Happy Unbirthday to Me!

Some things are just worth blogging about. This is one of those things.

Today I got a birthday present. No, it’s not my birthday, but it is my husband’s.
Together we received a most amazing present from our eight children.

We’re going on a cruise!!!!

(Jump! Shout! Knock yourself out!)

They all put in together to give us a BIG chunk of money to make it possible. Wow.

I knew they were up to something, but I had no idea what.
The FedEx package arrived yesterday.
I had a feeling we shouldn’t open it right away.
My son-in-law Scott has been working very late every night. When he said he would be home in time for the party, and wanted to be here when it was opened, I figured it was something special.
I knew just enough to be more excited than my husband.

FINALLY the moment came to open it. We saved the best for last.
And that’s saying something since I had just given him a stationery bike for his birthday.

He opened the first envelope.
The second envelope said, Do Not Open unless properly supervised (by Mom). If hanging over him counts, check.
He opened the second envelope.
There was a small, hand-made folding card wrapped in ribbon. Aha. Jennifer had worked her magic.
He opened it and started to read. The look on his face changed. I got the Kleenex.
After silently reading two pages, I couldn’t stand it, and asked if I could read with him over his shoulder. Back to page one, then two. I reached for my own Kleenex.
Cute, clever poetry was slowly revealing what the gift was. Notes from each child to their Dad on every other page. He’s now officially a basket case.
While he slowly read each word, I am jumping out of my skin, reading quickly and wanting to get to the end. Finally there it is. The gift of money to take a much-deserved and much needed trip. Wow.

I’ve wanted to take a cruise for a while. Valerie thought I must know what the gift was because I mentioned it so often. But I didn’t.
Because of recent health issues, my husband didn’t feel we could do it financially, and wasn’t up to even talking about it. He’s up to it now.

And we’re stoked!!!!!!!!
There is nothing like looking forward to something to perk a person up.

The third envelope fueled our excitement even more with information on several different cruises we might be interested in. Oh, we're interested. We want to do them all!

Wow. I am still jumping out of my skin. I am on Cloud 9. I could just pop a button!

Unbelievable that our children would do this for us. But then, they are unbelievable. Unbelievably wonderful.

So we are going on a cruise.
And it will be even sweeter because our children made it possible.
It will be sweet from this moment until we go.
It will be sweet the whole time we’re on it.
It will be sweet the remainder of our lives that they did that for us, especially in these unstable times.


We don’t know how to thank them, except to invite them to go with us. That would be total, absolute, complete sweetness.

Probably they can't all come. We wish we could do that for them.
But they'll be there, in our minds and in our grateful hearts.


To our children and their families who made this possible, thanks, and thanks, and more thanks!!

We love you too.