Bonnie is turning 13 next week but will be out of town so I wanted to do something really special to surprise her. She said all she wanted for her birthday was to go to the Youth Group trip. That made me very proud of her. I have never had a surprise party for one of my kids. Bonnie has some really sweet friends! I called their moms and asked if it would be OK to take them to our River house for the day! I didn’t tell any of my kids. They were making all these plans for after church. I felt kind of bad, but didn't want anyone to ruin it for Bonnie. I worked all day Saturday, packing and getting ready and sneaking around Bonnie! I was really nervous and hopeful that everything would go as planned!
I woke Bonnie up early and told her to get dressed and she was like “What??” Dan picked up her friends and they knocked on the door! Bonnie opened it and was the cutest thing! She was ecstatic about finally taking her friends to the River! She asks all the time but we have no extra seats in the car with the dog. Dan drove his car with the girls and said it was very loud but really cute. The worst part about this plan was it was the day time changed. That was tough!
Bonnie is the ultimate tour guide. She walked those girls all over the property. My mom, the kids and I quickly set up an insta-party while she was outside showing the girls everything. We brought out her beautiful zebra cake, banner, balloons and she was again surprised and loved all our efforts!! Bonnie tried to scare her friends at the cemetery and telling them a story about an ax murderer but the girls just laughed. She wasn’t very believable! They did the zipline, kayaked (almost sank it with all 4 on it at once!) and Dan even coaxed them into doing the rope swing. Mom and I were so impressed with how brave the girls were! I think they had a blast and I am so thankful they kept the surprise from Bonnie! My Mom really shocked us when she did the zipline!! It was classic!!! Dan grilled all day long! He made hamburgers/hot dogs on the charcoal grill for lunch. He cooked ribs all day long and chicken too! We ate like kings!!!
I am entering a new phase of parenting and even though I used to think I was a bit of an expert, being involved with youth ministry for so many years, it’s so different when it’s your baby! I have chosen to celebrate and embrace every stage (Dan, not so much! LOL), but I don’t necessarily like how fast Bonnie is growing up. I am beyond proud of her and very happy with the choices she is making. I know she will make mistakes but knowing that I stood before God with my family and friends and dedicated my precious baby girl to the Lord, gives me comfort that she will serve the Lord! The fact that all she wanted, as a gift was to go on a church trip, spoke volumes to me and makes me feel like being faithful to keep my kids in church their whole life, has made a difference. That is my ultimate goal in life is for all my kids to serve the Lord. I know if you sell out to God completely, that is where you will find true fulfillment and happiness. Nothing else will ever satisfy your soul! I think Bonnie is on her way to doing great things for God and I will always be her biggest cheerleader!!! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment