Surprise Party

Ruby Tuesday · August 2003

My husband turns 50 on September 4th. Tomorrow I'm having a surprise party for him. So far, so good - he doesn't know or if he does, he's not letting on. I've been planning this surprise for two months and I'm sooooooo excited that the day has finally arrived (almost).

I was wondering for those of you who have reached that golden age of 50 - how many had surprise parties and what was the best part of the day? I really want to make tomorrow special.

rad · August 2003

I am not 50 yet but I planned my mother's party. I made a photo timeline with captions and hung it up where all the guests could see it. It was a big hit. The best part was watching my mother looking at the different photos and reminiscing with friends and family who were in the photos and at the party.

Ruby Tuesday · August 2003

You know we did this for my mom when she turned 50 but I didn't even think about it for my husband. Hmm, I wonder if I still have time?!

Thanks for the idea.

psrcello · August 2003

I turned 50 two years ago. My birthday was on a Sunday, and we'd recently relocated from Sioux City, Iowa to Omaha - didn't know enough people in Omaha to do any kind of a party.

However, my spouse and I are both licensed hams and do lots of emergency communication for events. My birthday just happened to be the day that RAGBRAI (the Des Moines Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) took off from Sioux City, so we volunteered to go back to Sioux City and help out. That morning, starting at about 4:30 am, I was stationed at a cross street, trying to keep motor vehicle traffic from getting onto the main street that the bicyclers were riding up. My spouse was several blocks farther south, and the riders passed him first. He had a big sign that told the riders that when they passed a green Jeep with flashing yellow lights, they should yell "Happy Birthday Paula!" I've never had so many birthday wishes from people I didn't even know!x:D

ray a · August 2003

I turned 50 this past May and was given a surprise party that I never saw coming. I had been giving private music lessons on the trombone to the daughter of a friend for the past 3 years. Having just graduated from HS, she wanted to do something special for me and organized a surprise party. The surprise came right after her last lesson. For food, she chose stuff her grandfather likes - easy to chew and digest. That was part of the joke. Friends came dressed up as old people and we played games like pin the tail on the donkey. Like a 2nd childhood. It was a lot of fun and she is a very special girl. The only bad part was my wife was still recovering from major surgery and was unable to attend.

LindaS · August 2003

We threw a surprise party for my mother when she turned 50 and did the same thing with the pictures - she LOVED it!!! It was fun to listen to her reminisce (sp?) with friends and family and the others got involved as well when they saw THEMSELVES as they used to look. Some of the other things we did was to get her a cane with a horn, bell and other things on it to signify "over the hill"

Leslie · August 2003

My three nieces just threw a 50th for my sister. They had a videotape made with pictures and music. There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Lola815 · August 2003

This doesn't answer your question, but for my 30th b-day my husband threw me a surprise party but there was a twist to it. Instead of me walking into a house with all my friends and family yelling surprise, he had everyone meet at a neighbor's house and a few people at a time started coming to my house to drop of a gift or card and they wouldn't leave my house. Soon the house was filled with friends and family members and the party began. I don't know how surprised I was, I was just mostly just confused for the first little while but it was fun to have something different.

Have a fun party!

NaeNae55 · August 2003

When my husband turned 50 I did several things.

I made up a poster board that said, "Look Who's 50!" and covered it with pictures of him from infancy through military to him with his children to a more recent picture. I took it to his work and posted it right outside his cublicle. I also sent him a balloon-o-gram.

At home I had a lighted sign delivered that asked people driving by to honk him a Happy Birthday. For days every few minutes someone honked. My neighbors never complained and my husband's eyes lit up every time he heard it.

Then I gave him a surprise party that didn't turn out to be a surprise. We don't have parties very often, so he was very excited by all the extra attention. After all that, turning 50 was no big deal.

Good luck!

Surprise Party

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