diane

Alternately titled: I’m FIFTY!

The third of the landmark birthdays last year happened last spring to a precious woman that I work with. Diane turned 0. She was surprised all weekend long: on Friday a group of friends spirited her away to Petit Jean for a beautiful hike, lots of fabulous food, laughing, and laughing, and dancing, and more laughing. She was so surprised.

Whitney came along and took all our pictures.

Saturday morning we got up slowly, drank our coffee, ate breakfast. Reluctantly got into our cars to come home. And then, Saturday night we did it again, with even more friends and family this time. She was so surprised.

Poor thing. She was so jumpy by Sunday morning that if you touched her on the shoulder she was liable to end up on the ceiling.

It was a great weekend. I love Alison’s story about it. Everything she says about Diane is so true.

However – I was the one taking pictures on Saturday night. Pictures that, I’m sad to say, have not yet seen the light of day.  Appalling, given that these are some of my favorite people, at the perfect (lightwise) time of day, at a beautiful home in the country. Let’s get to it.

When we arrived, there was lots of fierce grilling. And sign-making.

Diane was supposed to be on a motorcycle ride with her husband and another couple, except that the other couples’ motorcycle decided to not turn on when the time came to leave. So the other couple cleverly came up with the plan to just drive around for awhile. In the car! Right now!

I’m sure at that point Diane thought her friends were all crazy. Which, admittedly, we kind of are.

I love the buildup to a good surprise. Everyone is a little hyper, a little silly. Somehow we ended up blocking the entire street with a pickup truck so that they couldn’t miss us when they turned into the neighborhood. Because, you know, it’s easy to miss 50 people lining the street with signs. Anyway, the truck made the whole thing sort of turn into a mini-parade, complete with an amateur filmmaker with a Flip cam.

I love this picture (above): Rhonda watching her friend, Diane waving and smiling and crying all at once, Alison about to come through the window with glee…part of the great thing about any surprise is the sheer joy on the faces of the people: look what we pulled off! Do you know how much we love you?

Plus, look at these big old boys hugging their mama. LOVE.

So  many people from so many different places. Diane has a light about her that we all want to be close to.

I was so grateful to be a part of this weekend, this celebration of a life. Love you, Diane, and your wonderful family too…