Mamaw turns 60...with 2 surprise parties!

Hubby's mom, my precious mother-in-law, aka Mamaw turned 60 wonderful years old back on September 6th.  Always one to catch on to any plot you might be planning, we ended up having to work extra hard in order to pull of a surprise party that we had been talking about for months! 

 

My sister-in-law & I spent the Saturday before the party planning out the final details, shopping for decorations & picking up our joint present.  Of course as my SIL received a text from her dad's phone, she had no reason not to mention that we were together & shopping for the party.  Except for the fact that unbeknownst to us...my MIL was using my FIL's phone!!!  So...thanks to some quick thinking, a 2nd surprise party was quickly planned to deter her from knowing about the 1st...confused yet? 

 

On Mamaw's actual birthday we "surprisingly" gathered for dinner at a local Italian restaurant complete with presents, cake, singing of Happy Birthday, and even an inappropriate picture or two of the birthday girl with a bachelorette party who was also in attendance.  Unfortunately those pictures have been sealed in secrecry to protect the guilty...but man will they make for some great blackmail one of these days! 

Mamaw & Elyse

Elyse was wearing one of Mamaw's earrings...think they're big enough?!?  ha!

I failed to get many photos at all because by the time dinner arrived, Elyse was READY for bed!  Somehow we managed to stay for the entire evening, including dessert...and finished the evening with a few little white lies that we wouldn't see Mamaw & Pappy again until we got back from Destin! 

 Friday was the official "surprise" party and I took off work at noon to go pick up the cupcakes and help my SIL out with the decorating.  We had the party at a local restaurant with the idea that Mamaw & Pappy were simply coming to have dinner with my SIL & her family.  Since my in-laws had recently moved back from Michigan to Missouri after 10 years away, this was also a little bit of a welcome home party and several of my MIL's best friends were invited as well...we had about 25 people in attendance which was a great group of people to shower her with love, and a little bit of orneriness as well! 

 

We decorated with diamonds, purple, & red in honor of her Diamond Jubilee.  The restaurant served some delicious heavy hors d'ouveres and we had yummy miniature cupcakes from a local bakery in delicious flavors like salted caramel, lemon & red velvet.  & even thought it was a small group we made arrangements for a small chocolate fountain...because who needs a crowd to enjoy yummy goodies dipped in chocolate?  Hubby's Aunt (my MIL's sister) also made extra large earrings for us all to wear...my MIL might be slightly known for wearing extra large dangly, clip earrings!  (see picture above of Elyse wearing a pair!)

 

I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking...it was a fabulous night & it's always so much fun to celebrate someone you love! 

60 cupcakes in honor of 60 years...decorated in purple & red of course!

We also decorated with diamonds as it was her "Diamond Jubilee"

And what better excuse to have a chocolate fountain!

The official party planners...me & my sil!

My parents came for just a few minutes, but mainly to take Elyse back home and put her to bed! The party didn't even start until almost bedtime!

The best family photo we could master...and the best in-laws this girl could ever have asked for!

My loves!

Mamaw & Jackson...check out her party hat!

My precious family...with big earrings and all!

Sparkler candles of course!

Mamaw & Elyse...I think this was about the time Elyse was ready to go home! 

 Towards the end of the evening we played 20 questions about the birthday girl which resulted in a little bit of a "roast" and also a few secrets coming out that none of us knew!  Thankfully my MIL is the most wonderful sport ever...and is normally on the otherside of planning such craziness, so it was definitely all in good fun! 

Funny Face #1

Funny Face #2

& the entire group...minus my parens & Elyse!

Everything turned out so well...but surprised parties are a little bit exhausting!  Even little white lies are hard work!  Happy 60th Birthday Mamaw...here's to many, many more celebrations!