Party like it's 2009

Carly’s Sunday School Teacher: “Service to others is the surefire cure for the blues. If you’re feeling down in the dumps, try focusing on someone else for awhile. ”

14 year-old Carly: “Pssshaw, right. How is forgetting about my own problems going to solve them? What good does it do to go rake Old Man Johnson’s lawn, when the boy I love has a crush on HER?”

It turns out that my Sunday School teacher was wise beyond MY years, for sure. October 10 was definitely hectic—it was the day I decided to throw a baby shower and a surprise birthday party on the same day—but it’s one I won’t soon forget. As I fell asleep that night, I thought I’d feel exhausted and annoyed, but instead I felt content, happy, and blessed. It’s amazing how that whole “focusing on others” mumbo jumbo actually works. It's not that I'm deluding myself into thinking that throwing parties for people is necessarily SERVICE, but I think it is a service. Hehe. Reminds me of Wayne's World -- "I don't even own a gun, let alone many guns, that would necessitate an entire rack." But I digress....

Liz and I started out as "work friends," but even three years after our professional separation, she has remained one of my dearest and closest friends. Her pregnancy was a flat-out MIRACLE, so a celebration was definitely in order. I have yet to see pictures from the event, but here's the invitation....by Mason, of course. The photo was taken on Liz's camera phone, and I love what Mason did with it:


After the onesies were opened and the cake-and-gelato-martinis consumed, we raced over to my mom's house to pick her up for what she thought was a quaint family dinner at Zuppa's. Did she really think we'd go to a quaint little family dinner to celebrate her 60th BIRTHDAY?!?! No way. My sis, bro and I had been busy planning for weeks, and had assembled a nice guest list: her mother from California, a sister from Idaho, another sister from Oregon, a nephew from BYU, all of her local family, and friends from her new and old wards. The best and most amazing part: WE KEPT IT A SECRET! She was totally and 100% surprised when we untied her blindfold and revealed a room full of people that LOVE her, a catered dinner from Cafe Rio (her favorite), and eight different birthday cakes.

We ate and talked, and then regaled her with a musical program because we're all musical dorks, and she's the biggest dork of all. Nicholas did a rendition of "16 Candles" that was a big hit ("60 Candles"), all the little grandkids sang a birthday song, and Grandma Mocha got behind the piano for an old fashioned, all-out sing-along.

For the past 10 years or so, whenever we've asked my mom what she wants for her birthday, she's always said "I want to play games with my family." So the night ended with family board game mania, and I'm happy to report that Shari had a great time at her party. For her invitation, I broke into her house and stole an old photo of her singing with her band, and Mason turned it into: