Surprise Party for my Grandmother

After the last family emergency, one of my cousins made the comment that we really ought to get together for fun, the way we used to, when my grandfather was alive, rather than gathering only when there's an emergency.  I agreed, and started the ball to rolling to turn my grandmother's birthday celebrating into a family reunion.
We came from all over for this shindig.  Zach came from Hawaii, I came down from Virginia, Aunt Monica came down from Ohio, and the rest of the family came from all over Florida: Orlando, St. Augustine, the Keys, and I don't even know where else.  This was the first time that she had all of her children in one place at one time in I don't know how long.  (All except my uncle Sherwood, who passed away just before I was born.)

Christine, Monica, Gramma, Kevin, (Kevin's wife, Linda), Siobhan (my mom) and Tex.

Uncle Kevin, the one who'd had that nasty stroke, was even able to come from the nursing home to be with us for a little while.

Just a few days after this, he left the nursing home for good, and is now back at home.

And I think it had been even longer since all of the grandchildren (my cousins) were together.

Clockwise from left: me, Nicholas, Heather, Merryn, Andrew, Alanna, Zachariah, and Gramma.

It had been a good five years, at least, since she'd last seen Zach at all.   

We got together as much of my great-aunt's family as we could.  I'm not sure about my grandmother, but for me, it had been a good fifteen years since I'd seen some of those people, and the rest of them I'd never even met!

There were so many people there, all come to reconnect with the greater family and to celebrate my Grandmother's birthday.  It was a surprise for her.  She'd been expecting just the normal gathering of local family, with the additions of my family and my Aunt Monica.  She was completely blown away when she realized what we'd put together for her.

I made the cake: double-layer, double-chocolate cake with peanut butter  and dark chocolate frostings.  What can I say?  I came by my sweet tooth honestly.)

I can't remember the last time I'd seen her so happy.

The party was a complete success.  Yay for family, and yay for reconnecting with the ones you love!