70th Birthday Celebration

My father-in-law turned 70 years young on Saturday. We knew as a family that he would want a big birthday party, so we did just that. After a few weeks of intense planning it was fun to see all the hard work that my husband, his sister and brother-in-law accomplished to make it a wonderful night.

We surprised the birthday boy with a portrait of his Grandkids. During the Christmas holiday season, my sister-in-law and I noticed that the last time the kids had their portraits taken together was when the youngest Grandchild was in preschool. It was a very cold, foggy, yet sunny day in January when we gathered at our local park for a photo shoot with the kids, but despite the cold it was very fun. The photos turned out great.

Saturday evening we held a very warm party in a banquet room of The Old Spaghetti Factory. It was nice to see family friends, and family come together to reminisce and enjoy each other's company. My brother-in-law worked hard at a slideshow presentation showing my father-in-law's life to music. It was very well done, and the music captured the different era's of his life. Bravo!

I remember the first time I met my future father-in-law. I had seen him here and there, but the first official meeting was shortly after my husband and I had been dating "long enough" to where you know it is time to meet the parents.

As we pulled up to his parent's driveway, my husband turned off the car and with a smirk shared that I didn't really have to laugh at his dad's jokes. He warned that if I laughed, it would just keep spurring him on to tell more. I thought that was funny ~ because honestly, what child thinks that their father is that funny.

We sat in their living room and talked. His mom was super sweet and full of smiles. His dad, told stories and jokes. I honestly thought he was funny. So I laughed, despite the looks that my hubby was giving me. I wasn't trying to brown-nose my way into the family, I really thought he was funny!!!

Decades later I am still laughing with my father-in-law. Although I might have heard some stories more than once, they are just as colorful and entertaining as when I heard them the first time.

As he told stories on Saturday at the after-party back at their house, it dawned on me how remarkable his memory is. And I don't mean that in an age-related way. But simply to know the amount of volume and variety that he has done in  his lifetime, and to remember the details like he does, is really admirable. And the details are not filled in later either, because when he retells the story, it is the same - the details don't change.

My father-in-law is a great story teller, with a sense of humor that is actually really funny, and he would do anything and everything to make any person in this world smile and laugh with him. He knows know stranger. I am thankful that he is my father-in-law.

Happy 70th Birthday, Ron!!! Wishing you a wonderful and blessed year! We love you!! xoxo