Night Blooming Cereus

We have been waiting patiently as this Night Blooming Cereus has been building its flower. This morning I realized that tonight would be the day it bloomed.

Looking ready to bloom this morning

We finished a movie on TV at quarter to 11 and this is what we found. Arvin has large hands and they just fit behind the gorgeous large white flower.

Here we are trying a flashlight to light the flower. You can see the sling Arvin created to hold the plant up while the large flower grew.

Here I'm outside on the deck. I have the flashlight aimed at the flower. I took this picture through the kitchen window looking in at the open flower.

Here Arvin is inside with the flashlight aimed at the back of the flower.
Here it is in context.
And the next morning the flower looked like this.