Birthday Celebration

I started writing this a few weeks ago and just found it in the drafts, not posted.  Sorry!

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Well, last Friday night we went back to Pappasito's!!

My man had so much fun talking to everyone at his birthday celebration at Pappasito's that he didn't get to eat all of the chips & salsa that he usually demolishes!!!  So, we went back so that he could get his fill.

After dinner, we headed to church.  Our church was having a fantastic concert to celebrate Pastor & Mrs. Evans' 70th birthdays.

FEATURING:
Donnie McClurkin • Priscilla Shirer •
Sherri Shepherd • Jeremy Camp
 • Lecrae • Natalie Grant & Anthony Evans

Also featuring surprise performances by Grammy award winning gospel artists

However, on the way to church, B moved over to the right lane (for slow traffic) and soon after he moved over some young girls slammed in to us!!!  They were going way too fast.  B was going about 55mph (the speed limit) & they were clearly going much faster than that to have done the damage they did to our car, but even moreso, their car.  Here are some pictures:

the back of our car

the front of their car

the cat or some creature in their hood.  Police said in 25 yrs he's not seen this...

more pics of the back of our car

So, the girls were crying when I got to their car, but soon after the ambulance came and took them to the hospital.  So, we never even got their names.  The paramedics were kind.  One actually lives down the street from my Mom.  The police then took us to a gas station nearby to wait for my Mom to get there so that we could get back home.

We missed the concert that evening, but on Sunday, CeCe Winans was there!!

Then, this week B took me to the dealership where our car is being repaired.

Took a pretty good hit.

Ouch!

Stuff hangin'

The bumper & stuff in the back of the car...

So, it's been a crazy few days since his birthday!!!  We wish we could have celebrated the way we had planned, but God knows what he's doing....

My Prince

Today is the day that I get to celebrate the greatest gift ever given to me by the Lord, next to my salvation in HIM!!  I get to celebrate Ben’s 40^th birthday!!  We get to celebrate that the world has been blessed with this man for forty years!!!  As many of you know, my bio dad was gone before I was a year old and when I was sixteen, I reached out to him and he told me that I was, “dead to him.”  Then, my Step Dad was gone before I was nine years old.  The boys I dated in high school both cheated on me.  Thus, I wasn’t too trusting of men by the time I got to college. 

So, when I met this man, I wasn’t the least bit interested in dating.  However, the Lord had other plans!  He brought a man into my life that very quickly tweaked my view of men.

This man committed himself to me. 

This man showed me how to turn to the Lord for direction. 

This man taught me about the right attitude in sickness.

First, just a couple weeks after our third wedding anniversary, he was diagnosed with cancer.  When, I told him, in the recovery room, the first words out of his mouth were, “cool, I get to be a cancer survivor!”  Most people cry in fear at a cancer diagnosis, but not my man!  He showed me what it means to Trust in the Lord…Proverbs 3:5-6

He beat cancer in record time, too!  Diagnosed 9/11/06 and declared cancer free 12/08/06!!  Wow!  Praise the Lord!!

Not too long after his diagnosis, came mine, upwards of 20 seizures per day.  Wife unable to drive, work, etc.  Yet he balances the load with such grace.  He loves me in sickness & in health.  Though he’s not had much health to love.  The sickness is what he’s had the most of…most men would get frustrated that their wife couldn’t do so many of the expected tasks.  Not my man, he loves me and if he sees a need, he meets it.  All while trying to work full time.  When I apologize for not doing what I expect to be able to do, he tells me how much he loves me, and not because of what I do.  In my opinion, he loves way beyond what most men would do if put in a similar situation.  He truly honors the Lord in his love for me!

Finally, ‘Til death do us part.  He meant it.  Two years ago, he faced it, head on…again, with such grace.  He stood/sat by my side, sacrificed work, etc.  Most men would say that they couldn’t miss work for over a month, but not my man.  Again, by my side, with the promise of a lifetime.  He has loved me beyond what I could ever imagine. 

To My Prince, I am so grateful to the Lord that HE placed you in my life.  It doesn’t seem fair to me that you have to stick by my side, but for your love, I am forever grateful!!!  I Love You, sweetie!  Happy 40^th Birthday!

Love,

Your Wife for Life!!!

We got to celebrate him this past weekend.  First, we surprised him by having his parents come in on Friday night.

 

Surprise!!!

Then, on Saturday evening, we had a dinner at Pappasito’s (his favorite place to eat) and surprised him with a bunch of friends from church, work, our community, etc.  It was so fun seeing all of the different lives that he’s impacted.

 

Me & my man!!!!

...with his parents!