It was a dark and cloudy night.....

with the moon gazing through the clouds as if peaking out to see what it was missing. No, I'm not writing a story, just wanted to share this picture with you from the night when the below story took place! I would LOVE to write a book but it would not start with "It was a dark and cloudy night!"

I'm a little late in posting JoBea's surprise b.day party, and my mom has reminded me of this more than once.

This morning, with lots of things I could be doing, I'm going to take the time to do this first so my mama will have something different to read on her break : )

When I got wind of JoBea wanting and knowing about the plans for a surprise party for her, I put a kink in the plans...actually soccer playoffs did, it fell on the day she had things planned....yes, she was helping plan her own surprise party. JoBea just assumed her "surprise" party would be the next week-end, wrong! I talked to her friends and told them to wait until Feb. 7, 3 wks away from the one she thought she would have, and they did so. I purchased shrimp, one of her favorites, for boiled shrimp w/potatoes and corn, made hamburgers and baked beans and a friend picked up an ice cream cake. Several of her friends kept her busy during the morning and afternoon while my nephew Clark(JoBea's best friend!), and my friend Barbie helped me get the pool area decorated with a tropical feel. JoBea doesn't like her birthday being in the winter because she has always wanted a party when it's warm. It turned out to be a really nice day/evening.

As Caleb & Christina took JoBea to Natchez....saying they had to take Christina home, her other friends began to arrive at our home. When Christina got to Natchez she told JoBea she "forgot" her wallet at our house, so they turn around to get it.

Turning up our driveway

This is what JoBea saw...

The kids had formed a line across the drive.

While waiting, they had more fun standing there wrestling, picking, punching and pushing each other....just like little children. I guess that part stays with most of us forever or at least a very long time : )

When JoBea got out of the car, she was laughing

and had figured out something was going on because she said Christina says, "Oh....my....goodness....I....seemed.....to.....have....forgotten.....my....

wallet......at.....your.....house." JoBea said Christina will NOT be any help fooling anyone. She was surprised for the most part.

She liked the set up...

colored lights, stereo going, beach towels covering tables and tiki torches lit around the pool area. They ate

and ate some more...

and after letting their food settle about 5 min., moved on to the birthday cake. A double chocolate ice cream cake.

Top left pic. on cake is of Rachel, on the right, Brandi. Bottom pic. is of Christina and JoBea.
She was even kind enough to cut it and serve us up!

She couldn't wait to move on to the pinata....and never could the other kids. JoBea took her swing....

and nothing happened. Then Christina was up to bat.

She must have hit it in the weakest part because it broke right down the middle sending candy flying everywhere! As the younger ones picked up the candy,

the older ones began to play with the pieces of the pinata. Seth found that not only does the pinata work for holding candy, it also makes for a pretty cute hat!

JoBea thought she would try being a unicorn

and a different sort of one she is :)

I found JoBea (with paper in her mouth) laughing hysterically, and all I found out was "It was something Mrs. Barbie said to me." And she continued to laugh.

Can you guess who got away with most of the candy?The kids had a great time and so did Grady, Barbie and myself. We were the adults...if you can call us that....holding down the fort. Actually we didn't need to hold it down but we did want to EAT!

I'm so thankful that JoBea is letting God lead her life and she has some of the best friends a teenager could have. As I, and you know as well, it's a mighty great thing to have Christian friends in your life, and to me, it's even more special to see your children have Christian friends in their teenage years. I pray this carries on through her life.

I pray the same for your children.

God bless you and yours.