Five Days Later

It's been that long since my last post.

I didn't mention, while I was writing that,

that, even as I typed,  Charlie was planning yet another delicious meal for me and my girls.

I just felt like he'd done more than he'd needed to do and he was working just as hard on the Friday night meal as he had on the Steak Dinner.

He was preparing Wild Salmon to be grilled, along with fresh asparagus.

Delicious bread with an herbal olive oil for dipping.

He was having Kate make a peach cobbler for dessert.

I kept saying to him that he was going to hit a brick wall and that he was working too hard.

He had arranged for Steve to take Luke and Andrew somewhere so it could be a girl night for us - an extension of my birthday celebration.

What I didn't know,

he had a huge surprise planned for me.

Two of my very close friends who live in Birmingham arrived at my house around 4:00 pm.

I was "lolling" on the couch - with Sarah and Kate in the room - Mary Ann had gone back to the hotel for the afternoon - and as I sat there I saw someone walk up the back porch.

I said, "That looks like Val Carrier!"  But then said, "Oh, it must be Mary Ann."

Got up, walked into the kitchen - and in walked Val and Martha Robinson and Mary Ann and Charlie and everyone knew about the whole thing.  

I've talked about Val and Martha on this blog before.

We go all the way back to childhood.  Thru elementary, but mostly in high school.

Thru college, single life and here we all are - 

All along I travel down to Birmingham to get my Martha and Val "fix".

That moment when I saw them walk in and I knew they were here, plus 3 of my girls - 

it was such a great exhilarating moment.

Charlie had planned all of this and we had the night ahead and the next morning.

Ann showed up shortly after that with Ellie and Abigail.

Again, wish Laura Beth and Ada could have been with us.

I don't know where they would have slept.

I guess at the hotel with Mary Ann.

Below are LOTS of pictures.

There were many more.

Val took them all, so I had to stop and make sure I got some pictures of her,

so we would have photo evidence of her being with us.

You'll see 2 of her.  

She's the one with the camera.

Charlie did all of this for me.

Put SO much thought into the whole thing.

As Martha said,

"He's a student of his wife".

He loves me.

NEXT MORNING

on the back porch

in our pajamas until shortly after noon.

At one point I said to everyone, after looking at the clock,

"Don't anybody panic, but it's after noon and we're still in our pajamas".

Made several pots of coffee.

Kate made for us a Grits Casserole, Strawberry Scones, and Fresh Peaches.

I brought out my sterling silver and plaid dishes.

I love silver in the morning.  I do.

And friends and coffee.

The pictures reveal that Ann came over with her 4.

She apologized but we were glad to have all of them.

Had to twist her arm to get her over here.

That's all about my birthday.

I have wonderful friends and family - a wonderful husband.