Today is my mom’s 50th Birthday! Happy Birthday Mamu!!!
Do you think I look like my mom at all?
My siblings and Steven and I threw my mom a surprise party this Saturday in Cedar Falls, Iowa. When my dad turned 50, we threw him a surprise party as well, so I was sure my mother would be expecting it. I sent her a “fake” birthday gift last week (I am not sure why I am calling it “fake” – it was actually two tangible gifts) to throw her off.
My grandma (her mother) who lives out of town told my mom that she was coming to town to watch her grandkids and wanted to know if my mom wanted to meet her for dinner. My grandma even called my mom during the day and said something like, “The kids are behaving so nicely!” Ha. She wasn’t even in town yet.
We held the party at my uncle’s bar. The bar has a main area, an extended seating area, and a partitioned off room with a bar. We set up the food in the room with the bar, and crammed back there to yell “surprise!” when she arrived. I think we succeeded in surprising her. I wish I had a photo of her reaction. Hopefully someone got one.
I also wish I had a photo of the setup. My sister and Steven and I worked really hard all day at preparing the food and decorations. We had cold cut sandwiches, fresh veggies and dip, a wonderful fresh fruit salad (grapes, cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple and strawberries), chips, pea salad and rye bread cucumber sandwiches that my grandma insisted on making, cookies (photo below!), two cakes and soda and water. We decorated with balloons and streamers and posters I made (I will update them to the photo page later in the week).
A lot of people came to the party -about 35 adults and 4 kids. We had everyone sign a frame with birthday wishes on it, the same thing we did for my dad’s party.
Our big gift for my mom was a purple 8GB iPod Nano (if that’s what it’s called). We put her favorite video – I’m on a Boat – on it. When I showed her the video, she turned to her friends and said, “Did you know these things have video?!” It was pretty cute. I bet she’ll use about 20% of it’s capability in her lifetime. The night before the party, we set up the iPod and named it “Forever 39,” so when we found a “39 Forever” button at the party shop the next day, we had to buy it for her!
Steven and I also bought my mom a big can of beans. Ha.
The party was a whirlwind. I was honestly a lot more worn out than I would have liked to be. Fitting party planning in with my already hectic schedule really exhausted me. I felt pretty edgy on Sunday because of my lack of sleep. I hope I get to catch up… someday. A full six hours of sleep in one night would be nice!
Of course, it was totally worth it. Even though I was totally exhausted, I still was having fun being goofy. My mom and sister are pretty good at bringing it out of me.
Trying to eat ice cream cupcakes…
It would be my honor, to be your new stepfather.
And I have to share this photo of my parents looking pretty bad ass back in the day. Steven really likes this photo for some reason, and we got them to “re-pose.” Ha. When explaining the photo, my mom said they had attitude, before there was attitude. Riiight…
And how is my mom spending her actual birthday? In class all day! She has a three hour math class (with a test!) in the morning, and a three hour speech class in the evening. Boo! I hope she still gets to do something fun today!
More photos…
Me and Steven.
My younger brother, Anthony, and my mom.
My sister, me, my grandma and my mom.
You have a beautiful family Kim!! It looks like you guys had a great time. I love the picture of you and Steven and the last one with the girls is one you need to frame! And I dig the 70’s picture…very badass!
That cookie display is AWESOME. Happy birthday, Kim’s Mamu!
What a fun party! And I love that first shot of your mom – gorgeous!
Looks like a great party, I am sure your mother was surprised as well as elated. What a nice thing to do.
How fun! We threw a surprise party for my mom’s 50th, but not for my dad’s (two years before my mom’s) because he’s not the surprise party kind of guy. However, we did do the surprise retirement party, it seemed different some how than a birthday, and he loved that.
What fun! Yes, I do think you resemble your mom in the face. The nose and eyes maybe?
You do look like youre Mom! You guys did an awesome job with the party, it looks like everyone had a great time. By the way, youre parents are the cutest!!!
Happy birthday Julie! Don’t let my mom get wind of all this, I’ll be outshined for sure. 😉
The pictures are great. I love that your Dad still has that beard, albeit in a different color. Ha ha! What a fun group!
Happy Birthday!
Your family is beautiful! Happy birthday to your mom. It looks like great party and I love those cookies!
awww!!!! Happy Birthday to your sweet Mamu!!! omg, i can’t believe how much you look like her, especially in the first picture you posted!!! it looks (and sounds) like the party was a huge success and lots of fun!!!! hopefully you can get caught up on some sleep sometime soon!!!! i can’t wait to see more pictures!!!
=^..^=
Love the boat video. Also the cookies are awesome. Hope she had a great time. Lucky to have a daughter like you!!
Looks like you had a great time!! Congrats on setting it all up!
And yes, I’d say there is a resemblance between your Mamu and you 🙂
cheers,
*lynne*
Happy birthday to your mom! Sounds like a great par-tay!
You are an awesome child! Everything looked amazing (those cookies were crazy cool)…and I love that your mom loves “I’m on a Boat”, it is Mr. P’s FAVORITE. Everytime we get on our boat I have to say, “Where are you?” and then he says, “I’m on a m’f’ing boat”.
I hope my kids feel that way about me when I turn 50!
What a beautiful family – AND you look like you have so much fun together…I Love it. 🙂 LOVE the side-by-side pictures of your parents. That is a GREAT idea that I might have to steal! Finding embarrassing pictures of my parents from the 70’s should be NO problemo.
You are all so sweet to do that for your mom….now I’m feeling like I need to plan something big for my mom’s 60th in a few years!
OMG, your mama is so young! But then I realize that I am likely that much older than you. Smack dab in the middle of you and your mom. Whoah! Anyway, looks like you had good fun and your mom is clearly pleased. Yay!
oh my gosh, you do look like your mom when she was your age!! what a lovely birthday surprise…. i think my mom would be furious at us if we had a surprise party for her, but i still think we should try it sometime soon 😉
Happy BIrthday Mamu Ilax!
That looked like the party of the century! I see so much of you in your mom’s photo. I swear, you and Steven could have been their stunt doubles in their “attitude” picture.
And I absolutely LOVEEEE the fact that her favorite video is “I’m On A Boat!” She rocks.
Looks like the party was a HUGE success!!!! I loved all of the pictures! You definitely look like your mama. I loved the badass pictures. haha Your dad has attitude, but your mama looks innocent and demure. In BOTH pictures. 😀 You looked like you were able to relax and have a good time even after all of the work you did getting ready. The cookies you made turned out awesome!!! And they look really good. I like Anthony’s “Chuck Norris Approved” shirt, that’s way cool. Hope you can get some much needed rest. Your mama should have gotten her e card today that I sent her. I hope she enjoyed her birthday, even though she spent it in class. We wish her many, many more!!! And one of these days we ARE going to get together(you & I). Sorry I missed the party. 🙁
Sounds like an awesome party! Had I known there would be ice cream cupcakes, I would have sneaked in the back. Oh, and those cookies look fantastic too!!
That’s crazy how much your parents still look like the “old” picture.
SO SWEET!!! I love it.
Happy Birthday to your mom! Sounds like a great party! Love the 2 pics of your parents – that is priceless!
Happy Birthday to your Mom!
That party looks like it was a lot of fun. Yeah, you totally look like your mom!!!
PS. Those cookies look GOOOOOOOD!!!!
Wow, your mom and I share the same birthday only I turned 60. My granddaughter was supposed to be born yesterday but she decided she wanted her own birthday instead of sharing mine. Now we are just waiting for her to decide when she wants to pop out.
Happy Birthday to your mom. I love all the family photos.
This party looks awesome! What a sweet thing to do. Happy birthday to your mom!
Wow. great photos. Happy Birthday to your mom.
Great pictures of your family! The bean gift is too hilarious! haha
Oh my God! This post put a HUGE smile of my face…but not as big as the happy one your mom has! Man, you guys are so wonderful to plan such a beautiful party for your mother…you are ALL beautiful and I can truly see the love you have for each other…:-)
not only do you look like your Mom in the one pic it could be You & Steven in 70’s gear!!!
cool beans
Kim,
Hi! I found your blog through Burp & Slurp and just wanted to introduce myself before commenting because my mother instilled a very strict attention to proper etiquitte at a very young age. I’m Emily. 😀
Now that I’ve satisfied my inner Emily Post I just have to say that I’m planning on maybe going into architecture as well (I’ll be at RISD in the fall) so I really enjoyed flipping through your archives!
It was so nice to have “met” you! 😀
With Love,
Emily
It looks like everyone had a great time! Happy birthday to your mom 🙂
Amy @ Passages to the Past – Thank you 🙂 I made copies of some of the photos to take to work and put up at home!
kapgar – Thanks! I was really excited about the cookies 😉 I kept telling everyone to be really careful with them, then I was the one who ended up breaking one! Luckily, you couldn’t tell on the tray.
Shaina – I love that photo of her too. She looks so coy and playful!
Tony – I hope she was surprised! I am still wondering… 😛
Jenn – I think the surprise retirement party is a wonderful idea! Hmm. Maybe I should do that for my dad… ha ha.
sizzle – I think I am starting to see it in the nose and eyes. And maybe the shape of her face?
Scale Warfare – I found so many cute old photos of my parents. I’ve got to get them to pose together more often now!
diane – LOL. I bet you would throw a great party. You have so much practice. It can’t be as tough as Chase, right? Ha! His beard DID change color, LOL!
Etta – Thanks for the wishes!
tori – Aww, thanks. I bet you could make some killer cookies. I keep hearing about them… 😉
CourtneyInControl – I am still trying to catch up on sleep. Ugh! And I forgot I said I would post more pics! Damn. I need to do that!!!
Beth – That boat video is ADDICTIVE!!! Thanks 😀
*lynne* – Thank you 😉
Mica – It was so fun! I would do it all again – if I didn’t have to set it up, ha ha!
Hotch Potchery – LOL! After my mom heard that song the first time, we got on the boat and she told us she had her “flippy floppies”! I bet your kids will throw you a killer party!
Holly – Start collecting the photos now! It’s so fun to look at them all. And embarrass them a little 😉
SoMi’s Nilsa – Ha; when I was telling people at work she is turning 50, they all said the same thing “she’s so young!” So you could be my older sister 😉
Alice – The fury turns into love. At least it did when we threw one for my dad! Do it!
Gina (Mannyed) – LOL! Steven and I should have posed. Ha ha ha ahahahahahahaha. I thought you would like that she is a fan of “On a Boat.” I have you to credit for my addiction to it! 😉
Denise – I know! My mom cannot be badass. Her goodness just shines through! I wondered if anyone would notice Anthony’s funny shirt! It’s okay you missed it. We WILL get together!!!!
Susan – Ice cream cupcakes… whoever invented them should be knighted. Or something. they are heavenly.
marissa – Thanks!
Jamie – I am so happy Steven asked them to pose, because the more I look back at it, the funnier and funnier it gets!
Robin – Thanks!
nancypants – Thanks 🙂
joanharvest – I hope you had a nice birthday and did something fun! Isn’t it funny how in families all the birthdays seem back to back or on the same day? Our family is like that too!
Jess – Thanks!
martymankins – Thanks 🙂
Melinda – We use those beans (in a normal size) to make refried beans, and she really likes our recipe so wanted to try it. She claimed she could not find the brand we specified, so we bought her this huge can as a joke. Now she wants us to multiply our recipe to make that whole can of beans! ha ha!
Sophia – Aww, thanks. 😀
DeAnne – Cool beans? Is that in reference to the bean gift? HA HA AHHAHA.
CurlyTop – Hi Emily! Thanks for visiting! Let me know if you have any architecture questions you think I can help with! 🙂
suze – We sure did! Thanks 🙂