Last night I went to my parents' house for dinner. We all had a great time! My husband did good! Really good! He doesn't usually do much (if anything at all) for my birthday, but this year he got my something. Not only did he get me a present, but he didn't pick it up at the gas station today! He came up with an idea and ordered it ahead of time.
I know! I almost fell over in shock too! He gave me 38 balloons and told me that my present was in one of them. (OK, the most horrible sound on earth is a squeaky balloon and just the thought of them gives me goosebumps. I had to pop the balloons until my present fell out of one of them.) He gave me diamond earrings! I can totally overlook the awful balloon noises because I'm just so impressed that he put so much thought into the present. And the way he wrapped it was very creative! I figure he's good for the next ten years. ;)
Tonight I went out with my sister to Stir Crazy. Yum! I had mai tais and stir fry shrimp. Actually, no, I had ONE mai tai and stir fry shrimp. Why only one? Because I would've fallen asleep in my bok choy had I had any more. How sad. My sister and I get a night out and we were both sitting there yawning. We did a little shopping and then decided it was time to go home. Yes, we're quite the life of the party.
Now to start working on the second round of edits on my book...
Awww! That is so sweet! Your hubby is so creative!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Dawn! By the way, how many balloons did you have to pop before you found your present?
ReplyDeleteWow--your husband is so sweet and creative!! What a wonderful birthday surprise. :):) I'm glad it was a good one for you!
ReplyDeleteHAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU DAWN!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great present your hubby got you =) Glad you had a nice birthday.
Good going Joe! That is thinking ahead and doing well. Happy Belated Birthday Dawn!
ReplyDeleteHi Dawn,
ReplyDeleteI'm a mom of 6 also, and I'm about to turn 30 on the 18th. I'm actually quite excited because I figure that I can finally be seen as an "adult" by the other "adults" in my life. Just how many babies do I have to pop out before I'm a grownup. My hubby says it would help if I stopped wearing a pony tail, but I can't seem to give it up. Any suggestions? Should I switch to sunglasses? Do they keep the hair out of the saute pan? My blog is http://momof6-lifeintheday.blogspot.com
Happy Birthday Dawn! Sounds like you had a good time. Kudos to your hubby for such a wicked birthday surprise! I'd pass out if my husband did anything like that for me - it would be so out of character, lol!!
ReplyDeleteHAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Sounds like you had a fabulous one. Tell your husband I'm very very impressed he did a great job with your gift, now if he could possibly send a hint to mine that I'd love a new pair of diamond earings that would be just fab :) Loved the photos.
ReplyDeleteSounds like me when I go out! I love what your husband did, he is good for the next few years!
ReplyDeleteJen
The closest my husband has gotten to preplanning is when he does actually order something on the Internet, the day of or the day before - and then he prints off the page the item is featured on and wraps that to give me on my birthday to tide me over until the actual present arrives.
ReplyDeleteI'll take what I can get.
Dawn,
ReplyDeleteI'm happy you had a night out. I totally understand your disappointment in not living up to the "party animal" reputation of yester-year! (Does it suck that your birthday is close to Daylight Savings?) I had a second wind in my mid-40's. You will, too!
Kudos to Joe! For one birthday, I received a necklace inside the prize package of a box of Cracker Jacks. That was 30-some years ago! I think you may have a keeper!
Your kids just keep getting more adorable with every picture. And, if your new driver's license is any indication, you're not doing too bad yourself!
God Bless,
stlmom
OMG.... Dawn that is sooooo sweet the way Joe did that! And I am so glad to thear the kids are finally getting back to normal (whatever normal is right?) Well I don't normally do this... but I'm going to put in a little plug here... Take a look at my blog and see what I was doing over the weekend... Boy was it fun!! Thanks again for all the heart warming stories and laughs... you are great!!!!
ReplyDeleteHAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAWN!!!!
ReplyDeleteHave a great Day!
AKB
Diamond Earrings! Way to go Joe!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!
Happy Birthday Dawn! Yep, Joe's a keeper. You know, it's funny 364 days a year they can drive you crazy but then they go and do something really sweet and you can over look the rest. Tell him we are impressed.
ReplyDeleteCathy in Olathe, KS
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Ok, I know I'm a little late, but better late than never, right? Your husbands idea was fantastic, I wonder if my husband can take a hint if I send him a link to you blog?
ReplyDeleteHugs from the Olsson family
Sounds like a yummy fun birthday! Your husband was so thoughtful!
ReplyDeleteHow sweet of your husband! Mine would NEVER think of something like that. :o) And that tiramisu? Holy! That looks AMAZING! Who made it or where did you buy it? I would die for a piece of that. I've tried making it once, and it didn't turn out quite so well. And you can't even get all the ingredients where I live. You have to drive an hour. Anyway...Happy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat birthday. Just curious, is Joe just naturally becoming more thoughtful and creative or do you think the pressure of knowing the world will learn about it on your blog has helped him to delve deeper into his creative and thoughtful self? :)
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday! Hubby did good :o)
ReplyDeleteThe balloon idea was sweet and creative. Happy belated birthday.
ReplyDeleteDiamond earrings AND Birthday Tequila? That's a home run in my book!
ReplyDeleteDoes the editing irritate you, or do you enjoy making changes to your writing? As a writer, it drives me crazy to have someone tell me to fix something or change my work, so I don't think I could ever do a book.
ReplyDeleteHAAAAAAPPPPYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY BIIIIIRRRRRRRRTTTTHHHHHHDDDDDDAAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWow.. this is so coool, I must say your hubby is very creating.. and coool
ReplyDeleteYou are lucky
Out here in Utah, there is one dance a year at the high schools where the girl asks the guy in as unique a way as possible (they never did anything like that in my high school in AZ). I have thought about the balloon idea but fill each one with confetti, with the "invitation" in one. The guy would then have to pop them all (spreading confetti everywhere) to get to the invitation. I absolutely LOVE the thought of Joe doing the same thing for you, other than the confetti of course.
ReplyDeleteIt seems all the more special when it's not something they always do.
ReplyDeleteMy not-a-party-guy-in-the-least husband threw me a surprise party for my 40th. As you said, good for the next 10 years!
Happy Bday!
How awesome of your hubby to do that.. minus the balloon noises of course. I don't get excited over jewelry, myself, but the idea that he thought of something to do for you all on his own is definitely something to get thrilled about lol.
ReplyDeleteHappy late birthday!
Happy Birthday :D I think I'm going to have to pass that balloon idea along to my dad this year
ReplyDeleteNow see, you had me at Margaritas! Who needs the diamonds??? LOL
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Dawn!
ReplyDeleteAnd what a great gift! That was very sweet and thoughtful of your man.
And I'm with you and your sister on the whole yawning thing. Sometimes nothing sounds better than just checking yourself into a hotel for a good night's sleep. Well, except maybe a vacation to the Bahamas or something.
Dawn, say what you want about Joe, but I think he just earned a pass for the next time he paints the insides of the closets instead of the tasks that needed to be done. The ballons are so cool! And the diamond earrings aren't too shabby either!
ReplyDeleteNow if I could just get my husband to start reading your blog, too....
Michelle
honestandtruly.blogspot.com
Happy Birthday! And how sweet to wrap your gift in a balloon! Yeah, he's good for at least another 10 years!!
ReplyDeleteJoe! You great big romantic you! And your handy with a tool!?! That such a rare combination. Dawn had better treat you right and keep you around. Now where can I get 50 balloons for my wife's next birthday?
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Dawn!! I am so glad you had such a nice birthday. What a great present and so thoughtful. Stir Crazy is DELICIOUS.
ReplyDeleteBtw, I graduated from Fremd. I am really interested in seeing the video of you from Writer's Week. I had no idea you'd be there otherwise I would have come to see you. I live 5 min away. ;) Anyway, I cant wait to see the video!
Hi Dawn,
ReplyDeleteThat is very clever! I think Joe's a keeper. Happy belated birthday.
I'm so impressed with the tiramisu presentation. I've only seen tiramisu in trifle dishes!
ReplyDeleteaww how sweet is that? thats definitely a good suprise!!! Happy Birthday!!!
ReplyDeleteI have the ballon-o-phobia, too!!! Wonders never cease!
ReplyDeleteI would have let out a little squeal (and that's probably not all! haha) with each POP!
VERY creative!!!!!!!
Girl, you totally deserve those earrings!! Just don't let your kiddos near them!!!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Dawn, I must give many props to your man, I was impressed. How old are you, just wondering how many more b days I have b 4 my husband gets creative? The dinner with your sis reminded me of that episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, when he and his wife go out to a nice dinner and have absolutely nothing to talk about except the dinner bread. LOL, life is hard!
ReplyDeleteDawn, I LOVE your blog! Your real-life stories are so fun to read. I thought I would share a funny story with you about my 6-year-old son:
ReplyDeleteSo, Cameron and I were at dinner with my Grandma last night.
Whenever we go out to eat, Cameron always visits the restroom at least twice, sometimes more often. He's done this ever since he was potty trained, so since the age of 2 or 3.
So, last night, out of the blue….Cameron says "When I get married, I am going to get married in the bathroom." I almost choked on my pasta when I heard that. Trying to maintain straight face, I asked "well, who are you going to marry?" And he said he didn't know. My Grandma then commented, "Well, I won't be coming to a wedding in no stinky bathroom." That made Cameron laugh. So then, we asked him, "well, what if the person you marry doesn't want to get married in the bathroom?" And Cameron's response? "Why wouldn't she?"
My boy sure loves his bathrooms…..and boy, do I have some great blackmail for when he gets older! Hehehehe…
i am SO impressed!
ReplyDeletethe most creative thing my husband gave me was a wing mirror.
i don't drive!
he is my ex husband now.....
Happy Birthday Dawn! Your hubby was sweet (and creative)! I hope you have a wonderful year :)
ReplyDeleteOh, btw, I read your SSO - I shop at Meijer too. What a great place! Food, clothes and hardware all in one place LOL.
Happy Birthday, Dawn!
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome that your husband ACTUALLY planned something so sweet for you. You deserve it!
Was the giant smiley face cake created by your kids? Very sweet and it looks yummy.
~Lisa, San Antonio, Texas
Joe MUST read your blog...he knew that regular earrings jump out of your ears so that they can avoid going to the DMV. Obviously, you need the expensive, screw-back kind that can be forced to put up with mundane Mommy errands! No more embarassing naked earlobe moments documented for four years in a license photo!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, what a great gift idea. You totally deserve it.
Laura
Hi Dawn, Happy AfterBirth Day! That was so cool and clever what your husband did! I bet he is reading these comments and patting his back huh? Looking at your cake I bet we All are wishing for a bite. Where are the candles? I bet you could find enough leftovers in the house. Or is it a fire hazzard in your area? LOL Kidding, Kristine in Michigan.
ReplyDeleteHi Again Dawn, My husband gave me a 1 carot diamond bracelet for our 1st wedding anniversary. I was out with the girls one night and it fell off my wrist on the dance floor!!!Someone snatched it! Insurance would only cover 500.00 of it. I was soooo sad! I now never wear my good jewlery out because of that. I hope who ever found it realizes it was worth 3 Grand! Kristine in Michigan.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one who thought...omg...what if he (or you) had accidentally let go?!?
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!
Did he get you all BLACK balloons? Or does the lighting in the picture just make them look black? Either way, awesome gift and presentation! I'm glad you had a happy birthday.
ReplyDeleteDawn...
ReplyDeleteSorry (giggling), but this scenario just popped (forgive the pun) into my AD/HD head...
JOE, thinking to himself: "Can't WAIT for Dawn to find the diamond R*I*N*G and earrings I've hidden in these helium ballooooons...WHOA!!!!! OH NOOOOOOOO!"
As the lone balloon drifts higher aloft Chicago's famed winds, Joe ponders both choices looming before him...TRUTH/I'm an IDIOT vs. DECEPTION/I'm a HERO. It was one of the easiest-made decisions of his life!
GREAT presentation/gift, REALLY! 10ATTA BOYS for JOE!!!!!!
Sincerely,
Nancy Binky
Happy Happy Birthday to you. Happy Happy Birthday to you. good thing you cant hear me sing, it doesnt sound very good. But I do wish you a great happy day. Great husband. he knew you would blog it, so he had to do good. hehe. See you trained him right. take care
ReplyDeleteOkay, chalk another one up to men's and women's minds working oh-so-differently...
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post and commenting earlier, I was planning on showing my husband what a great birthday present you got from YOUR very thoughtful and creative husband. Unbeknownst to me, he came in to the office on his own while I was giving the kids a bath and was looking at your slide show. I saw him and thought, "Finally! He's doing his own research on how to be more like Joe! All that talking about Dawn has finally worked!" After looking at the pictures and having read the comments (mostly from women) about your fabulous birthday gift, he looks at me, stright-faced, and asks, "What would have happened if he had accidentally let go of those balloons he was holding OUTSIDE? And why has no one mentioned that yet?" Honestly, I just heard diamonds and that potential disaster never occurred to me.
Great. Now I'll never get earrings in balloons! (...although he did change the tp yesterday...)
Laura
Ok, so watching that slideshow I felt all panicky seeing your hubby standing there with those balloons knowing that DIAMOND EARRINGS were inside one of them!! What if his grip had slipped and woosh... away they went?
ReplyDelete(What is wrong with me?)
Anyhow, happy birthday!!
I couldn't pop the balloons. I can't stand balloons. I would have to take a pair of sissors and carefully cut them at the knot.
ReplyDeleteHAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
I'm allergic to flowers and peanute and break out from even good jewelry. I got a 2006 15 passenger van for mother's day / my birthday last year...
ReplyDeleteOf course, I'll be driving this gas guzzling monster for the next 15 years. :)
Happy Birthday!!
ReplyDeleteSo ... how did he get the box into the balloon?
Looks and sounds like you had a great birthday!What a clever little hubby Joe is! Glad you were able to have your birthday margarita, perhaps that bottle will last the week?!
ReplyDeleteHappy bday! I'm turning 37 next month. Never thought that I would be THIS OLD. Did you?
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! What a great present. Can you have him call my husband and expain how to buy a gift for your wife? LOL
ReplyDeleteWOW! That's a great and super sweet thing that your hubby did!! Happy belated birthday!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteI saw Joe's picture holding the balloons and thought, "Holy crap, what if he had let go of the balloons by mistake"
Up, Up and AWAY, there goes your diamond earings!
Glad he held on tight!
Hope you have a wonderful upcoming year!
Oh, now I get why they were black--to conceal what was (or wasn't) inside! It only took me a day to figure that out!
ReplyDeleteCan you please tell me how to see your older posts???
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday to you!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna have to tell my hubby about that one, great idea Joe!!
That is so sweet! I'm impressed. Glad you had a night out, even if it wasn't much, it was a break.
ReplyDeletewww.kathy-iamwhoiam.blogspot.com
Happy Birthday! My husband and I are going out tomorrow night for our anniversary. We'll sadly be home by 9. I know. Sad. So very sad :)
ReplyDelete