Fifty Years Young

Two years ago, Philip turned 50 and we celebrated with a BIG surprise party planned and hosted by dear friends. (I just realized that I never got pictures of that event on the blog. Too much happened in 2010, to be sitting at the computer! I will try to fix that and put up a few photos...a bit after the fact.) 

Anyway, I knew that my turn was coming to turn 50, but I also knew that there wasn't really any way of surprising me. I, would of course, be very suspicious, because these friends are well known for their surprise birthday bashes. And since they live 3 hours away, any trip to their house near my birthday would immediately alert me to the coming event. I was surprise-proof. Or so I thought.

Somehow right under my nose, Philip and the kiddos, Daniel and Pierrette from afar, and a few other friends and family planned a party near home in our church building. They chose a date more than a month before my real birthdate, either to throw me off, or to make me feel older faster.

The night before, the conspirators arrived at the church to get things ready. (I don't have very many pictures of that part of the "pre"party)

The kids were at the church all morning "preparing skits and songs for worship" with the "youth group," but they were actually grating carrots and setting the tables and then waiting to spring on me.

The pleasure of surprising Mom shows on those faces very clearly. (I am behind the door in shock)

A unique gift: who would have thought that the letters in the names of my closest loved ones would add up to 50?

Jérémie wrote and sang a special song for me.

My sisters and Dad and Judy got up early to be part of the surprise.

A Black Forest cake big enough for 70 guests.

The head conspirators. They look very guilty, don't they? They sang some songs for me too, but no pictures...

Salon du Livre Paris (Book Fair)

March was a busy month for us with BLF presenting books for the first time at the Paris Book Fair. Four days, 200,000 people. It seemed like they all stopped by our stand at least twice !!! (Some of them really did.) Our booth, tiny compared to the big secular publishers', was very popular mainly because we had the Manga artists from Japan autographing their books, the Manga Bible. 

The artists drew crowds

And TV and radio stations

 Philip taking orders

 And translating (into English, not Japanese)

Stéphane came from Switzerland

 And even Mélanie helped out for a day.

Time to tear down and clean up

And while the artists were busy drawing away, the kids and I were "busy" babysitting in Japanese. The kids definitely think we should adopt ! Luka, the son of the one of the artists, went with us to Paris, but then wanted to go back to "France." France for him meant life on the farm with lots of "brothers, sisters, dogs, cats and pony." Forget Paris !