"SURPRISE I'M HOME!"

One of my good friends used to say, "Don't expect too much and you won't get let down." It's a great way to protect yourself from undesirable circumstances and outcomes. Well, that's exactly what my Huz and I recently did. His most recent trip to Hawaii and Japan had no exact return date, but due to all the delays we estimated his return to be a couple of days after my birthday. We wanted to be prepared for Nator not be home on my birthday, so we wouldn't be disappointed. So, we decided it would be fun to just celebrate the weekend after my birthday.

Well, let's just say I was beyond surprised at 3 a.m. on the morning of my birthday when I heard my huz crawl into bed and wish me a happy birthday. I could not believe he made it home so much sooner than we had expected. Having him home was the best present I could have ever received! We had the best time together on my birthday, enjoyed scrumptious munchies and had a whole TCBY cake that my sweet friend Ashley brought over. White chocolate mousse TCBY cakes are the ultimate birthday treat-I am borderline obsessed! My huz prepared an awesome and hilarious scavenger hunt, and planned a relaxing day at the spa for me. The Lord sure has been spoiling me recently with so many "too good to be true" surprises. After a few weekends of the Lord blowing me away with His goodness and love, I am learning that when we learn to be content and have joy in less than optimal circumstances, it is then that we can truly appreciate the "icing on the cake" blessings that the Lord loves to sprinkle into our life!

After this weekend I came up with this new quote to help me remember the kind of attitude I want to have in all situations:

"Be joyful even when your circumstances aren't the best, because then when you have the best of circumstances you know how to be truly thankful!"

This picture of my Nator captures his fun-loving self & his love for lounging out in his robe. He also looks forward to waking up every morning to enjoy his morning news, coffee, eggs, and toast. He is a simple man with a big Heart! I am beyond thankful for him!