My Father-in-law's 70th Birthday

Wednesday was my father-in-law's birthday. Since it was number 70, his kids cooked up a little surprise shindig and we all got together for a dinner at one of his favorite restaurants on Tuesday night. It was such a lovely evening. We had a private room and the kids were able to run around a bit, bring a few toys with them, enjoy the family and I wasn't stressed about having to keep them quiet in a dining room. Dad was, indeed, surprised. We had made plans to go out with him on Wednesday, his actual birthday, to the B&O RR Museum, so he was suspicious that we might do something that day. The evening before was great thinking. We had a small crowd-some family we had gotten to see recently, some we hadn't seen in years. I'm so glad we got to go.

Aunt Bettie, working hard for some attention from a slightly shy Byron.

David, accepting confetti bribes. The way to that boy's heart is not through his stomach (though I think we all know that). It is through BIRTHDAY CONFETTI!!

Byron, getting into the swing of things

The noisemaker lips-a huge hit with kids of all ages.

You can almost see the wheels turning. If the kazoo is fun, what if we add...

And he goes for the kazoo and the lips!

That evil-eye mother-in-training look. I don't know where she gets it from.

Words fail me.

And the cake. Yum!

No one warned me about the gene pool before I married Chris. Clearly it was being hidden for a reason. (l-r Sara, Joy, Ruth, Cathy, Hope)

Pat and her father, Lloyd. This was the first time I had met him and he was simply wonderful.

(l-r) Joy, Chris, Cathy, Hope. Poor Chris was a little outnumbered that night.

Dad, surrounded by his grandkids.

David had a lot to say to Granddad that night.

He may not eat dinner, but he sure loves dessert

We had gotten Dad a portrait of the kids nicely framed. Just before he opened it, David says, very excitedly, "I think you're going to LOVE this one!"

Dad and Pat....I think. She's incognito.