Utah We Love Thee

After months and months and months of work and preparations, an unpleasant smelling plane ride, and a small fortune, we pulled off my grandma's surprise 80th birthday party last week! I headed off to Utah a week early to complete the final purchases and plans, which ended up turning out great. Grandma didn't know I was in town, let alone that we were having a party for her. So, it was all very, very fun. Meanwhile, I tried to also pack in as much as I could when it came to spending time with my family and friends. Having said that, here are a few pictures from my week.

The triple rainbow--This is from my sister's backyard and it doesn't show the third rainbow, but there actually was one behind the one to the far left. I've never seen a double rainbow, let alone a triple. It was very cool.




My most favorite boys on earth--my nephews Aydyn and Kyeler. Ayd is identical to Kye when Kye was that age. Absolutely adorable.



The gym/cultural hall at the church all decked out for Grandma's party. (It looked much cooler in person.)



Part of the spread that fed the masses...



This is the centerpiece for each table. We did a beach theme, as Grandma loves the ocean. So, the Carribean blue tulle is supposed to look like waves, with the ceramic bowl in the center holding white sand, a flickering votive candle, and seashells. We had 80 yellow (sunshine) and blue (water) balloons about the room.



This is me, my mom, and my sisters. The funny thing here is that, despite us clearly not planning, Mom and Kodi still managed to match.



This would be me and my sisters (Kami on the left; Kodi on the right). Such a happy trio are we.



And here I am with the birthday lady herself... I seriously have the greatest grandma ever. She could not be cooler if she tried.



I'm a bit disappointed that my camera was being stupid, so the picture of Grandma walking in and being surprised did not turn out like I had hoped. But, nonetheless, here it is...



This one turned out a little bit better, but it wasn't the initial surprise shot...



After the party, the adorable nephews (Kye is on the left; Ayd is on the right) had a blast playing in the balloons, as witnessed here...



After the party was over, Mom and I stopped at the local convenience store to grab some bottled waters for our ride home. The clerk behind the counter is the son of the lady my grandma sold her house to when she re-married several years back. Mom chatted with him for just a moment, but he thanked us for having the party there in Malta, Idaho. He said it meant a lot to everyone there that we thought of them and that there were strict orders throughout the valley to not breathe a word of the party so the surprise wouldn't be ruined. It was kind of a challenge to plan a party to be held in a different state and in a town with very limited resources. There wasn't even a suitable motel or hotel in town, let alone a grocery store, bakery, etc. So, we had to haul it all in. To give you an idea of the scenery, we stopped along the side of the road so I could take this shot (can we say "desolation"?!)...



Oh, I almost forgot to post the picture of me, my sisters, my grandma, and my cousin. On that side of the family, I only have two cousins. The one who is missing was out of state and is about 10 years younger than me. Otherwise, this is it for that side...



All in all, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Utah, despite the limited play time, all of the work, and the stress of getting it all together in time. But, I loved seeing my family, some great friends, and re-connecting with some people I hadn't talked to in forever and a day. I wish I had more time to see more people, but unfortunately, that's not how it worked out. However, it was well worth the trip, but particularly because it was for my grandma, whom I love and adore. I can't imagine my life without her. So, happy 80th birthday to Grandma and happy Utah trip to me!