Don't be weird about it...

For most of our relationship, I have given him a pass on the whole gift thing. Birthdays, Valentines Day, Our Anniversary, even Christmas, I just have never really been the girl that needed the gift. I always tell him, I don't "need" anything, I am the girl who would rather have someone paint her house than buy her jewelry. There have been occasions that we both forgot it was our anniversary until someone called to wish us a happy one. He is absent minded anyway, it just works for us. He has made some grand gestures though. Some have worked out, and others not so much. The best surprise he ever gave me, was not for any special occasion. I was pregnant with E, and was going to an all day scrapbooking crop. I got to the crop, and they had our places all laid out with our names. I found my table, but someone else's stuff was in my place. I went to tell the host that someone was already sitting in my seat, when she smiled at me and said that the large package on the table was mine. I told her it was not, and she suggested I look in the package. I walked (waddled, 8 months pregnant) over to the table and opened the package. Inside was the new Cricut Electronic Die Cutting Machine. I could not believe it. I had looked at them online but they were not available in our area. I later found out that he had seen me looking at them online, and had googled them trying to find out where they were sold. He found a lady in Sacramento that had one in her shop. He had driven all the way to Sacramento to pick it up so he could have it for me that day. I had never told him I wanted to buy one, I was just window shopping. He told me later that I never ask for anything, especially anything expensive, so when he saw me looking at it, he just wanted to get it for me. Another time when I was pregnant, we were going to be hosting Christmas at our house. I woke up on the morning of my birthday (Dec. 21) and he was still sleeping, I woke him up thinking he was late for work, when he smiled and told me that he had taken the day off so he could help me get ready for company. That one did not quite work out, however as his idea of help and mine, rather differed. I wanted to shampoo the carpets and wash the floors, change the linens and clean the bathrooms. He however decided to go through all of his hunting, sports and cop gear and organize it. He drug everything out of every closet and hidey hole that he could find, had it all over the living room (whose rugs I was trying to shampoo) and all over the dining table and kitchen counters. It drove me totally insane. He was lost in his own world and was so proud of himself for "helping". It is really hard to stay mad at someone who has the infectious personality of a large toddler. Another Christmas he surprised me with a diamond necklace. I completely ruined it for him. Those that know me, know that I do not like to be the center of attention...anywhere...even with my own family. My wedding, while wonderful, was one of the single most difficult days for me. I do not do "attention" well. It was Christmas at my parents house, and most of the gift giving had already been done, when he pulled out a little box. Everyone suddenly stopped what they were doing and swung their heads around to see what was going on. I was acutely aware of every eye on me. He wonderfully, and without embarrassment, held the box and started to say lovely things to me. In front of everyone thanked me for supporting him, and being there....and suddenly my mind went blank, and I could feel everyone around me watching and listening to this wonderfully romantic speech, could feel the heat creeping up the back of my neck and I blurted out "Don't be weird, just give it to me". No seriously that is exactly what I said. Yes I ruined it. But he just laughed and gave it to me. He has never let me forget it, teasing me about it, but it never bothered him. He just laughed. I miss that laugh.