More Surprises, Emotional Interpreters, Parties and Perspective

I don't love surprises being planned for me, but I'm totally ok with planning them.  This time, irony of ironies, we pulled one off for my almost-16 year old daughter.  My sister and all the nieces were in town to see my bro's new baby, so I knew we had to use that small window of time to pull something off real quick.  I quickly messaged everyone and said, "Can we do this?!"  and, thankfully, they were all in.  It was easy to organize because everyone was staying over at my other sister's house anyway.  The next morning I simply had to show up with food and say "Surprise!"  Easy! 

They had all been up almost all night as my out-of-town sister didn't arrive till nearly midnight, but oh well, tired or not, we were having a party - nearly a month early.  My daughter walked downstairs into the kitchen and we all shouted, "Surprise!"  She was caught off guard big time as it was so early before her actual day, so a big success.

I was going to write none of her friends were there, just family this time, but that's not true...somehow over the years my sisters and I have been able to foster best friend cousins.  It is such a gift.  As each one of us went around to share what we loved or appreciated about my daughter, all the cousins shared that they were best friends, including the sisters.  Nothing could make us happier as moms.  We all feel so grateful that they are there for one another as each one has had friendships come and go, but as family, they are stuck together forever.  They all share a common faith heritage as well, so we know they will literally be with one another forever, too.  To hear them share their faith together and to hear them encourage one another in their walk with God, it's amazing.

The funniest part of the entire morning was when it was my turn to share my thoughts with my daughter.  Naturally, as everyone would expect, I couldn't get through it.  I had been led to share Proverbs 22:6 where the Bible says, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it."  My encouragement to her was that we've attempted our very best to train, to sacrifice, to instill faith, to model a life that is pleasing to the Lord in our feeble attempts, etc. and then, big surprise.....I broke down....but, wait...who is speaking?!  My sister, who was standing right behind me, immediately stepped in and started talking for me, as if she was me!  She literally finished saying everything I would have said while I blubbered away in front of her.  It was so funny.  We were all laughing hysterically.  I started using "fake" sign language and she would then say what I would have said.  My brother, who was also there, saw this and said, "She's her emotional interpreter!"  We all howled.  So, there's a new career opportunity for my sister, she could be an emotional interpreter!  Or, better yet, I'll just bring her now for all my future speaking engagements where I typically cry, which is, oh, all the time.  But, that said something to all of us there, too.  Not only are the cousins close, but the sisters are, too, and also with our brother.  He had his baby there, barely two weeks old and that little girl was NEVER put down.  She is loved beyond measure.  Seeing my younger brother as a dad is so cool.  And what a great Dad he is.  Never in a million years could I have pictured this moment for him, holding a newborn, so amazing.

This week is going to be a pretty fun week for me.  I have always felt ripped off when my husband worked for himself.  There were never any Christmas parties to go to, never any fun staff meals, except with our family!  Never any gift exchanges....I was always jealous of those people who had those fun events through work!  But now, with his new job, there are events I get to attend!  Starting tonight we'll be a two different Christmas events this week, which is something I love to do.  Some might seem them as an obligation, but, being so social, I love them.

I'm grateful to be sitting here with warm air blasting at me.  It wasn't looking so good yesterday as we were without power most of the day after the ice storm that whipped through here.  I want to thank the hydro people who had to go out into the storm to fix the lines that were down!  Knowing how bad it was church was even cancelled and a good thing.  There was even an accident just down the road where a young person was killed because of the icy road conditions.  So awful.

Last week was the week of driving.  This week we are getting closer to having two vehicles again, but it isn't quite finished.  The fix is taking time as it is such a huge project, but we figured he is saving soooo much money by doing this.  Will I be driving all week again?  Probably, but oh well, I've learned to keep my perspective and to pray with perspective, knowing there is a greater picture being worked out in my life that I don't even see, even if it means being in a car many hours a day.  There are so many worse things that could be going on, so I'm grateful for whether I'm in a car or not.