“I’m not a fan of surprise parties”–so said my friend of decades who, when she told me that, had no idea that a surprise party had been planned for her for almost a year. And, photographs are not a priority for her. She does much traveling to wonderful places but unlike most people, she doesn’t return home with a phone full of images (possible exception: a bird watching trip to South America).

I grabbed my camera to take to her surprise party and was able to capture for her and her family and friends some of the emotions from that event to make those memories last a bit longer. It wasn’t hard to do, since in that room there was so much love and appreciation expressed for this person who, through the years, has done so much for others.

I think she feels differently about surprise parties now, and, I think I captured her surprise.

Happy Birthday Addi!