My Birthday

I am the luckiest woman alive that my husband is head over heels in love with me and does everything he can to make me happy and show me I'm his queen!

This year was birthday #2 since he's been home. Last year we were so lost regarding his injuries. This year we have a much better grasp on what he can and can't do and how to head things off before they get worse. That being said, we will need a few more years of practice to get the birthday thing down.

Because I know my husband so well and love him to pieces, I prepare him for my birthday for at least 90 days prior. It usually takes him at least 5 times of bringing up a topic for him to have enough any input on what he thinks about it. That's why I start talking about it at the 90 day mark. "Do we want to go to the beach?" "Does he want to do anything special for me or plan a party?" (I don't really care what we do and have no expectations, but he really likes to make me feel special and so it is a big deal for him) This year my mom and sister are throwing me party and so Dean won't have any big stuff to try and do. He could never actually pull a party off on his own and it is going to be hard enough for him to just be able to attend the party my family is throwing me.

This year at about the 30 day mark we begin talking about gift buying. He wants to spend thousands of dollars and I think less than a hundred is good. I have to be watchful of his activities to make sure he doesn't try to "surprise me" with a $1300 Mother's Ring he heard me talk about one day. We talk about how the logistics of my Thursday birthday and my Saturday party will work. Then about a week prior to my birthday he comes across a beautiful necklace and earrings that he wants to get me for $150 and after seeing his face lit with excitement, I agree and accept it as my gift from him. It is wonderful to see him look at me like I'm the most beautiful thing on the planet (he does tell me that all the time :). The few days leading up to my birthday he has to take it easy which means to mostly sit and nap and not do projects. He must do this so he will have the brain power to actually accompany me on my birthday. We'd decided to go to lunch at Olive Garden with my mom and aunts, then on to a town about an hour away to go to a great store for shopping, then eat dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in that same town. We weren't in any big hurry, but the day would be a long one, and would take its toll on Dean.

It did takes its toll on him and he was wiped out Friday and Saturday. Tonight is my party and he's been napping all day to prepare to attend. He's going to drive himself there so he can leave early and I won't have to worry about him all night.

All of this preparation and worry and stress for a birthday :( Next year we'll have to try to maybe have a special afternoon each week for 4 weeks?) Who knows.