Thankful Day 14

14.  Surprises

Once upon a time, I would not say I was a huuuge fan of surprises.  Call me Type A, but I would much rather have routine and familiarity.  Don't spring anything on me!

I have to say I still prefer routine, but my husband loves surprises and has taught me to appreciate the adventure I can join when a surprise beckons me.

Without further ado, here are some surprises--some major, some minor--I am thankful for:

1.  On this her 4 month lunarversary :), Anna Reaghan is a surprise I am VERY thankful for! :)  We hoped for more children after Asa, but after just moving across the country we weren't trying to get pregnant quite yet.  God had other plans, and we are so thankful for His surprise in the person of Anna Reaghan!

2.  A surprise going away party held by friends when we were moving from Virginia to Colorado.  I think that's the only surprise party I've had, and I was less than 8 years old, but I still remember. :)

3.  A surprise of Epic proportions.  My grandparents flew to Colorado when my dad was retiring from the military.  Only my mom knew.  When they arrived in town, my mom came to my school with them to pick me up early and let me in on the surprise. :) Only her plan back-fired just a little.  We walked out the front door of my school and I looked all around for my mom's car.  When I didn't see it, I asked her where her car was.  Not expecting me to ask (my grandparents were waiting in it around the corner), she answered, "I don't know."  Then I really freaked out thinking her car had been stolen or something.  At that point, she let me in on our special guests and where they were.  I also vividly recall my grandparents sitting in our family room "reading" newspapers held up to hide their faces when my dad got home from work that day.  He stepped in from the garage, and I can still hear the happy celebration as my grandparents lowered their newspapers and my dad found out they had come in for his retirement party!  Good one, Mom and Grandma! :)

4.  Asa loves it when we brush his teeth in the jack-and-jill bathroom upstairs.  It has doors to the guest room and the hallway.  Matt goes back and forth between the two doors while I ask Asa, "Where's Daddy?"  He'll decide which door he thinks Matt is hiding behind, and then Matt will call out, "Surprise!!" while he opens the door he actually IS hiding behind.  Asa dissolves into giggles and the whole routine is really very cute.  Now Asa loves to walk through a doorway and yell, "A-prise!!!" :)

5.  A call from Anna Reaghan's doctor that I *did* schedule her 4 month check up, and we get to see Dr. M on Wednesday afternoon--I can ask her my reflux questions in just 2 days!!  A relieving surprise. :)

6.  The email I received in November 2003 that stated, "Let's do lunch," from one Matt Kubo.  A life changing surprise. :)