Last Saturday, my family had a big celebration for my grandmother’s seventieth birthday. My parents wanted it to be a surprise, so we arrived at my aunt’s house early in the morning to help with everything. We put colourful decorations on the walls, moved extra chairs into the living room, and set the table in the garden because the weather was warm and sunny.

By lunchtime, more relatives started to arrive. My uncle brought flowers, my cousins carried bowls of salad, and my aunt took a large chocolate cake out of the fridge. When my grandmother came through the door, everyone shouted, “Surprise!” She looked shocked for a second, and then she smiled and hugged each of us.

Later, we ate together, told funny family stories, and looked at old photographs. My younger cousin played the guitar, and my grandfather gave a short toast. He said he was proud of their life together and thanked everyone for coming. My grandmother laughed when she saw a photo of herself as a young teacher.

In the evening, we lit the candles on the cake and sang for her. Before we went home, we took one big family photo in the garden. I felt tired but happy because the day was full of love, good food, and warm memories.