We celebrated Don's 60th birthday with an impromptu party surrounded by friends and family.Anyone whose birthday falls within a couple of weeks of Christmas will complain at some point that they feel their birthday is ignored. That they are told their Christmas gift is also a birthday gift. Having a dad whose birthday is the day after Christmas (and always celebrated because it is a time of year when the whole family gathers), I know the concern well. This being a milestone birthday, I asked Don how he wanted to celebrate. We weren't coming up with a good plan until a random text conversation with a friend sparked a winning idea: we'll invite people over and ask them to bring a pint of ice cream to help us celebrate -- no gifts, just the ice cream.
We pitched the idea to 21-year-old Ashley who added a beer tasting to the event. In her opinion, not everyone likes ice cream (I know, who are those people?). She also recognizes not everyone likes beer, but between the two options, people should like something.
Invitations were sent via text, email, Facebook messenger, carrier pigeon, etc. Then we watched the forecast -- it might snow, it might not snow, it might snow the next day. It didn't snow, so we had the party as planned.
Friends and family from all stages of Don's life ... ranging from CM who rented a room from Don before I met him up to Ashley's girlfriend (Anna) and her parents who only met us a couple of years ago. Friends from college, church, volunteering, and work. Most said yes. Some said, rain check. It was just the right combination of friends.
Extra beer was sent back to school with Ashley. Extra ice cream is still being consumed a month later.On Don's actual birthday I gave him a (fake) Lego made to look like him.
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| Silvia and Clint |
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| Stephen and Katie |
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| Wunder-Pope Family |
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| Jean |
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Princesses of Dorway
(Inside joke) |
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| Manny |
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