April 4, 2020

Jim Kappius poses for a portrait behind a 50 sign placed in the yard to celebrate his 50th birthday on April 4, 2020, in Charlotte, NC. The signs were part of a drive-by birthday celebration since the coronavirus limited other birthday plans. (Photo by Lindsay Kappius)
The Kappius family poses for a portrait on Jim Kappius’s 50th birthday on April 4, 2020 in Charlotte, NC. (Photo by Lindsay Kappius)

Birthdays just don’t look the same during the virus.

The signs do have a funny story to go with them though. The signs in the front yard were a surprise and the company that puts them up and takes them down does so at night. They had put them up and the plan was that he would wake up and go get the mail to see the signs. Well, that wasn’t exactly how he found out.

You see the signs have one rule associated and that is don’t mow the grass around them or remove them.

At the crack of 9 am the lawn guys show up and start mowing the lawn. I’m asleep upstairs but hear my mom scrambling and saying “Babe! Babe! The signs you gotta go tell them!”. He is confused as heck and had just woken up so nobody was dressed and had to explain from the front door to just leave the signs alone. Surprise!

We all laughed about that later. I am really glad I got to spend this day with my family. If I was in Wilmington on my internship I may not have had the chance to celebrate it with everyone.

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