-bye to the Bashores :(  To think there were only three of these kids when we all moved in about four years ago...

Sweet friends!!!

Graham was devastated that there was no cake at the birthday party that wasn't, so we distracted ourselves by making cake to take to the Yanceys for dessert!

Licking the beater

They took this job seriously...