Saturday and Sunday, July 30 and 31, 2016 (St. Albert Kinsmen RV Park, St. Albert, AB)

We had a pretty lazy start to the day Saturday. We were meeting Dave and Kerry at Gordon and Esther's house at 3:30 so that we could leave our truck parked there and ride with them to the church hall where the surprise birthday party was being held. The family would all be going back to the house after the party...to...well...continue partying!!

We packed our air bed, sleeping bags and pillows...along with our overnight case and headed out just before 3:00. We had to be careful that we didn't arrive too early because we didn't want to run into Gordon and Esther...but all was fine, they were gone when we arrived. We're glad we were able to hitch a ride with Dave and Kerry to the hall because I would hate to have tried to find a parking spot for the truck...narrow side streets, mainly with 'no parking' signs and the roads that had parking were full. Thanks for the ride, Dave and Kerry!

All of the guests for the party were asked to be at the hall by 4:00...and Esther was to have Gordon there by 4:30. Well, they arrived right on time...the excuse as to why they had to go to the church hall??...to deliver a cooler for a friend. The surprise was a huge success...Uncle Gord had no idea!
Here he is arriving...that's his daughter, Heather with him and wife, Esther just behind...

And then he realized that Dave and Kerry...and Steve and I were also there!  He was given a 'grass skirt' to wear...

Esther...

Gordon blowing his Edmonton Eskimos horn...he's a great football fan!

Uncle Gordon...75 years old...but going on 55! I'm sure you have heard the story of our trips to Mexico when he goes down to the pool to swim 20+ laps first thing in the morning and then returns to the room and proceeds to get down on the floor next to Steve, who is relaxing with his coffee, and does his push-ups! Too funny!

Gordon's son, Gord Jr. (yes...that would be Steve's cousin) belongs to a religious musical group called rEvolve and he and another member of the group played some songs. Gord Jr. is on the left...

Gordon's three children reading a timeline of his life...left to right, Heather, Gord Jr., and Yolande...

The birthday celebration was also being shared with a good friend of Esther and Gordon's, Lorna...but it wasn't a surprise for her. She was part of the planning of the party.

He's only changed a little...he didn't get older, he got better! LOL!

After the surprise party was over, we all helped with the clean up of the hall and then family all headed over to Gordon and Esther's house. Going around the room, left to right...Gord, Rob (cousin Bev's husband-from Burnaby), Mike (Steve's sister, Nadine's, husband), Dave (Steve's younger brother-from Thompson, Manitoba), Heather (Gord's daughter), Nadine (Steve's sister) and the back of Bev's head (cousin from Burnaby)...

Nadine, Bev, Esther, Kerry (Dave's fiance) and Gordon...

I think it was about 1:30 a.m. when Steve and I headed downstairs to our air bed...thank goodness we had set it up as soon as we had arrived there!

Sunday the party continued...we were up a little later than usual (LOL!). We had coffee, juice and toast...just a "snack" as we wait for the others to return so we can have the feast (aka brunch) that Esther had prepared.

Uncle Gord sporting the t-shirt he received at his 50th birthday...just adding a new badge for his 75th. "Reving"...he is a retired minister with the United Church and has married and buried many of us...

 Showing off the new slippers that Kerry made him...

Yay! Time for brunch! Starting left and going around the room...Bev, Gord, Esther, Cheryl (cousin and Bev's sister), Nadine, Kerry, me, Doug (Esther's son from Vancouver) and Yolande...

And of course, a family picture...front row: Rob, DJ (Heather's husband), Esther, Gord, Steve and me; back row: Dave, Kerry, Nadine, Mike, Gord Jr, Heather, Bev, Cheryl, Yolande and Doug...

Dave, Kerry, Esther, Gord, Mike, Nadine, me and Steve...

Games time! Bev and Steve against Gordon and me....

After a rough start for Gordon and I, we were victorious! Next up were DJ and Heather against Rob and Cheryl...

Meanwhile inside, Esther, Kerry and Yolande are preparing dinner (well, actually I think Kerry is preparing more drinks!)

Almost time to eat!

The chef grilling burgers...

What an awesome day...and a wonderful weekend! Uncle Gord is Steve's Mom's younger brother and the last of that generation...Bev and Cheryl's Dad was also Steve's Mom's brother and he passed away a number of years ago. We feel incredibly fortunate to have this family time together...after all, that's what it is all about...Family!