You know how there are some people to love to plan parties right down to the very last tiny detail??? Well, that's not me. I'm no party planner. BUT, I did know that after Robert threw me a surprise 21st birthday party (and totally got me), that one day, I wanted to get him back. But I couldn't do it right after he did mine...too obvious. Then, it seemed like every year after that, there was some good reason why I couldn't throw one for him. Whether it was because I had a newborn, or was very pregnant, or where we lived, etc...I always found a reason not to do it.
But this year, I decided months ago that I wanted to surprise him in some way. I went back and forth between how and where to do it. I finally decided that at our own house was way too complicated for me. And there was no way, being married to an accountant, that I could "sneak" and buy supplies/food for the party. I would totally get a phone call 5 minutes after the transaction asking me what it was for!!!
So, I figured making plans at a restaurant that we normally go to, with another family we normally eat with would make it easier to keep it a surprise. A few weeks before, I called our supper club to see if everyone was going to be in town that night. Then, after I had a ballpark idea of who could come, I sent the "formal" email. The plan was for another family to call and "invite" us to dinner - but really it was going to be a lot more of his friends!!
So, for the past week or so, I've been keeping this "secret" from him. The closer to Saturday night it got, the harder it was for me. I had to stay away from him all day Saturday because I thought he would he would ask me why I was acting funny. It was killing me. Then, of all things, he kept saying how he didn't want to go out to dinner and that we should just do something at our house. UMM....EVERYONE IS ALREADY GOING TO THE RESTAURANT!! THEN, he wanted to change the restaurant.......twice!!! This is so out of the ordinary for Robert. He usually wants everyone else to make the decisions. And here we are, Collin and I scheming away, having made the decision and he's fighting it!!! I barely get him out of the house (I'm a nervous wreck) and on the way to the restaurant he is still saying he doesn't want to go!
We pull up to the restaurant and start to get out. When we get up to the door, I "accidentally" left Lillian's food in the car and oh so kindly ask him to go and get it. :-) The kids and I run into the room where everyone is waiting! He eventually finds his way and and was completely surprised!!!
It was his first surprise birthday party ever!!! And it was so much fun. I wish I could have invited everyone we've ever met and made it a huge bash. The kids played and had fun, and the adults got to laugh and eat!
I think the best part of the whole thing was one of his best friends from Ole Miss, Adrian and his fiance Dana, just happened to be in town! I was able to sneak the number from Robert's phone and invite them at the last minute!!!
He was still in shock Sunday morning! We had a ton of fun laughing about it all night!
Of course, he asked me to never do it again.
We'll just have to see about that! :-)
A little clarification: I wanted to go to somewhere besides Zona Rosa b/c the past few times I've been there, horrible service. I love getting great service.(Blog post?) Ultimately, the night was awesome. Great job Linz. I was 100% unsuspecting!
ReplyDeleteGREAT job, Linz!!! You really pulled it off! I'm sure you were sweating it. What are the chances he'd want to change restaurants???
ReplyDeleteBtw, I LOVE the wrapping paper on his present. VERY cool!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ROBERT!!!!!!!
Awesome! and what a deserving guy! I had one for Jason's 30th and we still talk about 2 years later. It was so nerve wracking! We had it at our house and 3 days before the party, Jason decided to start ripping wallpaper out of our guest bathroom. Then, he got tired of doing it and was going to finish it the next weekend and he thought I so strange because I freaked out and finished it on my own. Hilarious!
ReplyDeleteI hate we missed it! I know y'all had so much fun. You blow me away at all you are able to do with three small children!
ReplyDeletecongrats on pulling it off. i am like you, i hate to plan and i don't do secrets very well (which is why all of our pregnancies were revealed via the pee stick.. two seconds after I saw the answer). ;-)
ReplyDeletelooks like he was happy you did it.