Surprise, surprise

Hi everyone:

Last night, my amazing wife threw a surprise 40th birthday party for me, with close to 30 guests. I had been told that a handful of our neighbors would be dropping by; I was amazed when I walked into a crowd of family and friends in all the rooms of our main floor.

I really had a wonderful time, and was able to catch up with several people with whom we have had little recent "live" contact. Thank you to everyone who participated, and a special thank you to all who helped Patty plan and prepare for the bash. I really was quite flattered and touched that so many people came out to help us celebrate.

As you might expect, the pace in our household today was much less chaotic and energetic than the atmosphere of last night. Patty, Neil and I watched the Bears game (and wasn't THAT a nailbiter), and then we all settled in for naps. Tonight, our plan is to watch a movie or two and then call it a night. Patty has been somewhat breathless today and, as suggested, she was very fatigued, but she fared pretty well otherwise, especially given the amount of work she tackled over the past few weeks and days. She's a great and special friend to me.

Love,
Brian

Dad & Connor



Groupies (okay, okay, it's Heather and Laura)



Party planner extraordinaire