NO ROOM FOR ALL THE CANDLES - BURN THE CAKE

DH and I both liked the fire pits at the summer camp where we were working.

 We could imagine the fun we’d have at home with our friends and family toasting marshmallows over glowing coals in a big brick fire pit.

While we were shopping for camp supplies we saw a similar fire pit for sale at one of the hardware stores.  It was set up and ready to take home.  The price was a little more than we wanted to spend so we went on our way.

A few weeks later when DH’s birthday approached I decided this would be a great gift.  Our kids were glad to help since it meant no shopping for a present and they’d get to enjoy it too.

The plan developed that Vern, our friend and fellow camp worker, would help transport the gift to camp where it could hide in plain sight in a spot where a fire pit was going to be relocated between two cabins.

Vern brought the bricks and metal ring in the back of his pickup truck and then spent the rest of the day trying to keep DH from seeing them stashed there.

Our daughter and some other leaders were at camp that week with their group of girls so they were recruited to temporarily set up the new fire pit near their cabin for the big surprise.

My job was to keep DH distracted and busy while this was going on, which turned out to be quite a chore.  Everything he wanted to do would take him past the assembly site.  I had to keep diverting his attention until I could see the coast was clear.  Then we got on our ATV and continued on our way right by the newly built birthday present.

That evening our daughter and her group cooked a fine lasagna dinner in their Dutch ovens and invited us to eat with them.  When the meal was over they sang “Happy Birthday” to DH and then the girls jumped up and ran around the side of their cabin.  DH looked super confused when we told him to follow them.

 There they were standing together posing like a bunch of fashion models.

They were doing their best to conceal the fire pit for the big reveal.

When they all moved aside and told DH this was his birthday preset he gave them a big “Thank-you.”  He thought they’d moved the other pit to that location as a service project.

It took some more explaining to help him understand that this was his very own pre-assembled fire pit which he could take home.

 Our daughter and our granddaughters got some big hugs for their part in the escapade.

 This is our daughter and two of her accomplices helping with cleanup while dessert cooked in their other Dutch ovens.

 The dessert/birthday cake was a combination of chocolate bars, cookies, marshmallows and graham crackers which the girls dubbed, “Camp Poop.”

Since no birthday candles were available they stuck some forks in the portion served to the birthday boy.

 The next day the group disassembled the birthday present and helped Vern put it back in his truck for the trip to our house.

 A day or two later while we were home, Vern and his wife delivered it to us.  Our youngest son was there and helped unload it.

Our new friends were glad to share in the fun and help out with the birthday surprise.  We made a mental note to invite them for a barbecue and/or fish fry when the fire pit was ready and we were through with camp for the season.