The better 40th birthday party

Could it be..........Big Bird?

Ok so last night Ed had REAL party! Friends at the medical school decided to throw him a surprise party, doing it jointly with Anh Thu, another student and friend whose birthday just passed. I had to get Ed to Renee's house and tell him it was a party for Ant Thu. I thought there would be about 15 students there, but I was shocked. The entire school was there and wow, was he surprised!

They had all the music hooked up and more food than we have seen in months! Oh, food...the food.....you can't imagine how great to have all that food! Since there are a lot of students from all over the world, there were a variety of dishes from other cultures none of us have tried. The Indian food was Amazing. Ed loved the steaks someone brought in an hour late. There were plates of brownies and cakes. But the best was the giant dish of fruit salad! There was a buzz and a stirring within when that giant dish was set down.

Connely curled up in a corner with some wings someone brought. He was silent in that corner most of the night. A few times he got up to refill his plate, but other than that he couldn't be heard except for the silent sucking the bones of a chicken wing.

If he died right now, there would be no regrets.

Pinder and I, one of our first friends here. She is from Riverside CA.

The kids had so much fun. The students are great with them. They spoil them with attention.It has made the transition much easier on them.

Mohommad "AZ". He left a brave wife and two weet kids (temporarily) in Canada to do his studies out here.

They let the boys play volleyball with them and cheer them on. They are very kind.

Charles is the new school mascot. After this party I don't know if either he or his parents will recover....I mean, just how much attention can one little boy get? Throughout the night we heard hooting and hollering and usually Charles was in the middle of the crowd for hours, either fighting some big burly- football -player -type student or break dancing on the dance floor.

Gary was seen multiple times running through the house with Charles slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes yelling like cowboys and indians. Rayon taught him some good dance moves. All the women adored him and fed him Cheetos and soda like a monkey at the zoo. Others swung him around their heads to funk music. Sophia ran around taking pictures and videos of everyone.

Connely purchased a 9 -inch pinata. He stuffed it with lifesavers and everyone had a blast trying to kill that thing.

In the end we had to take the kids home at 10. the party went on long after that, and eventually everyone walked up to Smoke Alley, the local bar, but Ed and I took a nice evening stroll on the beach and wondered why it took us 40 years to get here.