A BIG SURPRISE, March 11, 2006

When we arrived at Jay's, Michael parked the car in front of the house, not in the parking in back yard where we usually park the car,  but I thought it was because Jeanne wanted to see the new car, so I didn't question that. Jay, my brother-in-law came to welcome us and give me a warm hug as he always does and then Michael and him stopped to talk about the new car ( or that's what I thought ) so then,  I went inside, holding the 'Sabzeh' which we make for the celebration of our Iranian new year and I had made that for Jay's family when I got the invitation card from them about celebrating "Iranian new year", the "reason" that we were there  .... ( Oh Jeanne! you are amazing! It was the sweetest white lie that I have ever been told )

I walked inside the house and said Hi, but nobody was there to answer and it was not usual, so I went in, turned toward the sitting room to see if somebody was there and then : flashes of cameras .... and hearing SURPRISE ! I was all confused, who the surprise was for ? The first thing that I thought about was that maybe it was a surprise for Tonya ( Michael's niece who is pregnant ) because I had been in her surprise bridal shower and I thought maybe it is a surprise baby shower for her, and then I saw her standing up there with her big belly, smiling at me! The gifts were all wrapped in blue paper gifts and  I know Tonya is going to have a girl, so what ? Oh, my God! Was it a surprise for us ? Then I turned around, seeing Michael, standing up, smiling at me! He didn't look like being surprised at all, so what ? And I asked  : Michael ! did you know about it ? And he nodded !

So everybody knew but me, so it was really a surprise, a big kind of surprise for me !

Then I found out that my sister-in-law, Kerry had suggested my family to be a part of this party and Michael had been talking with my niece, Ghazal for more than 2 months. So my boys got some gifts from my mother, sister and brother and their families in an American baby shower! It was beautiful to feel my family being there and thanks to Kerry for her very delicate idea.

Seeing our  friend and neighbor, Jen there also  surprised me a lot. So she knew that too!  She had driven all the way from Salem to Kennebunk to be in my surprise baby shower. So, did my another sister-in-law, Liz who lives in Worcester.

My boys got a lot of beautiful and thoughtful gifts, even from their aunt Chris and her fiance who live in Australia. Nana ( Michael's mother ) was not there but she did make  my heart warm with her mothering kindness through a nice card with her beautiful and special handwriting, and a very useful gift ( the blue stroller that I have loved ) from her and grandpa Jack for our boys.

Anyway, it was a very beautiful day and I enjoyed every little detail of that. I loved all the blue dishes and baloons and the baby shower invitation card that Jeanne hadn't sent to me but she saved one for me to see.  I will always have the beautiful day in my memory as one of the best days of my life.