Crossing Over

Some how they all knew HE loved DONUTS!!!

The prize-winning idea for the party

was a towering/tilting/tipsy-turvy

DONUT BIRTHDAY CAKE !!! crowned with sparkler candles!

All in celebration of HIS turning

oh, no, no

40!

The BIRTHDAY BOY knew there was a family gathering,

but was a bit surprised by the extent of the

guest list.

SURPRISE~~SURPRISE

Whoa what is the GIGANTIC 40 balloon doing here?

Hugs and Loves from Sandi, Emily and Adam.

They had pulled it off, a SURPRISE PARTY!

Family members, work associates, friends from the Past and the Present

gathered for a GRAND CELEBRATION!

It is common knowledge that PEOPLE love to go to parties to enjoy

something FABULOUS to EAT !

Certainly no one could have been disappointed

when they saw the table laden with.....

homemade SUGAR COOKIES to die for, tiered chocolate fountain

with mounds of fresh fruit for dipping

pastry ring (in homage to Santa Lucia Day tradition)

brownies, more cookies and bowls of candy.

The BIRTHDAY BOY was delighted with the dazzling, daring

Donut Birthday Cake!

Now to get those candles blown out

so the the EATING could COMMENCE!!!

HE just knew he could do IT! After all someone had miscounted

and there weren't 40 candles!

What's THIS???

Okay, who was the trickster and put

SPARKLERS on??????

Sandi, you pulled it off SISTER!!!!!!

Regretfully, our BIRTHDAY BOY didn't have HIS siblings joining in the celebration

they were scattered to the FAR winds of

Chicago, Charlotte, Baltimore and Singapore.

However these siblings are pretty SNEAKY,

if they couldn't celebrate in PERSON,

they would be present in THOUGHT and DEED.

Posing like hidden ELVES, photos of the siblings and their families were propped on

mantels, table tops~~anywhere they could "light"

and keep an eye on the frivolities of the evening.

The GUESTS between plates of SWEETS wished the BIRTHDAY BOY the best of life

in the NEXT 40 years!

Now secrets are still secreted and little did the BIRTHDAY BOY know that a

"ROAST" was on the WAY.....and not as in Roast Beef!

HIS mother started the evening by sharing a few stories

the BIRTHDAY BOY just might have forgotten on HIS climb to 40;

like the wrapped raw egg drop contest he WON when a

CUB SCOUT;

the very very sneaky trips behind the propane tank to eat

HOSTESS Cupcakes, Snowballs and Twinkies;

the MIRACLE of birth at 2.2 pounds;

dressing in German lederhosen and singing songs from

The Sound of Music;

yes, the MOTHER did a good job of sharing stories.

But remember those hidden ELVES?

Well, they had written MAGICAL LETTERS

to the BIRTHDAY BOY

sharing their fondest memories.

The "cat was let out of the bag" on a few stories...

but mostly they were

TRIBUTES

of LOVE for their BROTHER

and ADMIRATION for the way HE has LIVED HIS LIFE

HONESTY~INTEGRITY~HONOR~

COMPASSION~CHEERFULNESS~HUMOR~

LOVE~FAITH~ENDURANCE

It wasn't just hidden elves who spoke words of love and admiration, Sandi, Claudann, friends and other family members spoke with love for a very fine human being with a HUGE HEART.

"Crossing the Line"

isn't so difficult when

you have cheerleaders on either side of the fence.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

CHRISTOPHER