Happy Birthday to My Sweet Husband!

I have joked with my friends and family that I married an old man.  He talks like an old man, sometimes dresses like an old man (wearing his Pop's straight billed caps) and even goes to bed early like an old man.  Today my old man is 30 years old!  I'm so proud to be his old lady! 

We don't have any big plans today, but I did throw him a pretty slammin' SURPRISE 30th birthday party a couple of Friday's ago.  Unfortantly, I don't have the pictures yet because I forgot my camera and had to use my friends.  He is supposed to send them to me, but we shall see :). 

I LOVE surprises, but I've been known to mess some up in the past...my mom's birthday party at Red Lobster - I drove to the wrong Red Lobster...However, I was deteremined to pull this one off!!

I designed and mailed the invitations, I stole numbers from his phone while he was sleeping, I sent out secret texts, I started a private facebook group, I made decorations, I bought all the food, I gathered wood and I even had to tell a couple of fibs as to where I was or where I was going during this 2 week planning period.  I am so proud to say that it was a SUCCESS!!  He was completely surprised!!  He told me later that he was expecting something big for his 30th, but just didn't have any idea how or when I was going to do it.

There were a couple of close calls when I thought he was catching on...It was a Thursday and he normally has a class he teaches on Thursday night.  This particular night wasn't supposed to be any different.  I told him I wasn't coming home because I was going to straight to my friend's, Alison's, house to walk and then going to my aunt and uncle's to hang out.  Both very normal things in life.  Well, the walk with Alison was actually never true, but I knew it would take up a good hour of time so that's why I told him that.  I actually went straight from work that day to pick up my cousin and go to Hobby Lobby.  The plan was working out perfectly until Gary calls on our way to Hobby Lobby and says some of the guys had to work late so the class was cancelled!!  I was fast on my feet and said ok well I'm about to start walking and he knows it usually takes an hour so I told him I would be home in about an hour.  Elizabeth and I got all the things we needed from Hobby Lobby and in the middle it hit me that I wasn't wearing walking clothes!  Thankfully Elizabeth is fast on her feet as well and said tell him Alison called and cancelled so you just came straight to our house.  PERFECT!!

Another close call was when I bought all the food. It was a Wednesday night and I didn't have time to drop the food off at Lee and Rachel's before church so I just put the cold stuff in the fridge at church. We drove separately and he was carrying his sister and her kids home after church. I had already said my good-byes and they went to the car. I stayed and talked for a minute longer and then I headed out to the parking lot, going by the kitchen first to grab some food. Just as I was about to pop my hatch I realized they were still there putting the kids in the car. I had to act normal and told him I had to do some grocery shopping for my aunt and I didn’t have time to take it back by before church…He totally bought it!!

The most obvious clue was the day of the party. I went ahead and bought another pack of hamburgers just to be on the safe side. I put them in our freezer and had it on my list to grab. I pulled them out of the freezer and set them on the counter. My dad and I headed back to the park to get everything set up and he was going to start grilling. I had to run to Kroger at the last minute for condiments and Gary called while I was in there. I decided not to answer because he thought I was looking at baby material with Rachel and it wouldn’t be anything for me not to answer. Well, then he called again when I was pulling into the park. I answered and he said what are these burgers on the counter? I was shocked!! I had no idea what to say!! HUH?! Burgers? What burgers? (that’s literally what came out of my mouth). He said I don’t know there is a pack of burgers sitting on the counter. I then paused and thought to myself think Kimberly think you are almost home free!!! Finally it came to me, “Oh yeah those are Lee and Rachel’s. Rachel wasn’t going home and she just put them in our freezer. Give them to Lee when he comes to pick you up for Frisbee golf (random way to get him to the park).” He replied, “Oh ok.” Good thing we have friends that this wouldn’t be completely unnormal to happen. I immediately call Lee and tell him about the burgers and tell him to act like he knows about them. WHEW!! At that point we were HOME FREE!!! WHOO HOO!!!

Gary Wayne, I hope you had a great birthday party and I hope you have a great day today!! Happy 30th birthday to the smartest, funniest man I know!!

More about our trip to New Zealand…coming soon!!

Happy Birthday Gar,

Kimberly