In our recent grand scheme of waking up early, we received an anticipated text around 6:30 or so from our world-cruise-traveling friends, Kevin and Mari. The ship was docking. That was our cue to hustle and get ready to go pick them up.
Of course, I was already up and dressed. Chris was awake, too, but not quite as chipper as my usual mornings find me. We were going to check out the meteor shower, and in fact, I did. Never saw anything, though. She acknowledged my willing sacrifice on her behalf and headed back for just a few more minutes of blissful sleep. I don’t know how successful she was. She heard the first text and hustled to get a shower so she could be a part of our impending departure.
After we saw Kevin and Mari off to Arlington, Kel and part of his family arrived for lunch. Christina had gone on to the store to get something she needed for making the lunch. Nathan and April and Cailyn came as well. They had already planned to bring stuff to grill burgers with Josh and his family being here. That’s the usual family “thing.”
Around 10:30 Chris asked if I would run to the store to get some milk and eggs. Kel volunteered to go along. Again, not at all unusual. Chris added an item or two to the list, and we were off. Once we got to Walmart, I was in List Shopping Mode - Just get what you need and go. But Kel seemed to be crawling behind me. When I looked back, he was constantly texting on his phone. Not unusual for his generation, right? As we walked through the bread section (hot dog buns), we strolled past Christina. Guess she was still finishing up whatever she was there for. Not unusual at all.
As we headed to the checkout lines, I got a text from Chris. “April wants you to bring a veggie tray.” Back to the produce section. Found the veggie trays, but the only one out was organic (read here “inordinately expensive”). Fortunately, one of the workers assured us that there were some non-organic versions in the back. However, he also said that the deli might have some. OK. We told him to hold that thought while we checked the deli - in the back corner of the store. But not unusual.
And of course the only trays in the deli involved meat and cheese, so it was back to the front again. Our wonderful Walmart associate happily went back to get what we needed. OK, maybe THAT was a bit unusual. He came out with a whole cart full of boxes. Like over his head full. And he had to open five of them before he found our tray. Thanks, Walmart Dude. Oh, and meanwhile, I got another text from Chris. Watermelon. Fortunately that wasn’t far away. Check and check.
Finally, we made our way home. I didn’t really pay attention to all the cars parked on the street around the house. That sometimes happens. Not so unusual. And Sam was parked in our driveway with Cathy and Lauren helping her out. Again. Home group people sometimes stop by randomly, so, not particularly unusual.
I carried the two bags I had on into the house, and Cailyn stepped out. She and Chris said, “Surprise!” And “Happy birthday!” I just thought, “How nice. Since the family is here anyway, they’re doing a happy birthday thing. It’s what families do, right? Not unusual.
Then I noticed the streamers hanging from the ceiling and the big sign across the back window, all in black, “Happy 70th Birthday!” Now that was a tad unusual. And then I rounded the corner to another chorus of “Happy Birthday’s!” “Surprise!” And there amidst almost our whole home group stood our good friends from Arlington, the Winkles’s and the Huntley’s. More and more unusual. Later both my brothers and their wives arrived. That was really unusual. Haven’t seen them in a while.
Yep. It was a full-blown surprise party, two days early. Nathan and Cailyn grilled burgers and hot dogs (with assistance from their apprentice, Noa). The daughters-in-law put together a feast of epic proportions, especially including the dessert menu of birthday cake, chocolate pie, and banana pudding. Cailyn lit a few candles on the cake. And amidst the candles was … a dinosaur. I see what you did there, Cailyn. I even received a few gifts. As I read on the cover, one was a 12,000 piece puzzle with the pieces being 1/4 inch square. And the picture was an all blue night sky with just a tiny piece of moon showing. Truly an instrument of the devil. I opened it up to discover, thankfully!, that the box was a gag. There WAS a puzzle inside, though, so now I had a puzzle with no picture and no clue what it was supposed to be. Challenging. Again, thankfully, the ones who gave it later gave me the actual box that the interior puzzle came from.
Among the other gifts:
A cap that read, “Limited Edition 1953”
A cap that read, “It took me 70 years to look this good”
A shirt that read, “I’m 10 in Dog Years”
A shirt that read, “A Legendary Fisherman Turned 70”
A puzzle of all sorts of candy bars.
A coffee mug that read, “Weird being the same age as old people”
Several great birthday cards.
One even had a gift card from Shrimp n Stuff.
Another cool card looked like a newspaper with events and prices as they were in 1953. An unusual, but fascinating collection of data.
Then last night we went for dinner at Shrimp n Stuff with the Huntley’s and Winkle’s. Good food. Good friends. They came back to the house to eat some more dessert and watch the Astros win their game. Yet another great present, I might add. I mean the company, not the Astros win, of course!
Oh! And as a final bonus … Josh called. He and Luke were both doing much better. He was planning to preach today. Josh, not Luke.
It was quite the full day. Unusual. Not so unusual. Really nice.
John 1:5 says, The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Father, thank you for the love we felt last night. Amen.
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