Happy birthday, Mom!

Today is my mom's 50th birthday! (Sorry for announcing that, mom.) To celebrate such a significant, amazing milestone and woman, I orchestrated a fun little surprise party last weekend, complete with friends and family from near and far. Thank you so much to every who came to celebrate with us; you are what made it so special! Here are a few photos:

My sister, Kayla, took mom out for a lunch date and day of shopping "for mom's birthday, just the two of them," while Kelsi, our extended family, and I drove into town and started setting up at home. Dad and Grandpa set up the new patio set (her present), and did the grocery shopping while the rest of us ran errands and got the cakes and picked up the catering and decorated the house--phew!

When they got to our street, Kayla pulled over and made mom put on a blindfold, telling her that dad had built her a present and set it up in the yard as a surprise. He led her to the back patio, where everyone was waiting (silently) in anticipation.