A weekend of spontaneous pleasantries

I love and hate surprises. Brad, my mom, and all people near to me would concur.
I am an adventurer at heart or rather an idealist. I think up adventures in my head and act on 30% of them.
As I have said before, I'd much rather watch you jump off the boat and be the first to ski than to take the plunge myself. But I love to be there in the middle of it all. I'd love to entertain people with story's of ski- relevance while you are taking the dares...walking on fire...doing the unthinkable....and I will certainly be the first to recap the event with a colorful story but I am okay on the sidelines.
This is breaking news to me though I have known it all my life......
The theory has just recently come to fruition. Anyway, about the "surprise aspect" - it's a mystery. I spend 78% of my waking hours and seemingly 95% of my sleeping hours conjuring up some new adventure or some momentous surprise that others are waiting to pull on me. And that is just the problem...when you are dreaming of these secret adventures happening to you all the time you leave no room for someone to surprise you anyway. So once again, as the theme of marriage has seemed to have gone....poor poor Brad..... Wifey loves surprises but can't be surprised.

But this weekend he won and it was surely obvious in his demeanor yesterday. Brad had ROMEO written all over his face the entire day. (and that is certainly when he is most attractive!)
If you recall, for Easter Brad invited me on a surprise date for April 12th. At first glance of the date I knew it was the Masters weekend in Augusta and last year Brad and I had a phenomenal time at the tourney for about $6. It was truly one of my most favorite courtship memories. So much to Brad's lack of luck.....I think immediately that Brad is taking me to the Masters on the 12th to redo our romantic date from last year. So thoughtful. Now, what guy, 26 years old and a few years into a career can score Masters tickets so easily to just haphazardly ask his hard-to-be-surprised wife to be his date for the day? And really, though I think I was a ton-o-fun last year - I am sure he would rather be with the dudes at a golf tournament if given the opportunity. So Saturday I start to ask Brad what attire I should wear for our date that day. I am thinking Rainbow flip flops and a long pants since it will be cool at the tourney. He tells me a dress that I can spin in.!!!! How cute, right? A girl always wants to wear heels and a fun skirt and spin circles in the grass at the masters! (Are you following this.....Girl is headed down one path while sweet hubby isn't even aware. Poor boy, right? No worries, boy wins in the end.) Well, as the surprising story goes Brad had planned for us to eat tapas in midtown and then go to "Sheila's Social." Literally.

Sheila coordinates bi-monthly socials to teach young-underexposed couples (and singles I am sure) like ourselves how to salsa dance. Ten dollars a head - that's all! What a phenomenal concept! More so, what a truly splendid date idea by the very own B-rad. The tapas were perfect and the few mojitos we sampled surely made me giggle and Brad smile. And just the idea of a night of dancing was enough for me...what a surprise! Unfortunately but fortunately Brad and I both opted to save Sheila's fun for another night and go home to play with fluffy dog. So we ended the surprise date with a walk around the block with Amos. And this was the best surprise.

Sunday looked like much of the same. Surprise after spontaneous surprise. After church we were asked by a friend to come to Marietta to play tennis while the men watched the end of the Masters. I am very scheduled with my Sunday's because we have so much we try to do on this supposed day of rest. Much to my avail, Brad said "Woo hoo. Let's do it!" (Literally, he said "woohoo!")
I dropped Brad and fluffy dog at our friends house for a day that smelled of all things "boy." Then the wives headed to the courts for a delightfully surprising afternoon of tennis. Mind you, it has been over 2 years since my feet have hit a tennis court but for some reason I needed to win to remind myself that I do have it whatever it is. So we did it. We won and yes this was a true surprise. And to celebrate the surprise with another surprise we joined our couple friend at LaParilla for a yummy Mexican dinner. I still smell like tacos and that is how you know it is good! This is the place I grew up on in high school and honestly hadn't been back since. Mariachi band still belting very-Americano songs at the table and the salsa is still thin and spicy. I love Sunday surprises!

The final and most prized surprise is one that truly slipped up on me. This morning Amos and I went out for our usual-Mommy-is-still-unemployed walk and we noticed the most amazing thing that I had somehow overseen in the previous weeks of warm temperatures. There are beautiful explosions of fuchsia colored flowers adorning the landscapes of many of our Brookhaven neighbors. I mean brilliant, sporadic bursts of radiant pink in just the right spots...right where your eye catches them but not too much to lose the impact. Even though the weather was cooler today these plants (that I am sure my dear father in law could tell you all about as he always seems to know the facts that I want to know but don't...especially about the outdoors) were still very present and a very nice surprise to my otherwise turned eyes. I am waiting on Amos to peek his head up from the floor to go on our second and now usual-mommy-is-still-unemployed walk of the day. I can't wait to notice even more of nature's surprises!

Amos' first morning at home

Amos slept in our room lastnight in his crate. He really likes his crate. He really likes to pee on our rugs too. It doesnt phase him to pee on the hard floor or the puppy pad. More so, he doesn't let on that he is peeing. He is a trickster just like his daddy!

Lastnight he slept through the night but I didnt. I was worried everytime he sighed or turned over in his crate or was breathing harder than I thought was normal. Brad the dad took him out around 3am. Mind you, out isnt just out the back door. It's out the door, down the hall, down the elevator and out the back door....hence, the difficulties we expect "condo"-breaking him. Any suggestions welcomed!

Today Amos will have to entertain me all day as it is my 2nd day on the job search and home alone. So far today Amos has been brushed over and over. This is fun for me....kind a like a babydoll. Brad would hate if I called him a doll! Later we are going to see the Wieuca Road Vet. He is excited I know it. I can't wait to ask her several "first-time-puppy-owner" silly questions.

Amos is home!

Look how much fun Amos had during his drive up 75!!! He sat in Brad's lap the whole way and they talked about life and trucks and boy things, you know....

He likes to watch American Idol with me on the living room rug....I love having a companion to watch silly shows with me at night when Brad is at class.

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First of all, I love my MAC puter. I just love how delicately my fingers touch the right key and the little sound that it makes is truly one of the most soothing sounds I can recall. And when my fingers fly across the MAC keyboard without hesitation I know there are good things in my heart and good things to write down. So Ill tell you good things.

Amos is laying next to me asleep. I am taking this as a good thing right now because it has been a long day for us both and he seems at peace. Now 11 minutes ago I was looking up dog psychologists on the Internet to assess his quietness and slight shyness. I can promise you this....this whole experience for us is just going to be one funny story after another. I sure hope we are successful in showing Amos how loved he is but also establishing the fact that we are the "alpha" as my book on Wheatens suggest. So far so good with that - seeing that Amos was literally scared of his own shadow today when I took him out to see the city. He doesn't like the city yet but it ill grow on him I just know it. He'll be wanting a Range Rover and a Lacoste collar before you know it.....

George left this week. He just packed his bags, decided it was time and was gone before Brad and I had a chance to thank him for his stay even though unpleasant. You know when things end you realize it was never as bad as you thought it was when you were in it....not that that is true but it seems that what is behind you is certainly doable if you are now in front of it. Did I lose you? Bottom line, for the sleepless nights and days with knots in my stomach for several months - it really wasnt worth all that hooplah that I created. I am just happy to be on the other side and ready to see the new direction God is taking me. He is literally taking me there one step at a time. If I ever knew more how loved I was it has been through this little episode with Mr. George. God has consistently reminded me through random interactions with strangers and coworkers and especially through my sweet Brad that I am enough. Sometimes it takes Brad squeezing my cheeks and staring me in the eye proclaiming for the Umpteenth time that "You are worth it. Betsy, you are worth it and God proved that to you before you were even born through His son." "Oh yeah," I say. "I forgot." How could I forget or not allow this depth of love to resonate with me? Why do I continue to think I have to perform or measure up or prove myself? Thank you sweet Brad for your often subtle and sometimes out of necessity - abrupt reminders of God's unfathomable but transforming love for me. So today I just sat. I read. I thought. I sat some more but altogether I was just grateful for George. I am grateful that He challenged me to remember God's love and that He reminded me I couldnt earn anything and I am grateful for the experience overall. I know sometime down the road I may have a clue why George dropped in for our first 5 months of marriage but until then I am fine just knowing He is gone and He was supposed to go. I am happy.

Tomorrow I will take a dance class because they are free this week (www.dance101.org) and I am free this week too! What a better thing to do then to play with Amos and tell him over and over how loved he is (even when he messes in the house, right? I mean I don't blame him....he has to go down 3 flights to make it to a safe place to relieve himself) and then I will dance. I may even take 2 or 3 classes tomorrow just to get it all out. Tap, jazz, street funk, hip hop...maybe even ballet! I feel great!

A visual just to tease you.....

How stinkin cute is Br....I mean, Amos??? Kidding, how cute is B-rad with our new puffball-to-be, Amos? So cute. Sign me up for the Brad and Amos fan club. I'm number one fan!

News, George, Vacay

Mama and Daddy Bagwell pick up little Amos on Sunday! We have been preparing all week for his homecoming. We went Sunday in a fury to 4 stores to find the perfect collar....not too standard, no too eccentric, not too girly...just right. Who would have thunk so much would go into a collar? We decided on a green, puffy, "hemp" collar to ease his comfort.

I only tell you this to confirm that we have gone nuts.

Officially.

What are we thinking with a puppy anyway? The first 6 months of marriage have produced two selfish humans and now we are throwing an innocent puppy in the mix? (No worries, pet lovers....I am exaggerating a tad...)More so, we spent 3.5 hours picking out a collar!
God bless our unborn children because I can't imagine the investigation and research that will go into their pacifier!

Anyway, Amos comes Sunday and we can not stop talking about him. I am interested to see how thrilled we are with our decision next week after a few poopy cleanups and maybe some sleepless nights. Bring on parenthood!

* * *

God is good. His heart towards me is so good too. I wish I could tell you more and I will but I have had a visitor the last 6 months and let's just call that visitor "Henry." (For no particular reason) Henry is this big, ugly thing but when you look at it you can't really tell what it is. It is fuzzy and illusive. Often if I look at it in just the right light I start to get an idea of exactly what it is but for the most part I just turn away confused. Anyway, he is obtrusive in my marriage. He creeps into my dreams at night and unfortunately, has been the topic of any conversation the past 1/2 year....even though the bigger and more splendid thing named "Marriage" should be at center stage. He camps out in my bedroom, then sneaks into the bathroom too and just waits for me to come and interact. Nonetheless, I have finally come to a confident place where I am ready to push Henry to the curb. And, truly, God has lead me to this place and He has comforted me by opening small windows and closing little doors. Ultimately, I know He has gone before me and His plans for me are good. So, I sit and I wait for the right moment and even when I think it may be the right moment...he sometimes tells me it is not but I know it is coming and I feel freedom just knowing that. Thank You. Thank You.

* * *

Brad and I are walking to MARTA tomorrow at 6:20 am so throw us a biscuit if you pass us on Peachtree. Our flight to JAX leaves at 8:10 and since we like to do everything abnormally - we have chosen to walk to MARTA. Nice.
We will be on the beach at Ameila Island by 2pm and George and any impeding pressures from Brad's MBA classes or his job will be back in the 4-0-4. Hallelujah!
This is our first real "trip" together, on a plane, aside from the H-moon. This is one part of marriage that I had always looked forward to... Travelling with a boy and letting him take care of the logistics and my luggage!
Cheers to vacay's with B-rad and some days away from the city and heinous George.
See you Monday!