This post is long overdue; I've been meaning to write it for several weeks now. A few weeks ago, on March 24 to be exact, Doc and I left early in the morning for a whirlwind trip to Indiana to visit his parents. We were back at the airport heading home within 24 hours. So why the quick trip? To celebrate this handsome fella.
Doc's Granddaddy turned 90 and so we had to celebrate!
Granddaddy's lovely daughters, Patricia (my mother-in-law) and Cindy, hosted the affair.
The party was held at and catered by Harrison Lake Country Club. But that didn't mean the daughters were off the hook! They decorated the room with vases of the most vibrant yellow daffodils, all grown by Pat herself.
There were also water-filled vases with floating candles. In the bottom of the vases were rocks collected from various beaches over the years.
The ladies were also in charge of bringing dessert. Cindy made a beautiful coconut cake and lots of coconut cupcakes to go with it.
Pat turned Doc's famous birthday cake into cupcakes and they were oozing with chocolate glaze. A raspberry and mint leaf garnish topped them off.
I played photographer throughout the party but before I got too busy, I made sure to get a picture of me with my husband.
As soon as we got there, we made a beeline to Granddaddy. We were excited to wish him a happy birthday, but also we were finally able to share with him that his 7th great-grandchild was on the way. Doc was thrilled to get to tell him in person.
Then it was time to mingle with all the friends and family that had come to celebrate Granddaddy's birthday, many of whom I had never met before. Others I hadn't seen in over a year.
Doc, his dad, and his cousin Jonah.
This picture is of Granddaddy's 5 grandchildren: Doc and his sister Jill on the left, and their cousins Bronwyn, Jonah, and Kelzee on the right. Cindy's three kids only had 2 cousins - Jill and Doc. Since I'm part of a big family, that is such a foreign concept to me...only 2 cousins?!?
The invitations to the party asked that, in lieu of gifts, the guests bring memories to share with Granddaddy. So after a delicious dinner of bacon-wrapped scallops, beef tenderloin, salmon rolls, shrimp cocktail, and other goodies, friends and family took turns telling stories about Granddaddy. Seeing as how I'm probably the newest member of the family, I loved hearing stories from the past. There were stories told by his brother, Uncle Mike, about when they were little boys.
There were also stories from cousins of Patricia and Cindy that shared stories from when Granddaddy's children were small.
And there were even stories from Doc and his generation about spending summer days with their Granddaddy and Gr'ma.
The stories shared brought out lots of laughter and fond memories.
It's not a birthday party without the birthday song and cake, is it? Granddaddy blew out all of his candles!
As the party wound down, Granddaddy relocated to the "kids table." With all five of his grandchildren present, he told stories from his war days, stories about their moms, and stories from when they were all little.
All in all, the party was a great success. So many people were happy to be there to wish Granddaddy well and I'm sure he loved being surrounded by the people who love him most.
Happy belated birthday, Granddaddy!