Complete surprise...

Shish-kabob ingredients cubed...check. Lord of the Rings cake made and decorated...check. Back yard successfully set to illuminate with tiki torches and white lights...check. Okay, time to shower and get ready to head out and pick up last minute items for the Memorial Day Cookout tonight. Our first major hangout at the house!

Shannon and I hop in the car and head all around Beavercreek picking up random thinks like dog toys, plant stakes, and ribbon for her wedding. As well as needed things like fondue burner oil, dessert plates, and overcharged bags of ice. Checking my cell phone...it's 6:30. We gotta book it, people will start showing up at 7:00. I urge Shanon along, as she seems to be stopping at every single thing in Target...granted, things are cute, but we've got guests coming!

Off to our last stop, Meijer. We head for the balloons that we want to pick up to make it festive since it is Ralph's birthday today! Shannon goes a little crazy and selects about 15 balloons, after about 10 minutes of waiting for someone to fill them with helium, we are off to home. About a block away, Shannon calls Amanda and asks her to meet us out front to help us unload. We turn onto our unusually packed street and attempt to unload the sky-bound balloons from the back seat. Shannon parallel parks beautifully into the last remaining spot on Creighton Ave.

As we head in the house, I ask Amanda if we should keep the balloons inside, fearing Aspen may attack them. She says it should be fine to put them out back, so that is where I head. I open the back door and gently encourage the balloons to follow, as I hear SURPRISE! screamed from the 40+ people filling our backyard. Oh no, Ralph isn't here yet...why are they screaming? Oh my goodness, there are so many people here, will we have enough food? How did all these people hear about it? As my eye catches a sign on the grage with MY name on it...and HAPPY BIRTHDAY above it. No, it can't be. Did my roomates actually pull this off? Here I am carying in the ballons to my OWN surprise party! And the ironic thing...I helped PLAN the whole thing!

After the shocking entrance into the backyard full of people I know....many that I haven't seen in quite awhile....I take it all in. Soooo many people I wanna chat with, catch up with, take time out for. I feel overwhelmed. The hands that put this together. The planning it took. The secretive moments my roomies had, trying to make sure I didn't catch on. Shannon and Megan shish-kabob grilling for most of the evening. I am truely humbled, and blessed. To have so many people who care about me enough to show up and hang out. I loved it...the hanging out. Being a former hangout-junkie, I admit, I've missed this thing called 'hanging out.' God sure has blessed me with many relationships and friendships.....each one I treasure and each one has taught me something precious. I would not be who I am today....26 years under my belt....without them.

Here I am...time to roll on to 27.....let's start the ride.....