As if a trip to New York City for 4 days is not enough, we continued to celebrate my 40th before and after the actual date!

We arrived in Texas on a Tuesday evening, and quickly realized how much fun it would be to watch the UT (our alma mater) Longhorns play in the National Championship Game (the night before my birthday) with Robert’s old college roommate and now our good friends Kevin, Sherri, and their 4 kids. Coordinating the schedules of 4 school aged children and an all-important football game on a Thursday evening is no easy task, though. Kevin had to “TiVo” the game until everyone would finally be home at 9pm! Do you know how hard it was to NOT discover any game details in the 2 hours we waited? It meant no Facebook, no email, no texting, no TV, and no radio. Phone calls had to be answered with a “Don’t tell me anything about the game! We haven’t started watching it yet!”

Robert did receive a text message from Ryan (in MA) before we considered the danger. It read: “Sorry about Colt.” Not too sure about the sincerity though. Ryan is a die hard OU fan, and therefore anti-Longhorn. Colt is a hard guy to dislike, though, so I think even Ryan was feeling the pain of our loss of a starting quarterback and all-around godly man. (Did you catch his interview after the game? Wow.)

We came to Texas totally unprepared, though, and had to take a trip to Academy to get everyone properly outfitted in burnt orange. My shirt was a gift from my sister Melinda, though, who also came along with us to watch the game.

Kory was in teenage boy heaven….football on a big flat screen TV, his friend Chandler, cool chairs to lounge in, and flanked on both sides with man’s best friend: the golden retriever! Rocky and Molly love Kory, and seem to remember that he loves them each time we visit! And staying up until midnight for a football game was well worth it, since my boys got to hear Colt give glory to God in the face of such great disappointment. What an amazing role model he is.

The men were quite serious about the game as you can see. Melinda, Sherri, and I eventually found our way downstairs for some girl talk. We also watched the end of the very disappointing game in “real time” and felt for our men with every cheer we heard coming from upstairs. The cheers would turn to tears in only a matter of minutes, we knew.

The next day was my actual birthday. Robert and the kids cooked me a yummy breakfast, gave me lots of sweet cards, a new cookbook, and a gift card. Later, Robert went and picked my dad up at the Austin airport, and when they got back we headed to Gruene, TX to eat a birthday lunch at the Grist Mill. Unfortunately, it was about 20 degrees – the coldest it’s ever been on this annual trip of ours – and the Grist Mill is quite drafty! It’s more of an outdoor summer hang out, and even though they tried their best to warm it up, we could see daylight through the wood floors and walls. The food is great all of the time, though, and my dad made sure there was plenty of chips and queso to go around and warm everyone up!

Sister Melissa Cookin’ up the Sides – Isn’t She Beautiful?

I knew there was to be a party the day after my birthday, but there were other surprises I did not know about. The gift card I had received the day before was for a spa just down the street from my dad’s house. It was for a full day’s treatment! Robert dropped me off there at 9am, and first on the agenda was a one hour full body massage! When I came out, I discovered he had brought me my favorite breakfast tacos and a bottle of kombucha! I ate up while waiting for my facial. The facial was wonderful and also included a massage of hands, arms, feet, and legs! Next came a pedicure (more massaging of feet and legs!), a baked potato and steamed veggie lunch, a shower and time to dress and get ready, and lastly a manicure!

He picked me up, took me for coffee, and then we headed back to my dad’s for the party. He had told me it was to be a “family party,” but I started to get nervous while at the spa that it might be more than that. The first person I saw was Kelly (a.k.a. Miss Riggs) and Jack. Robert’s parents were there cooking up some amazing steak and chicken, and my uncle had driven in from San Angelo. My sisters were there and supplied the decorations and delicious side dishes as well as this amazing flourless chocolate cake! Even Kevin and Sherri and family made the drive from Georgetown never letting on when we said goodbye after the game that they would see me in only 2 short days!

Robert encouraged everyone to share a memory or encouragement with me, and then blessed me with his own words of love and admiration. It isn’t comfortable to be the center of attention like that, but I appreciated everyone’s kindness, and was once again in awe of the husband the Lord has blessed me with. He is the most humble, sacrificial, loving, romantic, and caring man I know.

And here’s a group photo of some of the other birthday surprises. This photo also represents the goodness of the Lord in my life and the abundant provision of lasting friendship He’s given me. These are old elementary, middle, and high school friends and a special teacher, too. Cathy and Troy on the far left are new and old friends. Troy and I dated in high school, and reconnected through a series of events that brought he and Cathy to the wedding of our former teacher and friend, Miss Riggs. (Next to Robert and me.) Troy even made a trip to see us last year as a way to show his love and support of us, our church, and ministry here in New England. And that tells you what kind of a special wife he must have – willing to let husband go and visit high school girlfriend and family for a weekend, and then come together to her birthday party. Wow. They are both just incredibly kind, loving, and generous people.

Wende and Mike came and brought their 2 darling daughters – who immediately hit it off with all of the girl cousins who were running around. Mike is a friend and rival from 5th grade. He won “Best Citizenship” that year, ousting me by a slight margin, probably due to the fact that I spoke hardly one word that entire year. I was the new girl at school, and Mike decided that he would refer to me as Tom Landry (strong, silent type) and try and secure daily interviews with me on the most recent Dallas Cowboys game. (Tom Landry? I did just turn 40, you know.) We were 10 years old at the time and continued a love/hate relationship all the way through high school. He and Wende are expecting baby #3 right now, and I suspect Mike’s ready for a boy to train up in the ways of anti-Longhorn and SMU football. They, too, are one of the sweetest, friendliest couples I know. Mike recently took my youngest sister to lunch to help her make some connections in the Austin job market – really a blessing to have such kind friends.

And by now you should know all there is to know about Jack and Kelly! These newlyweds of the bunch have traveled literally all over the world in this first year of marriage, and have blessed countless lives by their generous outreach in Africa. Kelly is my former teacher turned mentor and dear friend. (She was Troy and Mike’s teacher as well!) I don’t know what I would have done without her in my life, and I’m not sure WHAT we did all those years without Jack!

Are you convinced that I am a blessed woman yet? Striving to not let a moment go by this year without being mindful of the Lord’s great goodness toward me.

Stay tuned for more Texas trip details in the coming days……