a milestone birthday

This past Wednesday was Jonathan's 50th birthday and we celebrated it with dinner at the Outback Steakhouse. (Little did he know, I was planning a surprise party for him -- but more on that later.) I gave him gifts that would enhance his mtn biking experience, namely bike shorts, winter tights & money for maintaining his "baby".

I'm glad my husband isn't depressed by birthdays. Maybe its because we feel so much younger than we are. I think getting older is much sweeter when you feel blessed as we do. We have a life that is in many ways the life we always wanted, so having another year to enjoy it is cause for celebration.

The two pics I got at dinner highlight just how much Riley looks like a mini-Jonathan:














Playing table drums together:














Riley enjoyed his first serving of cheesy fries so much that he dipped his whole hand in the ranch dressing!














But this wasn't the end of the celebrations. I had a surprise party in the works as well. There were over 30 adults and kids planning to join me today at Lake Quannapowitt for an afternoon of fun and picnicking, some from as far away as Colorado. He had a mtn biking trip planned this morning -- giving me the time needed to set up. As the rain began dominating the weekend forecast however, I was scrambling for another plan. Thankfully, the nice folks at Bear Rock Cafe said they would section off a part of the restaurant for us to use.

Since there was no mtn biking this morning, I enlisted the help of my Maine cousins, Betsy and the Crounses. We were able to keep J totally in the dark as we dropped off balloons & decor, picked up carrot cake and made plans for lunch at the restaurant. When J walked in, he was totally stunned at what awaited him.





























Unfortunately, I managed to take mostly blurred pictures due to some problem with the settings, so we only have a few pics from the party:














Riley enjoyed all the attention he was getting:














Riley and his friends:














The mom and expectant moms talking about what else...babies!














Our tired boy snuggled up with cousin Jon...














I made a card that said "50 Things We Love About Jonathan" that everyone helped to fill out, which really touched him. Though we would have preferred a warm, sunny day, I think the happiness of the occasion made the rain seem much less of an issue.

Happy Birthday, my love... here's to 50 more, Lord willing!

Shelby