The Big Surprise

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. This is for my biggest fan and friend, Bev.

I love surprises! But mostly I love surprising other people!! You know that Lexus commercial that usually airs around Christmas time where the husband or wife looks outside only to see a brand new car wrapped in a big red bow...I've always thought that would be one of the ultimate things to surprise my husband with. Not necessarily the Lexus, but he is a car guy and so I think that a new car would blow him away. His dream car is a Porche. However, after reviewing the budget (very carefully) for his birthday this year it became apparent that a new Porche was not going to be affordable. (I hope you are laughing with me.) So I decided on the next best thing...a new bike. It's still transportation, right?! He has really gotten into mountain biking lately and was in desparate need of a new bike. He saw a test bike for sale that was a really great deal, but being the sweet husband that he is decided he shouldn't spend that much money on himself when there are other things we need. I tried to convince him that he really should get the bike as it was a really great bike for the price and then jokingly said "I'll just buy it for you for your birthday." As soon as the words left my mouth I knew what I had to do. I put my plan into action and called his riding partner to make sure this was indeed the right bike as I know nothing. I called the bike shop and told them what I was trying to do. My husband was going in later in the day to pick up his old bike that had been serviced, so once the guys in the shop were in on it they asked him if he wanted to ride the test bike when they saw him eyeing it. It was perfect because they were able to fit the bike perfectly for him by having him do that. When he came home and told me that he rode it I just said "I really think you should get it." He said he'd think about it. His riding buddy picked it up for me the next day and agreed to keep it at his house. I then talked my husband into taking me back to the shop to show me the bike...only by now it was gone. Kinda mean I know, but I really wanted him to be surprised. When I asked how he felt about the bike being gone he said "well if that was the bike God wanted me to have I guess it would have still been there." After the bike was gone he went into research mode spending hours on the computer researching bikes. I was starting to get nervous thinking he might just go out and buy one, so I decided to give it to him early. It worked out great because his buddy had just gotten a new bike and now my husband would have something nice to ride, too. We had planned to go out to dinner with our friends (also his riding buddy) to celebrate MY birthday. So, when we got to their house our friend says he has something he wants to show my husband in his computer room. When he opens the door there sits my husbands new bike. My husband was shocked. He said it took him a minute to realize that it wasn't Rick's new bike in there, but the bike he had wanted. Rick even had a strobe light set up in there for the effect. Rick's wife Robyn was ready with her camera to capture the moment. It was so fun to surprise him with this. He didn't suspect a thing and was blown away at how I had arranged it all behind his back. He kept saying "tell me again how you did this." So it wasn't a Porche, but it was oh so much fun! It was the biggest thing I've ever bought for him in our 12 years of marriage! Here are the photos:
"Surprise!"

The man and his new bike

"How did you do this?"

My partners in crime


It was such a fun night!
~Kristin