Surprise! Happy Birthday Lauren.

Surprise Party #1

SURPRISE! Happy Birthday Lauren. Today is your real birthday, but this weekend, it was your birthday x2. That is because this weekend we celebrated your birthday twice, with two surprise parties. Haha, I hope at least one was a big surprise.

It all started with Lauren's husband John. He wanted to do something nice for Lauren, to commemorate her 28th birthday. So he asked for his friends' assistance throwing a surprise party. We all agreed to brunch on Sunday, the day before her birthday. It would be a wonderful surprise. Plus, we know this great little place downtown doing $1 mimosas for brunch (in case you are wondering, that place is Insignia, and it's good). A nice morning buzz is always a crowd pleaser. So John sent out an Evite and plans were made.

Then came a hitch. Lauren's brother called. He had good news. He said he was getting married! But it was also bad news, because the impromptu wedding was the same weekend as the surprise party, and in Dallas. Of course Lauren wanted to go to Dallas for the weekend. But what about the surprise party?!? John had to think quick to save the plans and make it to Dallas for the wedding, so he told Lauren we were having a party for surprise party for her... on Saturday night.

Wait. What? A surprise part on Saturday night?

Yes. A surprise party on Saturday night. To maintain his original ruse, John arrange a second surprise party to foil the REAL surprise party on Sunday. Except of course Lauren knew about the Saturday surprise party. But she didn't know we knew she knew, even though we all knew she knew, because it was a fake surprise party that we planned only after she knew. So to keep things as they were supposed to be, we all continued to pretend Saturday's party was a surprise, event though everyone involved was faking.

Sound confusing? It was! And it was very silly and funny, except we couldn't laugh about it until Sunday morning after the second surprise. Basically it was like those of us on the inside were double agents, working one surprise party against the other. And yes, while it was confusing and didn't make sense to all of us, it made sense to John. So we obliged. After all, we do like Lauren, and John, and parties. So it wasn't a big loss to throw two parties. Plus, she flew to and from the wedding on Saturday, so it was the best of all worlds.

The good news is that two parties in honor of Lauren's birthday meant many good things. First, it mean three carafes full of mimosas on Sunday morning, followed by a two hour midday nap. Second, it meant Virginia Green's Chocolate Cake from the Liberty Bar on Saturday night. Third, it meant making the Three B's Chili for a crowd at my place, as part of Fake Surprise Party, otherwise know as Surprise Party #1. I will post the recipe for the chili tomorrow, because it is so good it deserves it's own post aside from a birthday shout out.

So, in summary, Happy Birthday Lauren! Watch out, we just may be showing up on your lawn tonight to yell surprise again, when you AND John least expect it. Or maybe we won't. You just never know, do you?

Surprise Party #2