Hey Grandma! That's an awfully big birthday...TO HAVE.

My mother has this really great neighbor named Audrey, and she kinda keeps and eye on my mom, since I’m a 6-hour drive from Philly. But I know they get into all kinds of trouble together. Anyway, one day. Audrey asked my mother where she was getting all the photos of her grandkids from, so my mom told her I was a photographer. This did not please Audrey cause she thought my mom was holding out on the goods, meaning me. See, Audrey and her family really like to entertain, and she told my mom that she had been looking for a good photographer for a long time that could capture her family in time, so to speak.

Fast forward a few weeks later, and I get a call from Ms. Audrey. She was super bubbly but extra professional. She informs me that she is having a surprise birthday party for the amazingly fabulous Frances her, soon to be 90-year-old, grandmother. So Audrey and her family arranged for me to come to New York for the weekend and document the party. But she warned me that Grandma did not like to have her photos taken and that she was a tough cookie when it came to that. I told her not to worry and that I would handle her.

So last weekend I had the pleasure of spending a fantastic weekend with Audrey and beautiful extended family, not to mention a crew of Frances' buddies from far and wide. Needless to say, Frances was BEYOND shocked when she came through the door. She brought tears to my eyes, when I saw her reaction.

Here are a few images from her special day.

The location was at this great place called Terrace in the Sky. As you can see the view was amazing!

Here is the lovely Audrey who was most excellent in not only pulling this thing off, but getting Frances's family and friends from all over to meet in one spot.

So the way the family pulled this off was to tell Grandma that she was attending the baby shower of the woman in the photo above. Her shower was really scheduled for the following weekend. So when Frances showed up, it took her about 3 minutes or so to figure out why her girlfriends were at "the shower". As you will see from the next few images.

Her face was beyond priceless!

Here are a few of her buddies laughing and explaining the whole thing.

Apparently Frances hadn't see this woman she is embracing in many many years.

She did figure it out!

How beautiful is she? She doesn't look 90 to me at all!

Here's Frances giving me crap, but I told her to knock it off and let me make her feel like queen for a day. She laughed at me and gave me a big smooch!

Frances' family and friends kind of roasted her gently and called it the "Frances Funnies". She certainly did think it was funny. She was a good sport.