Surprise !

My sister and I put our heads together months ago, to try and come up with a gift that we could give our parents for their Anniversary that they could BOTH enjoy. I have to give my lil' sis credit because it was ultimately her idea that we decided to go with. The party was a success. You can read about it here.

We decided at one point that the party would NOT be a surprise since because 30 years is a significant Anniversary, it was not likely that our parents wouldn't assume that we would do SOMETHING for them. With this in mind we let them know we had something planned but kept the details about what and where under wraps. What our parents didn't know was that the party was not our only gift to them. We decided to spruce up their backyard patio, to encourage them to get out of the house and enjoy themselves together. We decided to reveal the gift after the Anniversary event by having  a Dessert & Champagne After-party at their home.

Take a look at what the Patio looked life before :

The smoker, grill & swing have seen better days!

The challenging part was getting our parents out of the house for several hours prior to the Party so that we could clean up the back yard, bring the furniture in and get it set up.  We put my cousin, Mr. Mixologist and my BIL to work that day in the heat,  which was well over 100 Degrees. Uh.....yes we owe them big time ! LOL

Conversation Seating Set

We got them a Conversation Seating Set, a Patio Table with 6 chairs an Umbrella and a new Gas Grille ! We had all of the furniture shipped to our Uncle's Carpet Store about a month before. On the day of the surprise, me and my sister went shopping for the plants, plant holders, pillows, grill utensils and candles while the guys put the furniture together.

Patio Table and Umbrella

My favorite cousin put the grill together in advance, used his truck to bring the furniture from his dad's store and was an all around lifesaver on this day. We had to get all this done & set up & get ourselves ready for the Party later that evening & it was no simple feat but we made it happen.

New Grille & my Beau taking a break from the heat!

By the time the party was over, and everyone arrived at my parent's home for dessert, champagne, wine and beer it was beginning to get dark so we had to hustle to get my parents outside so we could surprise them with their gift. Honestly, they were already overwhelmed and excited about the party since they had no idea who would be there and where it was. They were excited about seeing a lot of folks they had not seen in forever. Also, they had no idea that most of the guests were leaving the venue & coming to their home afterward. After giving toasts in the living room & some laughs,  we let them know we had one last thing to give them and led them to the backyard......

Dad coming out for the surprise.

They were so surprised ! BOTH my mom & dad shed tears ! LOL It was funny, and touching, and such a wonderful feeling to surprise them and please them. We pulled it off and we were so happy !

My dad broke down too :)

Mom overwhelmed with tears 

Our guests stayed for a couple of hours enjoying the new digs. Me and my sister kept this a secret from virtually all of our family. It was on need to know basis only, so no one would spoil the surprise, so my extended family was also pretty excited for my parents and and surprised at the big reveal.

Dad & Savannah enjoying Breakfast

The next morning, we promptly broke the furniture in even further, by having breakfast on the Patio. We did the cooking & let my Mom take a break. My parents enjoyed this a lot.

My nieces & my Beau polish off some grits ! 

In fact, we stayed out there for most of the morning until it started getting too warm & we had to retreat into the AC ! My parents are really looking forward to the fall (cooler temperatures) and are already planning additional things they can add outside to make their space more enjoyable. They have been calling us both several times a week to let us know how much they are enjoying themselves and in fact my mom is planning a Labor Day Cookout ! LOL Mission accomplished.


Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?


Beautifully Complex