40 Days Before 40: Day 4: Four Store and Two Racks to Go

As Day 4 started I found myself again trying to figure out how I could incorporate my wife's daily surprise into her schedule at work as well as Jordan's 2:00 Friday ceremony at the end of her camp. My original plan on this day was to take her golfing for 9 holes and use the play on the word "fore" as the reason for choosing that on this day. When I realized that there was not a time within the day to fit in nine holes, I thought that the kids and I would take her to a minature golf course to play in the evening, but there was a possibility that we would be going to an event at Valhalla Winery that evening. I knew that I had to go back to a plan that I could have also used for a few other days. This idea was thought of because of her unselfishness in her own life. As I stated in an earlier blog she would go without to make sure someone else could benefit, regardless of what it is.

I communicated a few days ago with her friend Beth, whom she was to have lunch with, to try to squeeze in a time during the day in which she could meet me at Belk. When Sandra left this morning I knew that she was waiting on a call in which she had to go to the printers and pick up things for the Children's Miracle Network (http://www.childrensmiraclenetwork.net/) Anthem LemonAid event in which restaurants and families are selling lemonade and donating the proceeds to CMN. She also had a few more work duties in which she was pressed to get in this morning. I talked with Beth and told her that we might have to try to get her to Belk in the afternoon after her 3:30 meeting as my baby seemed quite stressed about getting all of her work done in the morning and then trying to accomodate me in the Day 4 plan, without knowing what the plan was. As it turned out we both ended up in Salem around lunchtime as I had gone to get Will and I knew where her and Beth were having lunch. Knowing that she had completed all her morning tasks I knew that she might have some time before Jordan's ceremony. I stopped by the restaurant and gave her the "note of the day" which stated Day 4 you are to meet your husband at Belk so you can pick out and model 4 articles of clothing, in which you may keep.

Now ladies, here is where I want to brag on my wife and let you know why I enjoy going shopping with her. She rarely goes and when she does go, she goes with a purpose. She does not make a tailgate out of pulling everything off the rack to

look at. This is why most men of women that like to shop are golfers, since it takes about 4 hours for each to take place. However, you can have a beer when you golf and

if you say something is fat you don't get in trouble because it is generally about your swing. When my wife sees something, she already knows whether she is interested and is very efficient in deciding what to get. Beth was the perfect compliment for her

to go with as she is always dressed very elegant and knows Sandra better than most anyone. It was a joy for me to watch the two of them pulling things off the rack and see the beautiful smile on my wife's face as she didn't have a choice in getting these clothes. She picked out a number of items and tried all of them on for myself and my photographer Will. For a moment I felt like Richard Gere looking at Julia Roberts. Will and I even asked the sales lady for the plastic numbers that they mark dressing rooms with, so we could judge the outfits like a slam dunk competition. Unfortunatly they didn't have any so we just had to verbalize. For her four items she picked out two dresses that were magical as they looked average on the hanger but became beautiful when she put them on. She also picked out a pair of shorts as well as multi-functional blouse that brings out her eyes when she has it on. Again, ladies, this was done in 45 minutes and she looked amazing!

Having to stop at the grocery store to pick up dinner, we meet to enjoy the wine tasting that the Vinton Kroger has on Friday nights. David Martin is the wine consultant that we have become to know and he is fabulous at choosing great wines that have great prices. Sticking with the theme of the day we sampled four different wines and walked out of Kroger with four bottles that we will enjoy during our dining experiences at home or when we have our nightly ritual of catching up about our day on the swing or in the hot tub. I can't explain about how great it was for me to see my beautiful wife picking out things for herself as I have often seen the same look in her eyes when she was doing the same for others. Like the next 36, and the previous 3, this was her time and for a brief moment she got to feel like all the others that she has dedicated herself to helping!!!