Hello Smithellaneous-ites, Sarah here! We celebrated Gage’s 29th birthday a few weeks ago and I thought that I would come on as a guest writer to tell the story since it’s a bit involved. Becky (a.k.a. Mom) will be back as normal next week!
Gage and the whole Long family have been huge fans of The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) books and movies ever since he was little. Longtime readers will know that I have always been more of a Chronicles of Narnia girl, but, as a writer and aficionado of all things fantasy, I grew up admiring J. R. R. Tolkien’s genre-defining works from afar. I had watched the first movie of the trilogy as a teen with Nathan, with plans to get around to consuming all the bountiful, beautiful LOTR media eventually.
Last summer, Gage mentioned in passing that he has had a long-standing dream of having an all-day LOTR movie watch-party and eating the iconic seven Hobbit meals throughout the whole day. Well, I made a note of that. I had never been able to organize a surprise birthday party before and since Gage loves surprises, I thought that his 29th birthday would be the perfect occasion to make one of his boyhood dreams come true.
As far as the guest list for the surprise birthday party went, I wanted to invite Gage’s three middle brothers, since they all match Gage in his nerdy enthusiasm for LOTR. We somehow forgot to get pictures of all five of us at the birthday party, but here we are from 2022.
From left to right: Nick, Braden, Caleb
In October, I contacted the brothers to nail down a date near Gage’s February birthday where they could dedicate a full day to a movie marathon as a surprise for Gage, wanting to ensure that it was on their calendars well ahead of time. We decided on January 27th; it was two weeks before Gage’s birthday, but we figured that that would add to the overall surprise. I also liked the fact that we were doing this for his 29th birthday, as he would not be expecting much in the way of a party with his 30th birthday around the corner. Then I asked Gage to request that day off of work, saying “I’m planning something fun for us to do. You’ll see!” He made multiple guesses as to the reason, to no avail, before happily obliging my request.
I researched the seven Hobbit daily meals to see what other LOTR fans have cooked in the past, consulting both the Internet and our LOTR-inspired recipe book. In general, it seems that people often make hearty foods common in the English countryside, which J. R. R. Tolkien was quite fond of. So throughout January, I laid out the menu within a frugal budget and perfected my plan.
Seeking to challenge myself, I decided to cook nearly all the food myself, getting only a few things premade; all the pictures will be at the end of this post. I enjoy cooking and baking, but I have not yet hosted a big Thanksgiving meal, so I want to practice the fine art of endurance cooking, especially during this season of being between jobs and having plenty of free time to hone my skills in the kitchen. An extra layer of the challenge was preparing all the meals ahead of time and utilizing our single Crockpot to minimize the time I would have to spend cooking at the brothers’ apartment so that I could mostly relax during the marathon.
Having been affectionately banned from the kitchen for the day (in order to avoid seeing any “spoilers”), Gage was very befuddled, to say the least, watching me cook all day on January 26th. He couldn’t imagine what plans would involve this much food, especially as I hadn’t mentioned that his three brothers would be joining us to add another surprise to the mix. He offered to help in my strange culinary quest, but as I wanted to bless him for his birthday, I told him to just relax. (He gladly took care of the huge pile of dishes after the party, though!) Preparing the seven Hobbit meals was a challenge, for sure, but an enjoyable one, and I had a fair amount of leftover ingredients for the week to come, to boot!
January 27th arrived and we woke up around 7am. I asked Gage to dress like a Hobbit. I didn’t tell him specifically “Please dress like a Hobbit” to keep the themed party a surprise; rather, I told him “Think Victorian hipster with lots of earth tones.” Gage adores putting together costumes and has an eclectic collection of clothes, so this prompt wasn’t very challenging; in fact, it’s not much different from his everyday style. I also dressed in a similar fashion. I was a bit nervous that this costume prompt would be a dead giveaway for the surprise, but fortunately, he still didn’t guess what I was up to!
In the movies, Hobbits often wear pants that come down to their mid-calf; Gage rolled his pant legs later that day to be in more in theme!
We loaded the food into the car with Gage bewilderedly asking things like “What kind of museum would we be able to take a Crockpot into?” guessing that our destination was perhaps some kind of niche art exhibit we would spend the whole day at. I put his brothers’ apartment address into our Google Maps while he averted his eyes from the screen to elongate the surprise as long as I could, reassuring him that it would only be a half-hour drive. I then discretely texted the brothers to update them on our ETA.
When we arrived at their front door, we were greeted by shouts of “Surprise! Happy birthday!” along with this lovely sight:
I had asked them to make a carrot cake since that is one of Gage’s favorite desserts; I originally planned on making it myself but a few days before the party, I realized I needed to delegate! Nick baked it from scratch and Braden created the LOTR-inspired decorations. Didn’t they do a great job? Thanks again to all three of them for making the day possible!
With lots of giggled attempts at explanations from Nick, Braden, Caleb, and me, it took Gage about two minutes to fully understand what was happening, putting together all of the clues: the presence of his brothers, the massive amount of food we had in tow, his and my unusual outfits, and the LOTR soundtrack that playing in the background. I’ll give you three guesses at what his reaction was!
After the brothers and I had relayed the whole story, we set about bringing in the loads of food from the car. The movie marathon had begun!
For those who may be unfamiliar, the extended versions of The Lord of the Rings movies together come in at 11 and a half hours. Truth be told, that runtime was initially a bit daunting to me, especially as I had not seen the theatrical-release versions of the last two movies, but the Long brothers reassured me that we would be taking several breaks throughout the day, to eat, stretch our legs, and play card games.
So as we watched the three enormously long movies, here is what we ate at intervals, on average, of about one and a half hours (yes, I had a timer going on my phone to make sure we stayed on track). (Gage excitedly took pictures of every course.)
First breakfast – traveler’s overnight oats with options for toppings such as apples, honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon
Second breakfast – quiche with mushrooms (mushrooms are a quintessential Hobbit food, but Gage is the only one of us who loves mushrooms, so this was the obligatory mushroom dish!)
Elevensies – apple butter on toast crackers (both were storebought) (the crackers were meant to be like the elvish Lembas bread from LOTR)
Luncheon – bacon and egg miniature pies
Afternoon tea – English breakfast tea (we forgot to get a picture of this, so here’s a dramatic reenactment, using one of our lovely coffee mugs handmade by Gage’s mom, Casey!)
Dinner – sausage and sweet potato hash (this was the only dish that I cooked at the brothers’ apartment with the ingredients already chopped the day before)
Nick always likes making silly faces in photos!
Supper – beef and potato stew (made in our blessed Crockpot; I wouldn’t have managed this cooking challenge without it!)
We also had plenty of thematic sweets and snacks throughout the day: onion rings inspired by the Rings of Power, Swedish Fish inspired by Gollum’s fish, and chocolate Keebler Elves inspired by the Elvish people of Middle Earth.
Here’s a note from Gage: “And those were the incredible Hobbit meals, each a surprise and more delicious than the last. Seven meals precisely, just like in the movies. My taste buds were lolloping across the English countryside all-derry day long! These belly-pleasing treats were by far one of the most precious gifts I have yet received. When you have a thoughtful partner such as Sarah, dreams really can come true.”
Thanks so much for tagging along on this unusual birthday surprise story, especially if The Lord of the Rings isn’t exactly your cup of tea (pun very much intended). And thank you, especially, for adopting my sweet Gage into the Smithellaneous family just as much as my own family has into the Smith clan.
As I’ve needed to take a break from the job world to focus on my mental health and physical therapy, Gage has worked tirelessly this year as a middle school history teacher and part-time at the Trader Joe’s grocery store to ensure we have a humble but very comfortable life, while I manage our household. I enjoy being the primary caretaker of our home and view it as very important and valuable work, but I have always dreamed and planned on using my college degree and perhaps pursuing further education. Whenever feelings of frustration and guilt arise in me over my career challenges, Gage is right there to reassure me that he is honored to support me emotionally and to take care of the breadwinning in this difficult season, having faith in me (even when I don’t) that I will find my calling. I’ve always known him to be a ball of sunshine, but that has been especially true over the last year when I’ve needed it the most.
For those who are familiar with Tolkien’s characters: he is truly a Samwise Gamgee to me: a force of warmth, determination, loyalty, and love.
Happy birthday, Gage “Samwise” Long. I love you and I like you!
I’m really late to this party but wow! What a wonderful idea for Gage’s birthday! Sarah did an amazing job and as always, I enjoyed reading her post about it. I’m so very happy that she has found someone who loves her the way Gage does and who is honored to take care of her and supports her in all the ways! 💜
Thanks for sharing the special birthday, Sarah! I’ve never been a fantasy person, but I’ve watched all of the LOTR films, twice (recently in a winter movie marathon with my husband). I did read The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe to my kids, when I was homeschooling them. I remember getting goosebumps! I just couldn’t get into the writing of Tolkien, but did enjoy the movies.
I just love Sam Gamgee. After seeing the films twice, you realize what an important character he is!
I just reserved some Narnia books from the library, thanks to your post. I’m almost 60, but not to late to gain more of an appreciation for fantasy! Not sure I’m going to reserve Tolkien, just yet….
Ann, I admire you for enjoying the LOTR movies despite not being a fantasy fan! They have so much beauty and humanity that has and will continue to speak to the generations.
I hope you enjoy the Narnia books! There are so many beautiful parallels to Jesus all throughout. I recommend reading them in release order, the order Lewis wrote them in, which you can find by googling “Chronicles of Narnia release order.” And Lewis has a lovely quote from one of his nonfiction books, “When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty, I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”
-Sarah
Sarah, thank you for the recommendation on how to read Narnia books. It’s rather confusing! Just as I was finishing re-reading Wardrobe (after a 20ish year gap!), my husband mentioned he’d never read the fiction books. (He mostly sticks to “real” stuff – non-fiction! So often, though, truths can be told from fiction. We understand that more as we get older!) We have now decided to read aloud the Narnia series together, as part of our evening routine. Your quote from C.S. Lewis is wonderful, and has made me curious to look at some of his non-fiction writings.
Have you ever watched any Narnia films? I don’t intend to just yet, but am curious if you ever found any you enjoyed.
I really enjoyed The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe, and am looking forward to continuing on. Your post has certainly made a pivot in our reading materials! The librarians at my local library think I am reserving the books to share with grandchildren. Nope! I will likely get the set for grandkids when they get a bit older!
Ann, I’m so glad you and your husband are enjoying reading Narnia together! They are truly timeless stories for all ages. I’d be curious to hear which one ends up being your favorite! Lewis has some spectacular non-fiction, particularly books on theology, such as “Mere Christianity”, “Surprised by Joy”, and “The Problem of Pain.”
Yes, I’ve seen the three movies Disney made. They all came out when I was ages 9-16 so it was quite exciting! Their movie for The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe was the best of the three, in my opinion. Gage grew up watching the BBC adaptations, which I have yet to watch. I have heard Netflix will be making a new version sometime soon. It’s hard to beat the originals, though!
I’m sure your grandchildren would enjoy Narnia, too! 🙂
-Sarah
Although I am not familiar with LOTR, I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful article about your wonderful and loving surprise party for Gage! The photos added so much to the story! You are to be commended for your excellent execution of such a complex adventure!
Thank you, Fred! It was quite the adventure indeed – I could barely sleep the night before due to excitement! 😊
-Sarah
Sarah, there is a time for everything. There is a time to rest and care for yourself mentally. I enjoyed the story of Gage’s birthday party.
Thank you, Rachel! I often remind myself of this. While my career is on pause, I’m doing a lot of much needed “underground” growth that I have faith will bear good fruit in the future!
-Sarah
What a sweet, precious gift for you to prepare for Gage! I bet the story of this surprise will be passed down through the years! I’m not a big fantasy fan, but I really enjoyed reading this – just another testament to your writing abilities. Wishing all the Smithellaneous Clan (including the Long branch) a wonderful week!!
It’s true, fantasy isn’t everyone’s cup of tea; and even though some of the action sequences weren’t really for me either, it’s still fascinating comparing a good story to biblical themes.
Wishing your clan well also!
-Sarah
What a wonderful idea for Gage’s birthday. That was really a special idea and surprise. Have been all of the Hobbit movies and love the Narnia movies too. Happy Blessed Birthday Gage. Have a great year!
Tolkien and Lewis are such gifts to humanity. I’m so glad to celebrate a husband who adores them.
-Sarah.
Happy birthday Gage! Well done Sarah! 😊 All the effort is the best gift ever. You two make such an adorable couple!😊
Thank you. We’ve mostly only done gifts for one another thus far in our marriage. This year, I wanted to bless him with something different.
-Sarah
Happy birthday to Gage! Sarah, I haven’t seen any of the movies or read any of the books but it looks like you did a great job planning and following through on the party. I had to laugh when I read Gage’s comment about what museum was going to let you bring a crock pot in.
Now that’s my kind of museum. LOL!
-Sarah
Well done, Sarah (and brothers)! I love LOTR – read The Hobbit and LOTR back in the 70s – long before the movies (which I also love). After reading this, I’m thinking it’s time to watch them all again!
When you enjoy your rewatch, I highly recommend some potato stew. It pairs so well.
-Sarah
Sarah, You gave Gage such a great party. What a present you gave him, I’ll pray for you to get a job you love. You are being creative at home. You two are the best couple!
Thank you for the prayers. I hope to assure everyone that God is very active in our lives in this slow time same as any season.
-Sarah
Wowsa!
What a thoughtful, incredible birthday surprise for an amazing guy! Happy birthday, Gage! It’s not often that so much love and preparation goes into such a wonderful day!
I enjoy the Lord of the Rings but I don’t think I could do a LotR marathon!
The love and preparation spoke wonders, but the thoughtfulness building a day out of one wishful comment is the real icing on the carrot cake.
-Gage
Wow. A fun memory for a life time. Great job on the birthday surprise, Sarah. And it’s write up. Appreciate you sharing.
Would love to read more of your writing. You definitely share your mom’s talent with words. 🥰
That’s quite the compliment as I’ve always admired my mother’s writing. I’ll be thinking some more on stuff to share with our smithelaneous-ites.
-Sarah
I can’t just “like” this post, I have to say I love it! Happy belated birthday to Gage, and best wishes to you both.
Well then I “LOVE” this comment!
Thanks for the well wishes.
-Sarah
What an amazing and inspiring display of being sneaky! Good luck trying to top that next year, but I have faith in you. You will find your footing and figuring out what to do in the future. Don’t sweat the small stuff! I believe in you!
Oh, she’s sneaky alright! I’m always complimenting her ninja-like skills.
And you’re right about not sweating the small stuff. That truth means a lot.
-Gage Long
Sarah, how great to get to turn my blog over to such capable hands.
Even though I had heard bits and pieces about the day, it was fun to get to see the big picture. Such a memorable day for all of you! You pulled it off, big time!
Thanks again for sharing the stage with me, Mom! It’s wonderful to have such a supportive community to share our lives and writing with.
-Sarah
That is the coolest party idea ever! My husband is a huge LOTR fan (me: I’m the Harry Potter fan), and this would be an awesome option for him!
Love the photos and your writing. 🙂
Sarah and I have been thinking of reading the Harry Potter books lately. It’s hard not to feel like we missed out.
I say make a day out of both nerdy things! Tell your husband you’ll put on a themed Lord of the Rings feast if he throws you a proper Harry Potter one. I would love to see what creative foods that would inspire!
-Gage Long
Gage (and Sarah):
I think you’ll find many LOTR similarities in the HP stories – plus, the battle of good vs. evil is as old as the ages. 🙂
We do have the Harry Potter cookbook! I love the pumpkin pasties, especially. 🙂
Maybe I’ll see what I can do about a LOTR-themed dinner soon. Maybe for his half-birthday? (His birthday bumps up against Christmas, so the half birthday might be a bit more special.)
And I just noticed the little kitty in the group photo! So cute!
I do like Sci-fi, not horror but have heard that Harry Potter books are not for those who know the Lord. Had also read of children trying incantations after reading the books and seeing the movies. But that is just my opinion. Everyone needs to decide for themselves.
I agree, Sci-fi is an enjoyable genre to be sure. It posits thought provoking questions and explores ideas. I hope to watch/read more good sci-fi stories.
We’ve heard this about Harry Potter as well. That’s why neither of us have yet read the books or have seen the movies. More and more Christian families seem to be engaging with the story in a wise way attempting to see the themes of good vs. evil which reflect God’s story over the enemy. Despite this, we don’t intend to follow any trends lightly. Sarah and I also want to be careful if we ever introduce our future kids to the story to make sure they are spiritually mature enough first. As a missionary, I do not take real witchcraft lightly. As a story lover though, I still enjoy and understand great writers like C.S. Lewis and Tolkien using a White Witch and Witch King characters to oppose their heroes. It’s a complex and muddled line. I think you’re wise to say that everyone needs to decide for themselves. I say they need to decide for themselves with prayer, connection, and guidance from the Lord.
Sarah,
I read that with a smile on my face.😁 WTG for being the best wife and birthday surpriser of the year. I can’t say that I am an LOTR fan, but have seen all the movies when they were in the theater, along with people who are. A once and done for me. 🙂
You did awesome!
As far as being between jobs, don’t put pressure on yourself! Enjoy where you are right now. Give yourself time, and when it comes along, make sure you love it! And if you are already doing what you are called to do, well we all know that husbands take a lot of work! Wink, wink 😉.
Love Aunt Carol
Thank you, Aunt Carol! It was so fun to be a wonderful surpriser for my awesome husband. Gage isn’t really high maintenance so going a little extra was welcome.
-Sarah
Sarah, what a feast!
Sorry you couldn’t enjoy it too, dad.
(nah nanana nah)
-Gage
Wow. In the presence of the wordsmith Longs and Smiths, it’s a little intimidating trying to come up with interesting adjectives to express amazement and admiration. So I’m just going to have little old “wow” do the job!
Sarah, what a magnificent gift you created for Gage! Your thought, effort and good old fashioned sneakiness resulted in an oh so wonderful surprise! You and his brothers were a great team in making a cherished memory.
Your account here of all the prep, the big day and the pictures was a treat. I always enjoy your writing.
So proud of you both and sending much love!
Aunt Deb
Thanks so much, Aunt Debbie! I learned affectionate sneakiness from Nathan and Meagan!
And I would say you’re a wordsmith too! 😊 I always appreciate your thoughtful comments here on the blog.
Love you!
-Sarah
Happy Birthday to Gage. That is an amazing party. I have not watched, or read the Lord of the Rings, I am definately more Narnia myself. I would still have loved attending a party with so much fun and food. Where did you get the sausage and sweet potato hash recipie? It looks so good.
Budget bites! One of our favorite recipe nooks.
https://www.budgetbytes.com/sweet-potato-hash/
I imagine this could still be on theme for a Narnia movie night. Just saying.
-Sage (Sarah+Gage)
Thanks. I will enjoy trying this. Our church did a Narnia Christmas program last year and had a fish stick dinner for the Beavers. Not very creative.
Wow! Sarah that was quite a feat! While I am not a LOTR’s fan, Gage party and your incredible description and play by play make me want to dive in! What a sweet and thoughtful thing to do for your husband! You two are clearly made for each other. That’s a blessing. I am praying that you find your “calling” although it seems to me that you are already in it. There is nothing wrong with being a wife and homemaker. Our society tells us otherwise, but it’s simply not true. You are knocking it out of the park. Keep swinging sweet girl!!
Hi Lisa,
Thank you! And I get it: LOTR is a bit of an acquired taste!
I completely agree with you: there is nothing to be ashamed of in being a full-time homemaker. I’m so thankful that, in modern America, I get to have a choice in the matter! It suits Gage’s and my current life situation for me to just be a homemaker right now; I’m also thankful that we are able to live on only one income, given the current difficult economy. God has given me a creative heart and mind and I personally feel called to use them both inside and outside my home, to bless both my family and the outside world, though I’m not sure what that will look like exactly. Thanks again for reading!
-Sarah
Sarah! You did it again! You are not JUST a homemaker. You are a homemaker who is embracing her gifts and talents and sharing them with the man she loves. I doubt anyone would say, “I’m just a doctor” or “I’m just a pastor.”
You are correct that in this economy it’s a blessing to get to be home. You are doing what it takes to help stretch your budget and many people are unable or unwilling to make the sacrifices. Embrace that gift, Sweetie! You are a gift!
Hi Lisa,
As a word lover, I want to clarify that when I used the word “just” in my last comment, I intended it as meaning “exclusively” not “merely.” I didn’t mean to sound depreciative about being a homemaker and I apologize that I came across that way!
I enjoy taking care of our home while Gage works 50+ hours between two jobs every week. I hope to share some of that burden with him again in the future so he can reduce his hours and have time to relax. Whenever I resume contributing to our finances in the future, I’ll still enjoy homemaking as much as I do now – I especially love cooking too much to ever give it up! 🙂
Thanks again for reading and your words of encouragement!
-Sarah
What an awesome suprise birthday party! And the food looks good!
I am also fond of the LotR. Aragorn is my favorite character
It sure was tasty. We were stuffed for two days!
Aragon is so impressive. The actor really captured a graceful fighting style.