Monday, May 9, 2016

MY BIG SURPRISE


Well it's already 11 or so and I really should get busy sewing, but!  I am honestly kind of tired, and I just have to tell you about my surprise.  First off you should know that I am VERY hard to surprise about anything.  I am just too nosy, informed, on it, inquisitive, or something, lol, but trust me it is rare. Anyway, by last Thursday I guess I should also tell you that I WAS a little disappointed because there wasn't really a plan put together involving all of my kids for Mother's Day.  Now as many kids as I have and as many people this involves I don't necessarily expect a gathering that involves everyone.  Obviously, 2 of my son's have wives that are mother's themselves and all 3 of them have wives who have mother's too.  And of course my daughter is out of state, and to complicate that even further she too is a mama. But! USUALLY, my sons at least, all  individually figure out what works for them with their wives and families and MAKE A PLAN....it might not involve that exact Sun of Mother's Day, but maybe a dinner on Sat., or a lunch during the week....something.  But the only one I had heard from was my middle son who was planning on coming over on Sat. night and taking us out to dinner anywhere I chose to go. Truthfully they are ALL sooo busy with their lives I just figured they all figured the other's were taking care of me and it all would be fine, lol.  And of course, it would have been.  I KNEW I'd at least get a CALL from all of them on the day, and I would have been OK with that.  Sooo Sat. rolls around and hubby and I had spent a lazy morning relaxing and had gone to a movie in the early afternoon, but by late afternoon I was just sitting around waiting at that point for my son John and his wife to arrive.  I knew she didn't get off work until 5:30 so I was expecting them around six.  Well I got a text from him then that said, Jess will be there in 5 min., and I will be there in 10.  Kind of weird they weren't together, but then she works closer to us then to her home and I figured they were just trying to save time.  Everyone who knows me KNOWS I am not a late dinner eater.  Anyway, Jess gets there and we are busy chatting and sure enough a few minutes later here comes my son.  He comes in, gives me a hug and I am telling them sit down for a minute before we go eat and John says, "OK but let me go get my present, I left it on the back porch."  And I said, "OK, but I thought dinner was my gift."  And he said, "Well I have a little something else."  He came walking back in with my oldest son Joe!  I was very excited to see him, and he said he had heard John's plan and had decided to jump on and surprise me.  John and Joe only live about 5 minutes apart so this made sense.  I was very happy and immediately said, Let's get a pic of the 3 of us.  So we did.
JOHN, ME AND JOE

 Then Joe said, 'Hang on a minute I have to use the bathroom."  So we sit down and a minute later he comes back in with my youngest son James!  Now I was REALLY surprised and perky, lol. To think of the 3 of them coordinating a plan and getting together to surprise me with it was really surprising in and of itself!  lol.  And of course Jim lives down in San Diego and so had to make the good hour and half drive up.  So again, I say, "I need another pic with all 3 of you!"
JOHN, ME, JOE AND JAMES

 Then I say, "well is everyone ready to go eat?" And Jim says, "Yeah by I need to use bathroom after the long drive."  I never thought a thing about it.  But a minute later he came back into the room carrying a baby.  I will admit at this point it should have been obvious, but I was seriously just in the twilight zone I guess because I just sat there thinking.......... a baby?  Where did she come from?  Why does he have her? But then as I REALLY looked at her I said, "My goodness, is that Claire?" and then my daughter came running from around the corner yelling, "SURPRISE!"  They were all getting a good laugh over my bewilderment and shock and I guess the look on my face, lol.  I FINALLY realized, Oh my goodness ALL of my kids are here INCLUDING Melody who had obviously flown in for the event. I honestly just couldn't believe it!  I was truly giddy, lol.  After we took yet another pic they filled me in on how the whole thing had come about.
  Oh, and of course hubby had been in on it too, and he had shopped and gotten food to bbq etc. and we were eating right here.  It took me quite a while to get over my surprise and shock, lol.  I was incredulous that Melody had left her own two little boys on Mother's Day to fly out and spend the day with me, but I was SOOO grateful.  She'd flown into San Diego and Jim had picked her up and then drove down to John's house where he and Joe were waiting and drove them all out to my house.  It was just SUCH a wonderful night.
ALL OF THEM AND CLAIRE

We ate, and visited, and talked about the old days, and about the current happenings, and on and on.  Claire was in bed fast asleep by 7 so it was just adults [a rare event in our family gatherings anymore] and we took full advantage.  They did not leave until close to 11, and then Mel and I and Jeff talked a little longer yet before heading off to our beds.  I won't lie.  It took me a while to fall asleep.  Then yesterday, after a nice breakfast, we headed down to San Diego and church.  We were running a little behind, so James delayed the service a bit with extra worship time after he informed everybody why he was, lol.  Guess another one of those times when it pays that your son is the Pastor, lol.  After service we went to their house and enjoyed a nice lunch and a couple more hours of visiting time. On our way back to our house Melody popped by Mike's mom's house with Claire to surprise her on Mother's Day too with a quick visit. Hubby and I drove around the corner and stopped for some tea while we waited for her call that she was done with her visit.
THIS WAS HOW CLAIRE SPENT ALL OF HER TIME
TRAVELING BACK AND FORTH TO SAN DIEGO, LOL


  We pulled into the driveway here around six and quickly put something to eat together from our left overs from the night before.  Claire took a quick bath and she was snoozing again by 7 and Melody and I sat and chatted away for another couple of hours before we headed off to bed, both of us pretty tired from our last couple of days.  Everything about this quick surprising visit was wonderful.  It was short, but sooo much one on one time with her I couldn't have been more pleased, and all of it was about the best Mother's Day gift I can think of.  All of you mom's with multiple ADULT children know how rare it is to have your family gather for any reason where everyone is there.  Or maybe it's just us, but whatever, it was just SOOO good!  It was good seeing Claire too.  If you recall when we went out there recently for her first birthday she was sick and not herself so I didn't really get a good look at how she really is right now.  Well, she did great on these couple of days.  What a sweet, happy baby. She is not the least bit shy and acted like she'd known all of us forever.  She was busy with toys and being sweet, or she was taking her naps wherever she might be.  It reminded me A LOT of her mama as a baby as she too was truly an easy, EASY happy baby.
CLAIRE LOVED UNCLE JIM'S DOG BRUNO

COULDN'T GET ENOUGH

I dropped them off at the airport this morning around 10, which brought my long wonderful week-end to a close.  It will go down in the memory books, that's for sure....HOW blessed I am.



ALL OF US INCLUDING JEFF AND ELVIS!

Well I sure hope you all had a nice mother's day too.  This one will be hard to beat for me that's for sure, lol.

9 comments:

  1. Wow, what a wonderful surprise and Mother's Day, Debbie!

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  2. That is such a sweet surprise and what a wonderful Mother's Day for you. I just sat here and cried.
    What a wonderful family you have to do that for you.
    Such a great story. I bet you couldn't sleep.

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  3. One for the record books! What joy in the camp!

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  4. It just doesn't get any better than that Debbie! I am thrilled with you for your wonderful surprise. Your kids always remind me of mine, and we are 2 blessed mama's! :) LOVED this!!!

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  5. What an amazing surprise! So happy you had a wonderful weekend with your kiddos. Nothing could be better.

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  6. I saw your pictures on Instagram, so I knew you spent time this weekend with all your kiddos. But it was so interesting to read how it all came about. What a sweet, wonderful surprise that they all pulled off. That was a Mother's Day you'll never forget.

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  7. Well, that was certainly a delightful surprise!! You have raised such thoughtful and loving children!

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  8. Well this was just fabulous!! I cannot like it enough : ) So happy for you and this very thoughtful surprise!

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I am so glad that you would take the time to comment on my thoughts and feelings, it is such a blessing to me!