Happy 50th Birthday Jim!

My Strong Silent Mysterious man turns 50!

He finally got to open this package that arrived earlier in the week, with a special message "Do not open until April 16th"! I love a good tease!

I missed getting a photo of him opening it, but he loved it and when he left for work early... I saw it already in it's place on the guitar wall.

It's a really nice guitar strap from Jerry and Lynn.

(You nailed it sis!)

Of course he starts thinking about his birthday weeks before and planning and plotting to make sure I don't buy him anything he doesn't need (just teasing, he is not a planner or a plotter). In preparation he took me out last week "looking" at guitars, and to Cabela's just to "look around"... politely pointing out all the things and silently suggesting with every fiber of his being that I should take notes as he instructed me on specifics, without coming right out and saying it. I played it cool and casual... knowing all along this was a much bigger job than I could take on myself.

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I always try and surprise him, but hey, what do you get the strong silent mysterious type without him knowing about it?

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I love surprises, he hates them! What can I say?

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So immediately after he left for work this past Monday I secured my first victim in the surprise... his bff! I got him on retainer to go help me pick out the perfect gun.

(I knew I didn't have enough room for anymore guitars in the house.)

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So the bff had a chance to chat with him about hunting and rifles during the week without him suspecting anything (we hope). And knew just what he was looking for.

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This morning the bff and his wife went with me to pick it out.... the whole way I am thinking this is a very big purchase to try and surprise him; what if he doesn't like it, or has something else in mind.... you don't just go exchange a gun like you do a pair heels you purchased on an impulse!

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So we arrive at the store, they have the right gun, in the right caliber, with all the right trimmings on it. The bff thinks he will LOVE it. But I am a bit nervous about making it a surprise! Do I give up the surprise and call him to ask which one he really wanted?

So the bff calls him and says he and his wife were out shopping and they just happen to have one of those black power guns he was talking about the other day and gets Jim talking about it.... Jim tells him, it's his birthday, he might have to call his wife and drop a hint or two... after all it was ON SALE! His bff plays along and says "oh it's your birthday, I knew it was coming up, but didn't realize it was today"?

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So with me standing right next to him, the bff hangs up; and we decide if he calls me immediately then it is probably "THE GUN" and I will be safe to buy it and surprise him! If he doesn't then, maybe I better not take a chance doing the whole surprise thing.

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So I wait with my phone in my hand, standing right next to his bff, in the store, at the gun counter, touching THE GUN... and ta da... the phone rings! It's my strong silent mysterious man... I let him explain and listen to him work on me; schmouzing me and trying to sell me on getting him "some gun" his bff found today... he he he. Then I explain that "I already got his present, and I just couldn't see spending that much money right before graduation, it was kind of a big time for Jacob. But if he really didn't like the gift I got him, he can return it and we could go look at the gun later, I just wouldn't buy something like that without him".

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And then I listen and I can feel his head drop down between his shoulders and he says "Oh I didn't know you had already gotten something, I just know how hard I am to shop for, so I wanted to give you a suggestion, but if you already have something, it's okay". Oh the puppy dog sad hearted thing!

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At this point I am so excited, jumping for joy inside... I did it, I found THE GUN, and he has no idea! I am just trying to get him off the phone before someone comes over the loud speaker in the store and he discovers where I am! Phew! The first phase was complete!

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Later I call him to let him know we want to take him out to dinner... where did he want to go for his special birthday? And I tell him I called and invited his bff and wife. So he is happy and excited to go eat out. He then calls me like 3 or 4 times to discuss and plan where and when to go eat.

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Finally he picks out a place... I realize it is a small local restaurant (not a big chain type crowded place) and I might be able to convince the owner to let me bring his gift inside the restaurant to give it to him (yeah, only in Idaho can you carry your rifles on into the restaurant). It worked, I have it all planned out. I wrapped up one of the shots (bullets or whatever they are called) in the ring box we got our wedding bands in... he will recognize it right away! And I made arrangements to leave the rifle with the owner at the restaurant and he will bring it out after he opens the ring box.

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So everything was staged and the cast and crew were all in place ready to pull off what could be the one and only time I get to surprise my sweetheart! I can hardly contain myself.

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The "ring box" is wrapped...

So then I move on to another phase of the birthday bash...

I knew when he came home from work he would be inquiring about the gifts... so I needed a distraction!

So the teenager and I quickly put together some camo batter and make camo cupcakes with a couple of mini cakes on the side.

It was a quick and fun recipe, and it fit the birthday theme this year.


Once in a while I have a good idea, but I don't always get to follow through on them.

I might this time, if the teenager doesn't eat all the batter up before we get to bake them.

Oh and he FINALLY got a haircut!! Yay!!

The cupcakes, okay from the top...

But super cute camo on the sides and the inside...

The big 50!

The round cakes didn't make it out of the oven in time to be the "0"...

But it was the perfect distraction until we could get him to dinner...

So we make it through dinner... and he never caught on to any of our little slip ups... talking about things we had discussed earlier in the day together when we "weren't together"!

But he never put two and two together at all.

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He opened the ring box cautiously... and later confessed he was VERY WORRIED at that point.

If you know him, he is not a bling jewelry kind of guy AT ALL!!

When he saw the shot/bullet, he was very relieved... and we just played like he was going to get to go buy himself a gun.

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Then not too long after that the waiter brought out the black powder rifle.

We got him, he was totally surprised!!!

And very happy!

I got all the credit, but I could not have come even close to pulling that off without his bff.

He has a great bff!

We are all attached to him and his wife too... they are super wonderful, and this isn't the first time he has come to the rescue!

After dinner, we dropped them off... I ran the cupcakes into their kids... the camo was a big hit over there! They live and breathe camo!

And the boys got to check out the gun out of the box.

We still haven't been able to wipe that grin off his face, I think he really likes it.

Happy Birthday to my Strong Silent Mysterious Eternal Companion!!

I love you!

The Boys...

These two... pretty much certifiably the pickiest eaters on the planet!

(no, Jim is not shrinking before your eyes... yes, the teenager is that much crazy taller than his Dad... but he does have his shoes on)

And so the other night when I made a new casserole recipe and went out on a limb and changed a few ingredients.... I was pretty surprised to find this....
REallY? An entire 9x13 pan gone in one sitting? That just never happens in my house. They moaned and murmured about me fixing a chicken nugget with rice and broccoli casserole, turning their noses up... and I worried about not using the cheddar soup I didn't have on hand, but slipping in some cream of celery mixed with white queso sauce instead... and then they ate every bite! It was all gone, not one left over. Yay me! Maybe next time I will give it a new name and then I won't have to listen to all the griping before they eat.
It really is just rice, broccoli, white queso/cream of celery sauce, milk and topped chicken nuggets and cheese.
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I love these guys, but they really make me a crazy woman some times!