Surprises

I think most surprises can be placed into one of two categories.
Good Surprises
and
Not-So-Good Surprises.

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Good Surprise:

Where you're genuinely taken aback at something that has happened

because you were unaware of its possibility in the first place...
and it brings you joy.

Examples:
having a party thrown in your honor,
someone preparing a picnic lunch or special dinner unbeknownst to you,
receiving an award you didn't know about,
someone showing up unexpectedly you have been missing, 
doing well on a test you hadn't prepared for,
Ron Paul delegates winning Iowa,
receiving flowers for no reason,
running an 8 minute mile when you felt like it took an hour,
Rivers Cuomo calling you out of the blue to see if you'd like to go on a date....
that type of thing.

Not-So-Good Surprise:
Where you might still genuinely be taken aback at its occurrence
because you were unaware of its possibility in the first place...
but it brings you no joy.


Examples:
having a huge zit appear on your forehead the day of an important interview,
walking to your desk one morning only to find a pink slip,
failing a test that you thought you would ace,
finding yourself in a white slip dress and high heels in an unexpected downpour,
getting broken up with on a date you thought would be the most romantic yet,
getting pooped on by a bird during a bike ride,
Rand Paul endorsing Mitt Romney before his dad even dropped out of the race,
running a 12 minute mile when you felt like it took 5,
Rivers Cuomo calling you out of the blue, just to tell you to stop being such a creepy stalker....
that type of thing.

 

Last weekend we travelled to Waterloo

for a

"SURPRISE"

50th birthday celebration

for my aunt

Kathy.

 This is Kath walking into the backyard party we had planned for her.

She looks like she just experienced the
GOOD kind of SURPRISE

doesn't she?!?

Haha.

There.

That's better.

******

My parents filled their backyard

with friends and family members

who all came to celebrate

the 50 years

this world has been blessed with a

small

but

mighty

woman.

Games. Drinks. Laughter. Fun.

There were kiddos and doggies at play.

 

And most importantly-

the birthday girl

enjoyed the day.

However-

the party

turned out

not to be the

 only

surprise

of the day.

Unfortunately

the

Not-So-Good Surprise

made an appearance last weekend
in the form of a virus attack.

As in-

SURPRISE!

nobody feels good.

While James got hit the hardest

with a fever and loss of his appetite

none of my family

really felt all that great.

I went from feeling relatively well earlier that day...

 

to passing out with my sick lil man

while the party was still hoppin'.

My two little ladies

who are usually both quite social

and who both love to stay up late

at any opportunity granted them

ended up looking like this early on that evening...

 

Ryan was the only one that appeared

to make it through the weekend

with no signs of being attacked by the virus.

When we got back to work on Monday
though

there was another

surprise

waiting for us.

Over half of our daycare kiddos

also got attacked by the virus as well

so this week has been a lot of

tending to lil recovering sickies.

Fun. Times.

[but not really]

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Have you experienced either a
GOOD SURPRISE
or a
NOT-SO-GOOD SURPRISE
recently?

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"If we are strong,

and have faith in life and its richness of surprises,

and hold the rudder steadily in our hands.

I am sure we will sail into quiet and pleasant waters for our old age."

~Freya Stark

**

Here's two types of

surprise

songs for your listening pleasure.