It All Started With An Idea of Fiona and Delia's

The idea to plan a big celebration for Peg's 50th birthday all started with Fiona and Delia on February 20. They were staying overnight at their Aunt Betsy's house and they started talking about what they would love to give their mom for her birthday. Ideas like "I'd love to give her some time away" and "I'd love to let her pamper herself" and "I'd love to fix up some of the things in the house that drive her crazy!"

Well, one idea led to another and we hatched a plan to send her away for a surprise weekend while we had another crew work on doing some spring cleaning and fix-up!

The idea quickly took root with Rob and the rest of Peg's family signing up to support the mission - give Peg a huge surprise for her 50th birthday!

A Weekend at the Marsh

We've booked a guest room for Peg at the Marsh, A Center for Balance and Fitness.

She can use all the facilities including the spa, restaurant, meditation room as well as take any classes she desires.

There are beautiful trails surrounding the Marsh for hiking - sounds like the weather is going to be perfect for the weekend. Yippee!

Happy Birthday from your sister, Betsy

Peg,

As we have all worked together to plan this special surprise weekend for you, I am reminded again how lucky we are to have our family.

First, your girls are so loving, and the idea they came up with to surprise you was awesome. They have participated with enthusiasm – you can be so proud of them.

Rob has been so supportive and involved in thinking through what we can do – he understands how much the work we do on the home front will mean to you.

All the rest of our family members were on board immediately after learning about the weekend, and have contributed generously with ideas and the resources to make the whole thing happen.

So, we all hope that if you ever feel low or discouraged, you will feel the strength of your family’s love for you!

I think this time in our lives can be the best time ever -  so my wish for you is that you will look forward to the years ahead strengthened by knowing you are loved and excited about all the possibilities of what is to come.

Happy 50^th Birthday!

Your loving sister,

Betsy

Birthday Greetings From Mom

Dear Peg,

Your girls had a wonderful inspiration to plan a special weekend for you to celebrate your 50th birthday.  The whole family has had such fun as the plans have been laid.  You are a wonderful special person and it gives us all great joy to help you celebrate.  There are many wonderful years ahead - just ask your 81 year old mother.  We claim many joys for you in the years ahead as you move into your 50's.  You have courage, a wonderful concern for our world, a great love for your family and always a burning desire to do the very best you can.  I love you so much and look forward to being up in Minnesota and being able to spend more time with you.

All my love,  Mom

Happy Birthday from Dad!

Peggy,

Your arrival was very memorable. I was late to the hospital to greet you because, as a printing salesman, that morning I was in Mendota, Illinois. I have never been in Mendota before or since.  I sold a good size order for some four color process sales sheets that I will never forget.

When I got the call that you were on the way, it became a foot race to Evanston Hospital and you won the race!  Mom reminded me that she had an appointment with her doctor that morning and he decided for his own schedule to induce labor.

You have been the source of so many fond memories throughout your life, and I give thanks daily for your arrival a half a century ago.

Have a wonderful celebration and savor it as we have this past week as we have enjoyed a small part in following the elaborate plans for this great celebration.

We love you so much!
Dad

Chet & Heather Welcome You to the Club

Happy Birthday from Cindy

Peg,

I can't believe you are fifty; what a big deal.  You have so much ahead to look forward too with all the addtional  wisdom of fifty years.  I hope the next chapter in life brings lost of fun surprises and adventures that you can't even imagine at this point.  


You should be really proud of your girls they were excited to doing something special for you and have it be a complete surprise.  Rob jumped right in and was super supportive in pulling all of this weekend off.  We all wanted to do something that would give you a little slice of pleasure for a weekend.  When our lives are so busy we do not always get the chance to sit back and take care of ourselves.  Hopefully you got a taste of that this weekend. 


I hope that you realize how much we all love you and are glad that you are a part of our family.  Here's to another 50!

Love Cindy, Rob and the kids

Here's Clue #1

It's 4:30 pm on Friday, April 16. Peg should have opened "Clue # 1" by now and should be on her way to check into the Marsh.

It is an absolutely spectacular day weather wise and is supposed to be beautiful all weekend. That bonus just makes this whole surprise even more fun.

Rob, Fiona and Delia had to do some smooth talking to get everything arranged so that Peg wouldn't accept a dinner invitation for Friday night. Luckily, they were up to the task of deception!

The Guest Room

Some pictures of the guest room at the Marsh that Peg is staying in - we were able to get in before her to add some flowers, the rest of the clues (in envelopes with specific instructions on what time to open) and finally, some chocolate!

Clue # 2

It's 5:30 pm on Friday - Peg should be opening up Clue # 2 right about now.

That clue says to be ready at 6:30 pm because she's going out to dinner with sisters Betsy and Cindy.

We'll post some picture later of our evening out!

Our Dinner at Woody's Grille

We surprised Peg at the Marsh and then went to Woody's Grille for dinner. We had wine and some great meals. Peg had seared tuna with vegetables - we enjoyed the time together catching up and talking about our lives. It is wonderful to have sisters! We missed you, Heather!

Clue # 3

Peg was instructed to open up clue # 3 before she went to bed on Friday night. Clue # 3 outlines a bunch of options for her morning - a yoga class, walking to Dunn Brothers coffee, continental breakfast, sleeping in - whatever her heart desires!

Spring Cleaning on a Beautiful Spring Day!

While we imagined how Peg was waking up on Saturday morning with a whole day to herself ahead of her, we assembled our group to start working on the 2nd half of the surprise - spring cleaning!

Meet the spring cleaning team - Fiona and Delia were joined by Peg's sisters Cindy and Betsy and Fiona's friend, Neysa.

I've got to say . . . . I haven't met too many teams that worked harder. Everyone was fueled by the thought of how surprised Peg would be when she walked into the house on Sunday afternoon.

Delia and Neysa tackled the bathroom and Cindy, Betsy, and Delia focused on the kitchen.

We Had Fun Along the Way, Too!

In the kitchen, efforts focused on sorting through items, organizing and cleaning all those spots that you never get to.

We worked hard washing and scrubbing, but we had fun along the way, too!

Clue #4

It's Spa time - Peg is scheduled for a 50 minute massage in the Marsh Spa with Andrea.

It's time to let all those cares, concerns and worries go and just relax.

Clue #5

Ah . . . . to have a beautiful afternoon with no place you have to go! So many possibilities.

Peg's Clue #5 was included a bunch of ideas of ways she could spend the afternoon along with some cash to enjoy it.

We included menus from some cool ethnic restaurants, a Barnes & Noble gift card, directions to the Arboretum, listings at a local movie theater - it will be fun to hear what she decided to do.

Or maybe she decided to just hang out at the Marsh, take a walk on some of the beautiful trails or read a book up in the beautiful Meditation Tower that overlooks the Marsh. (see picture with stairs up to the Meditation Tower).

Awesome Gifts For Peg and Rob

 

Thanks to the incredible generosity of Peg's brother Chet and her sister-in-law Heather, Rob was able to tackle a couple of projects that he knew would lift Peg's spirits to a new high. 

The first was arranging for a new garage door to be installed replacing their old, broken down one. The "garage door guy" arrived at about 10:00 am and got the new door done by about 12 :30 pm. See the picture of the excited girls standing in front of the new door.

A second project was replacing a very old mattress and box springs. While we all tackled the bathroom and kitchen, Rob worked in the bedroom to clear out stuff to make way for for a beautiful new mattress and box springs  that arrived at about 2:00 pm. Note Betsy and Cindy taking a break and testing out the new mattress - it's great!

A Run to Target

Twice during the day, we ran to Target to purchase some "finishing touches" like a new mat for outside the back door, new kitchen towels, dish drainer, etc.

Clue # 6

Clue # 6 lets Peg know that Rob is meeting her for dinner at 7 pm in the Moonlight Terrace Restaurant at the Marsh.

The restaurant overlooks the beautiful wetlands referred to as "The Marsh."

Prior to dinner, there is a jazz piano player in the lounge area that plays from 5- 7 pm.

After a day to herself, we thought it would be fun for Peg and Rob to share a romantic dinner!

Check Out This Kitchen!!

As Rob left to meet Peg for a romantic dinner, the supper crew was doing the finishing touches on the kitchen. Voila! The results! It looks awesome and we know that Peg is going to be amazed.

Check Out the Bathroom!

At about 9:00 pm, we were finishing up the final touches on the bathroom - see the transformation. Note Fiona pointing out our brainstorm for helping organize all the bathroom "stuff" that comes from a household of ladies - an new shelf complete with baskets for Peg, Fiona and Delia. 

Birthday Dinner Preparation

This weekend is like "an onion" - just layers of surprises for Peg.

One of the last things Betsy did before she left at about 9:30 pm was help the girls get set with preparations for Peg's birthday dinner when she arrives home.

Items being served include the traditional birthday treats that were served at every birthday dinner in the Kerr household when Peg was growing up - flank steak and artichokes with hollandaise sauce.

Menu for tomorrow night that the girls will be serving:

Flank Steak (Grandma Nana's recipe)
Cheesy Potatoes
Artichokes with Hollandaise (Great-grandma Nana's recipe)
Whole wheat bread
Fresh raspberries
Tiramisu Cake

Another Beautiful Day on Sunday

Peg was instructed to open Clue # 7 "when she woke up" on Sunday morning. In essence, this clue tells her to continue to enjoy the day and "to not arrive home before 3 pm."

Luckily, the weather has cooperated unbelievably. We are blessed with another beautiful day - sunshine and unseasonably warm temperatures for April. Maybe Peg will take this opportunity to hike some of the many trails that head out from the Marsh.

Meanwhile, back at the Ihinger household, there will be a continued flurry of cleaning activity. The focus today will be the dining room.

Rob is putting up a new chandelier and the girl are cleaning the room to prepare for unrolling a new rug and set the table for the birthday dinner.

In addition, Fiona, Delia and Neysa are continuing the cleaning of the refrigerator and freezer so that the refrigerator is "spick and span" to match the kitchen.

After they finish the birthday dinner, the girls will give Peg the last clue envelope - in it, there will be a note telling her that a new expresso maker has been ordered to replace her broken one.

The new expresso maker should arrive by Thursday and will make Peg, a good coffee lover, a happy lady!

A Race Against the Clock

Today has been a race against the clock to see how much Rob, Fiona and Delia can get done before Peg gets home! Some of the projects they have been working on include Rob putting a new chandelier up in the dining room (like every project, this one has taken way more time than expected!).

They have also been working on Peg's "new office" which is being moved to a closet in their bedroom to make way for Fiona ultimately moving into Peg's current office. The office will be based on the best seller entitled "The Not So Big Office," but it will have been prepared for her with a tremendous amount of love!

Peg Stopped By to Share About Her Weekend

At about 2:30 pm, Peg stopped by to say let me know what a wonderful weekend she had at the Marsh. She has taken exercise classes, walked on the beautiful trails, eaten good food, had a chance to read and just enjoy herself.

She showed me a souvenir necklace that she purchased in downtown Hopkins - she was so excited about how it sparkled in the sun that we went outside to take a picture of her and her necklace.

If I don't say, I think she sparkled, too. All I could do was smile and think about the even bigger surprise she will have when she goes home and walks in the door.

I wish I could be a fly on the wall!

A Job Well Done!

Luckily, Peg chose to spend the beautiful afternoon taking one last long hike - this gave the "closer cleaning team" precious extra time to finish up the work.

Here are the "closers" - Rob, Fiona, Delia and friend Neysa.

Oh My Gosh! Oh My Gosh!

Peg arrived home in the late afternoon and her family was ready to escort her into the house and take pictures of her reactions as they took her from room to room.

I think the pictures say it all!

A Message From Peg

Dear Everyone-who-participated-in-making-my-wonderful-surprise-weekend-a-reality.

I'm a writer, and words are my stock in trade, but words seem so inadequate.  I can't believe all the kindness and generosity and hard work you expended to pull off just about the biggest surprise--multiple surprises, really--I've ever experienced in my life.

As I told a few of you, I had one hint--just one--that something special was being planned, but I had no idea of the scale of the surprise.  Rob had used my computer to send some email to fellow conspirators and hadn't minimized his email in-box, so I caught a couple words in an email header: "Peg...reservation...surprise" and I thought, uh oh, I better not read anymore.

A birthday dinner, how lovely.  Well, I wouldn't let on that I knew.

I just had no idea.

Betsy has told you, step by step, all the things that were planned for me.  My family knows me very well, and they had assembled just about every element imaginable of the things I like to do when I want to give myself pleasure.  I was given a weekend at a spa getaway, complete with books, chocolate, lovely walks, quiet, exercise classes, a full body massage, great meals (that I didn't have to plan, cook or clean up) eating food that I LIKED!  It included both alone time and the company of some of the people I loved the most.  I lingered past the time I was told to come home because I was enjoying myself so much (good thing, too, because with the scale of work that everyone had cut out for themselves, they needed every moment they had).  I remember thinking to myself as I drove home, relaxed and smiling, "I hope everyone will be content if I make something simple for dinner.  I think there's some bratwurst in the freezer."

Rob cleverly distracted me when I got out of the car so that I didn't notice the new garage door.  There was a new welcome mat at the back door, and a new rag rug just inside.  The girls were standing there, beaming from ear to ear, with two of their friends, Neysa and Corwyn. And then I came all the way into the kitchen and saw....oh my goodness!

After that, it was just one astounding thing after the other. The table was set beautifully for dinner, with my great grandmother's gold-edge dishes, but there was a new chandelier!  And a new rug under the dining room table! Our old rug was so tattered and ragged, that the edges literally were held together by duct tape to keep us tripping over the unraveling edge.  This new rug was an entirely different sort: beautiful, thick and luxurious and worth many times the one we used to have.  They led me upstairs and I almost shrieked when I saw the bed.  Our old bed was twenty-seven years old and sagged in the middle like a hammock.  There was a broken spring sticking out of the side that threatened to gouge my calf every time I walked by.  But I had never ever dreamed I could possibly have a new bed.  A new bed was a fantasy for the far and distant future--I had never even considered when we would be able to do it.  Not now, not ever.  Yet there was a brand new bed.  A new picture hung over the bed of the St. Paul Winter Carnival ice palace, but the large cover mock up for The Wild Swans, Rob said, was going to be framed, too and would replace it; that had already been arranged.  The computer table had been set up in my soon-to-be computer nook, and a new standing light fixture made it bright and cheerful.

Then they took me out and showed me the garage door.  My garage door is not electrified, and the panels were so broken that I had to push at a break in the metal to get it to close, and it was splitting more and more every day--but again, an new garage door was an impossibility.

It was so beyond what I could have imagined upon coming home. I've been sitting here struggling for words to express my shock, my excitement, my gratitude and the humility of my thanks.  If you received even one one-hundredth of the joy you have given me, you are richly repaid.  I love you all so much, and I truly think it was the best surprise I have ever received.

With all my heart,
Peg