And that surprise was....SUSAN! My sister-in-law's mom. She's a friend of mine and for one reason or another I was talking to her in November. I had realized I had a 'companion' ticket that she could use to go to Fairbanks for Christmas. I asked her what she was going to do for Christmas and I asked her if she wanted to be my birthday present to Mel (my sister in law). She said 'yes' and so we had our secret rendezvous in the Phoenix airport.
So I asked permission to come visit Mel and David when I get back into Fairbanks at 2am. I walked in and asked Mel if she wanted her birthday present...in walked her Mom! Let's say there were tears, joy, hugs and it made my day! I love to surprise people!
So we got back to the Homestead around 3am and this is who met us - a crazy man painting everywhere he could, desperate to get things ready for the carpet layers who were going to show up in 5 hours!!
Julia, who had been working the whole day, and I took to painting...however, it got to 'drunky' point around 3:30am or so and Julia decided to decorate herself. See picture below...
But in the end I guess it was all worth it - the look of fulfillment and joy ;)
A very 'fumey', from the paint, and carpetless house awaited the workers...
What family holiday meal would not be complete without 'the pose', i.e. everyone around a table just like this? Except major renovations had now been complete and we were inaugurating the new dining room's first flight....
So the girls and I decided to wear some hats from Hong Kong that were downstairs....fun times...
I am learning....you want to become a kid's best friend, just play with them and feed them every now and then and they'll love you 'FOR-EVER'...or just dress up in 'silly' clothes and answer to 'Enen' (Aaron in Annie-ese).
'The FIVE CHILDREN....' I know...it's time to let go, but I just can't ;)
So, a fun time was had by all. We ate, we played, we stayed up with Dick Clark and rang in the New Year...albeit 4 hours later than he actually did, but so what, eh?!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
And with that I flew off into the darkness (there is a lot of that in Alaska during the winter ;) to arise again like a...oh you know...what's that...bird? It burns up and then it....
