THE CELEBRATION

The tables are set---all 19 place settings for the guests. Accidentally deleted the second table of 8 set up in front of the couch. Three of the guests, Benny's son, Josh, wife, Lori & little son had to cancel due to a mix-up in the time so this table came down and we ended up with only 16 for dinner.

The menu, at the request of the honoree, was Red or Green 3 Cheese Enchiladas - pinto beans - pasole - tossed salad - broccoli, cauliflower, red onion, bacon salad -

cantaloupe and grapes. The last two items brought by Jacque & Benny. Mickey and I spent one day preparing the enchiladas in advance. You can go here for the recipe. It truly is delicious.

Here are the guests

Mason, Oksana & Mickey

David, Aric, Mason & Oksana

Aaron, Cody & DeAnn

Suzette, Dave, Benny & Jacque

Josh & Jessica

This is the first time we had met Josh, Jessica's boy friend who just moved to Tulsa from Florida. The rest of the family had met him on a previous visit here but Mickey & I had not.

Please note we are all dressed in black.

This was Suzette's idea and then she showed up in a white, red, black print top which we immediately made her put on a black T-shirt!!! We even bought Mickey a new black shirt.

The Occasion

Our wonderful youngest son, MARC !!!!

Suzette brought the cake and had requested black icing. When she picked it up it was this purplishish color and they said "We don't like to do black because it makes peoples teeth black." Excuse me......who is the customer? Anyway it still looked nice and tasted delicious.

OPENING THE GIFTS

One of three T-shirts from Jacque & Benny.


Reading the card from Mickey & I which contained a gift certificate to the Oskasa Steakhouse &

A 2 coin uncirculated set of the gold Washington dollar.

If you don't like to act silly and have fun then don't come to our celebrations :o) This is the gift bag that held his brother, David's gift of.......

these two books Marc had requested. David made a big joke about he probably couldn't have even purchased them in San Francisco where he lives!!!

Last, but not least, his card and gift of cologne from girlfriend DeAnn and a silly musical card from DeAnn's 3 sons.



Suzette & Dave had taken Marc, Oksana, Aric & DeAnn out to dinner at Char*les*ton's and gotten him an OU T-shirt a week-ago Friday night to celebrate in advance. DeAnn's boys were visiting in Texas with her parents at the time.

In addition to all of us wearing black we all brought black helium balloons.....of which I did not take one single picture!!!!!



This is what greeted Marc at the front door. (Yes I know it read's backwards!!! The forward shot did not turn out because of the reflection of the hallway inside in the flash)

****************

Now to share with you another "funny" incident, along with Bi-Polar Dog, Bear, of Friday evening........ Mickey & I went to the party supply store to buy the black balloons. We purchased 1 large round one that said "Big 40" and 2 large plain black. They filled them with helium and tied all three of them up together real pretty with ribbon. Mickey placed them in the back hatch of our HHR.

We left there and went to Al*di's to do some last minute shopping. We each got out of our doors and Mickey walked back to open the hatch to get out paper bags and I walked around to tell him we didn't need to get any bags because I wasn't needing to get that much. He is standing there with the hatch up and saying, "Where are the balloons?" Me, "What do you mean where are the balloons?" At that point he points up and our 3 balloons are high and flying due south in the very brisk wind!!!!! I hope where ever they landed the people enjoyed them :o)

So, after doing our shopping, we have to travel back toward Tulsa and the party supply store. When we walked in we said, to the young male clerk who had helped us, "We lost our balloons!!!!" We reselected our balloons and he filled them up. When I took our our card to pay for them he said, "It's ok....no charge." We were stunned and shocked but most of all BLESSED again!!!!

The honoree with his best gifts....son, Aric, and daughter, Oksana.

It was a wonderful party.

We have a wonderful family.

We were so blessed to have David here to celebrate his brothers 40th B.D with us.

GOD IS GOOD!!!!!!!!!!

Footnote: Now I know, just by removing our large glass coffee table, I CAN host a dinner party for 16 or 20!!! Yeah, we love to entertain and our family is growing. We are loving it. Josh & Lori we'll see ya "next time"!