I just returned from an amazing weekend at Little Saint Simon's Island off the coast of Georgia. It was my mother's 60th birthday, and my brothers and significant others, my aunt, Uncle Thomas and his daughter, and a couple of family friends all met to surprise her on the island. The surprise was an absolute success. For 9 years I have been the recipient of many subtle hints like "You better do something special for my 60th birthday" or "I hope you and your brothers remeber how much my 60th birthday means to me". My brothers and I all made up excuses as to why we had to postpone her 60th celebration to next weekend (which is another family weekend in Charleston, SC for the ever-popular bridge run), and the surprise was on. She arrived at the island by ferry and was escorted to the beach by Thomas while the rest of us prepared for the surprise. Through the technological power of cell phones and text messaging, the entire group met in the lodge and awaited her return. When she opened the door and the family screamed "SURPRISE", she nearly broke down into tears from the overwhelming emotion she felt. It was wonderful!
We spent the weekend hanging out on the island. We hired a photographer to take family photos. My older brother made us all dress in white collared shirts and khaki pants for a photo shoot on Saturday morning. We looked like some bizzare cult waiting for the mother ship (Kool aid and Nike sneakers optional). I forgot to tell my wife about the dress code, so she had to borrow a shirt from my Aunt who is a few sizes larger than my wife (and my wife is so forgiving, I didn't hear one word about it all weekend). We all rode bikes to the beach and around the marsh. Some people went fishing while others sat around on the lodge porch and slept with books open in their laps. There are 7 miles of beautiful white sandy beaches and plenty of old oaks, cedars, and pines for the nature enthusiast. We saw alligators, armadillos, and all kinds of birds. The island only allows 30 visitors at a time, so it feels as if you are on your own private island (except at the family style meals where you might get stuck next to some Audobon-worshipping dork that can't stop talking about the purple-throated warbler he saw that morning). The meals were good hearty Southern cuisine and the alcohol was included in the price (which is a good thing for my family and friends). The island is a beautiful place, and my mother was thrilled with her 60th birthday present from her three boys.