Confession:  I am not a very good secret-keeper.

So when I decided to try and throw a surprise anniversary party for my parents I got a little nervous about my loose lips.  I don’t need any sunken ships on my watch, I have enough problems.

I started planning back in April.  I considered making our Fourth of July celebration a super secret surprise party for them, but decided they needed their own day.  The seed of an idea grew into a real life party, the kind with more people coming than can fit in our backyard.  I shifted my attention to a no clean-up option, because that is so my style, and enlisted a few helpers (hi Aunt Joyce, hi Aunt Janet, hi Leika).

We decided on a local Mexican restaurant that my parents visit on the regular, nothing suspicious here folks…just your average taquito dinner.  I am not a newcomer to the fiesta themed parties, remember Katie’s baby shower?  Nachos and margaritas seemed like a thirty year necessity, hope that’s remembered for our thirtieth.

Once the plans were made and the invitations were out, the hard part came over me like a tsunami.  Talking to family, being sneaky, and keeping it from everyone….even you.  Can I openly admit that it was harder not to tell you all about my exciting surprise than it was to keep it from my parents.  Supposedly they read this little blog, so I thought I ought not post any sneak peaks no matter how bad I wanted to

While I was brewing up an idea to get my parents to the restaurant unsuspectingly while not sporting sweatpants, Tim popped the question.  Eureka!  We now had a plan, let’s have an (insert oversized air quotes here) “engagement party”.  Genius, I think I will keep that boy.

Then mass chaos hit.  We got engaged.  I got a new job.  I decided to go to Haven, thereby deciding to take the leap into redesignville.  So those cute favors and custom menus…well they went out the window along with sleep.  I did snag some giant balloons though, so I don’t think anyone noticed. I would apologize for the photo overload, but I feel like those 300 words above it even it out a little.  Sorry I’m not sorry.  When we got to the restaurant and headed to the back room, my mom peeked in the doors and mumbled, “what in the world…Christina that’s a room full of people”.  Indeed mother, indeed.

Then the doors flew open, “Surprise!” flew out, and the faces my parents made forever engrained themselves into my memory.  Priceless.  They were absolutely surprised, since this party was over a month before their anniversary they were not suspecting anything.  My mom even smacked my dad thinking he was in on it.

Y’all my heart swelled seeing all the love in that room.  There were so many special people there to celebrate, many that I haven’t seen in years.  Just looking at those photos could bring me to tears.  I hope everyone who came knows how much it meant to my mom and dad, and even me.  Whew, need to wrap this up before the tissue box calls my name….it was beyond great.  The end.

Have you ever thrown a surprise party?
Are you a good secret keeper?
Do you want giant number balloons just hanging around for photo-ops?