NICE MOVE? DID YOU MAKE THAT UP?
Yeah, well...I saw it on TV first, then I made it up.

Pictures will be coming soon, I promise.

And it was a crazy Saturday night this one... last night was Brandi's birthday party (Brandi is Robert's sister for those who don't know). She turned 30 on Friday.

She'd been saying forever that she wanted a 70's party, so she could get all glammed up and go dancing, so our home group offered to do that - get all dressed up and go take a group dance lesson together at this dance studio down in Grandview. Brandi has mentioned wanting to take lessons at this place before to me because everytime we drive past she says, "I don't know what's going on in there, but it must be fun because the windows are all all hot and steamy!" So we told her that's what we were doing for her birthday (actually all of that would be on Sat., her 30th bday was on Fri.). But you have to know - the folks in our home group = not exactly dancers (myself included to some extent). Some of them kind of had to be TOLD that they were getting 70'd up, and that they were dancing because "this is Brandi's party dangit and this is what she wants so we're going to do this just so, so there!!" And told in front of Brandi, too, so she'd know what a drag it was to get them to go dancing just for her. Not all of them, and eventually they caved to the fun of it all, but for a few moments, we had to convince them it was worth their time. It was perfect!

On FRIDAY night though, when her entire family "should have" been getting together to throw her a huge FAMILY party, they were all conveniently busy or had to work or just plain forgot and couldn't make it to any sort of party, so just Brandi, her mom, her grandma and I went to dinner at Schmidt's, this classic German restaurant downtown. Not a bad way to spend your 30th, but NOT the way that Brandi had been expecting. She was OOZING disappointment. No big party from her family, pulling teeth to get some of the home group to go dancing (not ALL-some of them were totatlly into it ((and in the end they were ALL into it - wait until you see the pictures - they were awesome!!)). And to top it all off, after dinner, she and I went to see the WORST "coming of age" movie I've ever seen (the new Lindsey Lohan movie.) So Brandi Meeker rang in her next thirty years sulking in a movie theater mad at the world for not giving her the best 30th party ever...

OH! Did I mention yet that we were never REALLY going dancing? Yeah... it was all a front and everyone knew it. See, Brandi's mom lives very near the dance studio, and "of course" she would want to see our home group all 70'd up in our outfits, right? And "of course" we'd have to stop by to show her so she could take pictures before we got all disheavled dancing? Kind of like prom!

And OF COURSE! Once we got there to take those pictures, all of Brandi's friends and family would be there waiting for her with the rest of the party! HAAAAAAAY! HOOOOO!!! The same people who "had to work," "forgot," "could't make it," or whatever the night before...

But Brandi almost screwed it up! We were ON TIME. Our "dance lesson" started at 7:45, and we were supposed to be at her mom's at 7:30. Brandi was getting all upset. "Why can't mom just come meet us at the studio? That way we don't have to get out of the cars twice? We're going to be late if we stop at mom's." It was kind of raining, too, and I think she didn't want her hair to get messed up. I thought she was going to call Tammy and throw a fit! Whew! I made up some junk about how the studio opens just for our lesson and so the guy would be okay if we were five minutes late...blah, blah, blah... and a few minutes later we were standing at the door of Tammy's apartment, having just "knocked and walked into to get out pictures taken" only Brandi was stadind there crying, saying, "I, I, I... I was so mad at all of you guys! and you! My sisters! You especially! You were supposed to be at my party last night! And wait? Wha? There's no dance lesson is there?? Oh! I get it! Thank you guys!"

It was great! I *think* that we really did surprise her. And then... we danced. Some more than others (vanessabrandondeedeeandevengrandmakaybrokeitdown), but we danced. And Brandi danced...And it was fun. Good times.

Pictures soon...Because seriously. Craig's Fro; Megan's Braid; Cristi's Hair Thingy; Brandy's Hair; Brandi's Earrings...classic and definitely worth this long post and some pictures. AND! Let it be known here and now that there was alcohol involved. Not for me...but for certain OTHER home group members...that will remain nameless HERE...but you know where to go to find the jokes if you're one of us. ;-) Happy Birthday Brandi! and for the rest of you with 30th's coming up! You're next!