Party Time

I recently traveled to Germany to celebrate my dad's 85th birthday, which happened to fall on a Sunday. The week leading up to the event was an anxious one for several members of my family. My niece frantically studied for her final oral exam at university. My aunt was in the hospital for a heart catheder and other heart tests. My mother was undergoing skin cancer treatments. And I was fretfully awaiting the arrival of my suitcase.
Two days before the big day, my niece passed her exam with flying colors and is now a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She will go on to get her Masters degree. Way to go, Alex!
A day before the big day my aunt was released from the hospital. She was able to come to the party, provided that someone picked her up because she was not allowed to drive yet. I came to the rescue, since I happened to have a rental car.
And so we had plenty of reasons to celebrate, and neighbors and friends stopped by for a visit. Then we headed to a restaurant for a leisurely lunch before having coffee and cake at home. It was a good day to stay inside because the weather was cold and rainy.
Two days before my departure, my nephew celebrated his 24th birthday with a big bash at home. It was a great way to end my visit, but it was bittersweet for me because I had to big goodbye to my family the same day.