When her brother turned eighteen, we threw him a big surprise party.  He and his friend were a little late but when they walked in a long table of people had menus covering their faces and yelled surprise!  When her sister turned eighteen shortly after we did a reverse surprise party since we knew she would expect it.  She walked into the restaurant and no one was there!  One by one, people came, old friends, new friends, family.  So the next year when Emily was turning eighteen there was just no way for me to pull off another surprise party!  So I waited.

My baby turns twenty-one years old today.

We have so much fun together; shopping, vacationing, or relaxing together.  Her daughter is one of the greatest loves of my life.  Emily was a daddy’s girl growing up but as an adult we enjoy each other’s company so much.  I wanted to do something special for her.  As a young mama in a serious relationship trying to make it out there in the world, she doesn’t have time to be twenty-one.  She could be thirty already.  But there is something special about my little girl.  She is bright, intelligent, artistic, creative, loving, and fun.  She is beautiful.

So we gathered the troops.  A long table of people met her as she turned the corner with menus over the faces and SURPRISE!  She actually teared up.

Her best friend growing up whom she hadn’t seen for five years came.

Her siblings that said they couldn’t make it to dinner.

Her aunt and our friends that are family.

It was a glorious evening of food and laughter and celebrating a young woman who we are all incredibly proud of.

And who deserved a birthday surprise.  Happy Birthday to my Marvelous Miss Mims…Emily Lynn.