My Surprise Birthday Party

For many years my birthday hasn't been something I've looked forward to.  This year was no exception.  I was working in the Ops Center and had had a really crummy day.  The last thing I wanted to do after getting off work was go out to dinner where I needed to dress in something more formal than jeans and a sweat shirt.
Russ, however, was really set on going out to a Japanese hibachi restaurant.  He kept assuring me that going out to eat would make me feel a lot better.  (I figured he felt I should have something better than Chinese take out or a pizza for my birthday.)
When we arrived to the restaurant, Russ told me we had to wait for the table to fill up before we could go back to eat.  A few minutes after we arrived, our friend Sarah Small (another AEF Center worker) walked through the door.  I asked her what she was doing here as she was by herself.  She casually mentioned she was meeting a few friends for dinner.
A few minutes after that, Leticia (another AEF Center staff member) and her husband A'braham Marsh arrived.  That was when I clued in that Russ had arranged a surprise birthday party/dinner for me.  I really was surprised.  Within a few more minutes everyone else who said they'd be able to make it had arrived.
Here are Sarah Small and Trisha Cundiff.

And the newlyweds in the group, Jackie Day and her husband Jose de Ocon.

A'braham and Leticia Marsh are clapping along to the Japanese version of Happy Birthday.

And here I am (a little "allergenic") with Russ.  What a wonderful birthday!

As if the birthday party weren't enough, Russ still had presents for me when we went back to my house.  Notice the lovely "map" wrapping paper.  In some ways, Russ is as frugal as I am.  He really just wanted to recycle an outdated flight chart.  (See, he was helping the environment!)  Also notice the new robe I'm wearing.  When Russ learned I was still using my AF Academy robe that I'd been issued in 1989, he felt he needed to bring me up to the present times.

And finally, here was a tray with photos that we'd taken from our first date and our "announcement" photo shoots.  I'm so lucky to be marrying such a thoughtful man!