The Big Birthday Surprise

It was Dave's 30th birthday this year... and I have been thinking about it, well, basically since his last birthday. I wanted to do something big for this milestone.

We had several friends turn 30 this year, and several of them had surprise parties. So I thought, why not be unoriginal... and throw a surprise 30th birthday party for Dave?! I started thinking about it in October... started talking about it in November... Dave's dad and brother secured their tickets... I sent out save the date emails.

I didn't know where it was going to be yet, but I knew it couldn't be at our home... being that I definitely could not keep that hidden. And, I thought no kids was probably the way to go as well; as least no Treiber kids- we love em' but if they were there, everyone but us would be 'partyin'. So the research began: do I know anyone who would let us use their house? What about having it at a bar/ restaurant? Renting out space at a hotel? Well, I didn't want the liability of doing it at a friend's house; hotel/ bar/ restaurant would be extremely pricey... and we would have to eat/ drink their food and we would be constrained to their time table. So I started thinking, and since Dave's family was flying in as a surprise too- why not rent a house where they could stay and could double as the party spot? Done.

It was less than a mile away from our home and we had it for Friday and Saturday night. This way, I was able to drop off all the supplies on Friday, cook/ setup etc. on Saturday afternoon. I "fake" worked both days so Dave wouldn't start getting suspicious.

On Friday evening (after my fake work and really picking folks up from the airport) we went to Peter's Inn for a late dinner. We had it all planned out so 10 minutes into our cocktails, a couple of gentlemen walked in- that just happened to be Dave's dad and brother! Surprise #1= success.

That night I was trying to convince Dave to relax and said I would drive the family back to their "hotel". We didn't want Dave to know about the rental house just yet, because that would ruin the surprise for the next day. Unfortunately it was snowing, and there was no convincing Dave... so he drove them back to the hotel we said they were staying at (The Radisson downtown Baltimore). By then it was after 1AM, and his Dad and Bro had to find a cab to bring them back to their true lodging place- I guess it took almost an hour due to the weather etc (sorry guys!).

The big party day- Saturday. So I went off to "work" again at a made-up Financial Literacy Festival. I came up with a speaker that I thought my mom would like to hear... so I could have her come for part of the afternoon to help out. I had a few friends come early to help with food and decorations.
I got home "from work" around 7PM. I was picking up all the guys to go to a design show first then off to another party (which was actually going on, and Dave even bought special beer to bring to). We hop in the car, miraculously found parking in the busy neighborhood and approached the door. It was locked. LOL. So I snuck around to the window and started making faces to try to get the awaiting 'surprisers' to open up without Dave seeing anyone. It was a close call, but it worked. We walked in to a lot of noise and a big "Surprise!". We had 25+ who showed up despite the icy weather- we had a great time! Surprise #2= success- Welcome to your 30s Dave!

Not-so-white Christmas- 2011

We were back in Minnesota for the holidays again this year. Dave stayed for 5 days and I was there for 3 weeks! We had our traditional German (and this year Mexican too) meal on the 22nd (pre-bug thankfully) with Kobe beef guhuctus, German potato salad, herring, and beef stew and tamales to top off the Mexican side of the meal. We celebrated an early Christmas eve with my immediate family (parents and sister's family).

Christmas Eve is Bob's (Dave's dad) birthday so we enjoyed a meal at the Treibers and were able to stick around for the annual visit from their friends who come and sing "Happy Birthday" and then "We wish you a Merry Christmas" to them every year!

Unfortunately Christmas morning was spent in bed (till almost 3PM)... and that was all 4 of us- we couldn't believe the girls just kept on sleeping, but we let them! We were able to go to my cousin Shawn's house in the evening to see my extended family on my mom's side. None of us were feeling to hot, but we thought the worst was over. And it was, for us anyway. Unfortunately we heard a couple days later that several people at Shawn's that evening caught some sort of Bug. Since it was going around, maybe it wasn't us that passed it on-- but more than likely.

It was sad to see Dave go back to Baltimore, but I was able to spend some time with family and friends for the following weeks that I would otherwise not have been able to do with a full-time office job, so I had to take advantage!

Lucy? Stella? (i think Stella, not 100%)

Grandpa's wearing Stella's hat.. and backwards to boot

Stella

Lucy and Mom on the (day after) Christmas morning

Lucy, Luna, & Stella- and only one guitar?

Hallway at my parents condo... all 4 grandkids

Becky, Nico, Luna

Harajuku Mini

Opa with all his granddaughters

The extent of Christmas day at Shawn's.. with sick kids:(

PS. We only had a dusting of snow my entire 3 week visit... bummer!

The (hum) Bug

I need to catch up on my posts (particularly holiday stuff) but I have to post on The Bug first. 


We are not exactly sure when The Bug was contracted, but we know it hit our family unit beginning Friday December 23, Christmas Eve Eve. 


Twas 2  nights before Christmas and all through (Becky's) house (where we were staying in our garden level suite); 
Not a creature was stirring not even a mouse (but I think Wilma, the dog, was snorfeling in her sleep).
The wool stockings were hung in the laundry room with care.
In hopes that some snow would soon be there.
Lucy and Stella were snug in their beds
While visions of sugar plums danced in their heads
Me in my sweat pants and Dad in his Tee
Are crossing our fingers for a long night's sleep
When behind the sofa there arose such a sound
I sprang from the (blow-up) bed to see what abound
Away to the pack'n'play I flew like a flash
There was Lucy, who threw up something resembling hash
The twinkling lights on the fake christmas tree
Gave a glistening lustre to the vomit that be
When what to my horrified eyes should appear
But her twin sister, had also vomited quite near
With little midnight oomph, not so lively and quick
I knew in a moment that they must be sick
More rapid than reindeer, the hash flew and it soiled
At least 7 times that night- oh how we recoiled!
Oh Lucy! Oh Stella! What did you eat?
Oh the smells, oh the sounds, couldn't be beat
Day after day and still not well
Even skipped Christmas morning which was not swell
Wasn't much we could do but give kisses and hugs
Finally after 5 days they nixed the (hum) Bug

The bad news, is that it appeared as though this Bug was quite contagious as many family and friends that were within arms reach caught it as well-- we're sorry!

Teddy

Teddy passed away this morning at 8AM. He was just shy of 9 years old.

We brought him to the vet early yesterday morning for surgery to take out a fatty tumor (he had the same surgery 2 years ago). He was doing fine last night, but this morning went into cardiac arrest while still at the animal hospital.

Late this morning, we visited Teddy to say our goodbyes. We will miss him dearly.