When Jerel got to his car to leave for work Thursday morning, he was greeted with this sign. He later said he almost ignored it and just went to work anyway, which is precisely why I added "Not kidding." to the sign. I could just picture him rolling his eyes wondering what annoying thing I was doing that was going to make him late for work.
Surprise #1: Doesn't this look like a guy who just received exciting news?! When Jerel went to his car, I ran in and woke up Isaiah and told him the plan (I hadn't told the kids ahead of time because I didn't fully trust in their secret-keeping abilities). Anyway, so I told Isaiah that when daddy came in to tell him what was up. So here's Jerel while Isaiah tells him that we're going to get on an airplane and go see Grandma and Grandpa. Today. Jerel responded by jumping in the air, fist-pumping....oh wait....he stood there and said things like "for real?" and "huh."
Daddy and his little ones watching airplanes while we wait to board our flight.
Our motto for the flight was Divide and Conquer. But soon after take-off both kids decided they wanted to sit with daddy. So while Jerel entertained the two of them, I sat stretched out on my empty row reading a book.
Surprise #2: Here's Jerel at his surprise birthday lunch at Olive Garden. I had to make sure we didn't get there too early, so I told him we better stop to buy diaper wipes. I went in by myself and he stayed in the car with the kids. I got the wipes and then started texting everyone to see if they were all at the restaurant yet. It took forever! I paced the cookie aisle, and texted Jerel out in the car to tell him I was really sick in the bathroom and sorry it was taking me so long....I finally got word that everyone was there so I had a miraculous healing take place and we headed over. Jerel thought we were just eating with his parents, and he was annoyed that we were going to Olive Garden at 11am (still breakfast time in his mind), and he was annoyed that we were going to Olive Garden when we had just eaten there on Thursday (I had tried to talk him out of going on Thursday, to no avail). When he was greeted with a huge bouquet of black balloons, and 35 or so family members all clad in black, I think he understood why I insisted on going. (Although he didn't notice everyone was in all black until it was pointed out to him...)
Surprise #3: Birthday Party....The original plan was to have dinner at Olive Garden at 5:30, followed by a surprise party at Jeff's at 7:00. After I had sent out invitations to the surprise party, I found at that Olive Garden wouldn't take a group of our size at dinner time; in fact 11am was the only time they would do it. So we had a weird lag in between festivities, but that's okay. Jeff & Nicole did an awesome job decorating their place!
Jeff made this awesome tombstone cake for the party. It took him 15 hours, and it turned out just perfect! I was quite impressed! Plus, it actually tasted good, unlike some of those cool-looking ones you buy that are really only good to look at.
Here's the family-only photo from his surprise party. His 4 siblings and their spouses, his parents, his gorgeous wife & children, and all 17 1/2 nieces and nephews were there. They even hid and then all jumped out and yelled "Surprise!" It was perfect! (Jerel thought we were just going to hang out with Jeff and watch a movie).
Karee and Dave put together an awesome video for the party. It started with a slideshow of photos from Jerel's childhood, including his teenage years and his infamous Depeche Mode hybrid hairdo (he liked several different band members' haircuts, so he just incorporated them all into one.) After the photos was video of his siblings and parents sharing memories from his childhood. Highlighted memories: Jerel pushing (or not pushing, depending on who you ask) his brother from the back of a moving pick-up truck; Jerel filling the fence post hole (his dad had just dug) with water and then jumping in with Ryan; and my least favorite, Jerel consulting with Jake's wife (also named Mandy Atkinson) to see if he should break up with me since if we got married it would make two Mandy's in one family....Fortunately Mandy told him "the more Mandy's the merrier!" and so here we are coming up on our 7-year anniversary. (This brings up another question for me: I was referred to during the visit as "the other Mandy." Mandy says it's because she joined the family first; I say I'm the original Mandy because I'm older than her (if only by 16 days).)
Jerel had a reserved seat for the party in this walker. It was so fun to have everyone together for his party; Karee even made him a book version of the slideshow (sans the interviews, obviously) so he has a fabulous keepsake of the event. So there you have it, surprise surprise surprise! I can't believe we pulled it off! The only one to slip and mention the upcoming trip and parties was.....ME.....I talk in my sleep and a few weeks ago I was talking to him all about how I was planning a surprise trip for someone for their birthday....luckily he didn't get suspicious! All those months of babysitting for $3 an hour, and giving sewing lessons, were definitely worth it. (I didn't want to buy the tickets from family budget money; that made it seem like he was buying his own present) Jerel mentioned that it must've taken a lot of babysitting to get the plane tickets and such; I told him I did it because I love him a lot. And I do.
