Day 36 (10/18): I was awakened at 7:20 by a knock on my bedroom door and a greeting by my sister. It was so surreal. She jumped on my bed and told me today was her day. She brought Krispy Kremes, Starbucks and hot chocolate for the kids. Ian was home sick that day but we did get to scoot out for a couple hours of shopping and lunch. It is so rare with the distance and our busy lives to ever get to do something like that. I loved every minute of it.
Day 37 (10/19): My father-in-law, Jim, had two dozen long stemmed red roses delivered in a box. They were wrapped with several pieces of tissue paper. When I took the tissue paper out and laid it on the floor, it spelled out "I LOVE NY 40!" with forty $10 bills. I called him and he told me that "New York is expensive. I don't want you to have to beg on the street corner while you're there." He is so creative and giving. I have to say that this was probably the most creative gift so far.
Day 38 (10/20): My dad and Ann sent me a sweet card and $40.
Day 39 (10/21): I woke up at 5:00 a.m. and went down to the living room to check on Ian. (He had been sick all day and was still sleeping on the couch when I went to bed). He wasn't there and I noticed the basement lights were on and I heard noise down there. I went down and opened the guest room to find my mother-in-law standing there eating a bowl of cereal. I kept thinking I was seeing things or dreaming. She said "Today's my day and I wanted to deliver your present in person." I completely foiled her plan to be sitting in my living room when I came downstairs for breakfast. She was not expecting me at 5 am! I went back upstairs and told Trey "your mother's here!!" As if he wasn't in on all this. Before the kids got up she gave me an incredible scrapbook that she made for me. The theme was "40 reasons why I love Dana." She dedicated 40 pages of pictures describing why she loved me. It is the first scrapbook anyone has ever made me and it is positively priceless!!!! I can't stop looking at it.
Day 40 (10/22): Shelley Davis (who has known me since I was her 15 year old babysitter) sent me a bright beautiful bouquet of flowers with lots of pink and purple. It was waiting on my doorstep this morning along with a very sentimental message. I miss that woman so much!