Happy 80th Memere and Granddad!!

This morning I was out the door bright and early to catch a flight down to West Palm Beach, FL to met up with the family for a birthday celebration.  This year both my maternal grandparents turned 80 and to celebrate Memere, who never wants a party, requested that the entire family joined them for a celebratory dinner.  As it is the first weekend of school/college for the grandkids, most of us were able to steal away for a quick trip (mine will be 18 hours).  For some their travel time was longer than their time in Florida. 

Of course when you get the family together it means hours and hours of ping-ping.  This is not your average game of ping-pong, but hardcore, super sweaty, dirty playing ping-pong.  It brings back fond memories of when I would travel with Memere during the summer.  We would always bring ping-ping balls and paddles in hopes that our hotel would have a table; Lexington, KY was always a favorite stop because for three weeks we had access to a table and would spend hours after dinner playing.

After burning up too many calories to count, we headed over to the Wanders Club for dinner.  Before we sat down, a good family friend came over to take some family shots.  While I am not one for super matchy matchy photos, I will say these turned out really well!!

The whole fam minus Matt and Jack who will be Photoshopped in later

Long Lost Sisters - seriously they only found each other a few years ago

 "You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself." - Galileo

Before dinner several members of the family, including all of their children and my father, gave some really touching words about how the two of them have impacted not only the lives of their family, but also those with whom they have come into contact over the years.  Both have an extreme sense of paying it forward and is something I have always admired in both of them. 

The above quote I had put on a picture collage I had given Memere and Granddad as a thank you for paying for my education; these words were reflected in much of what been said about these two extremely accomplished and giving people.  While they might not have always understood some of the choices I have made or thought I was crazy for undertaking them (becoming an AmeriCorps member, biking across the country), they have always continued to support me.  Without their counsel and presence, I can truly say that my life would have been VERY different and definitely not as well rounded.

Dinner, thanks to the amazing culinary skills of Tam, was fantastic; my rib eye was the size of my head!  The conversation and wine flowed all night long and I was great to hear stories from different times in my grandparent's lives, reminisce about family gatherings and get caught up with everyone!

 

Later it was of course time for cake and presents.  Memere had gotten a ping-pong table (something she has been wanting for years) and we were somehow able to track down a bottle of cognac made in 1932 (the year he was born).  

Trick candle?  Take two.