SURPRISE!

Oh man, did I have a fun weekend! My grandma turned 80 years old yesterday, and I'd been telling myself all winter that if I could find a way out to La Crosse for cheap, I was going to show up and celebrate with her and the rest of the Thiels. I managed to get tickets into Chicago for $99, and figured renting a car for a few days and driving would be cheaper than flying directly into La Crosse. And then Dad said he would go, and he'd rent the car, so that definitely saved me a little pocket change (and allowed me to nap for part of the 4 hour drive, ha!)

Grandma knew that her sonny boy was coming, but I wanted to be a surprise. And despite the fact that we told everyone else in the city of La Crosse, including my grandpa, no one spilled the beans and when I walked into the house shortly after my dad arrived, she was SURPRISED. She got a little misty and asked me how I'd gotten there (my Aunt Barb said that I'd been walking for weeks.) Then she was concerned that she didn't have a place for me to stay, and I explained that Dad and I had planned for him to go to Uncle John's and for me to stay with her. Sneaky!

I had a really nice couple of days with everyone. We had big crowds at almost every meal, and had a great time just sitting around visiting. Hailee-bob, the first great-grandchild, is like a little ray of sunshine wherever she goes. She's so funny and sweet and well behaved and just a joy to be around. The best part is the way grandma and grandpa light up when she's around.

Dad and Uncle John got to clean out the garage, those lucky ducks (dad conveniently had to go help Grandpa with his computer during this time) while I took grandma out for her very first pedicure. It's nice to know that you can still teach an old dog the occasional new trick. And even though she only ever wears sneakers, Grandma DID in fact get her toenails painted.

Happy Birthday Grandma-pama, I love you dearly!