One thing I’ve learned over the years, is that you just never know what a day will bring.

I woke up this past Friday and it was like any other day.  I went and did my 5:30 AM camp and it was great!  Our camp is a close group and getting closer with each camp and that makes it a lot of fun!

As I headed back home after the 5:30 AM camp, I decided on getting back to a book I was really into before heading back out to do my 9 AM camp.

I put the key into the lock at my front door and my wife and kids jumped out of the dark and yelled Happy Birthday!   That scared me to death!  (I forgot it was my birthday!)

I thought, “Hmmm…I guess my book will have to wait”   🙂

I quickly switched modes and decided to enjoy the birthday attention I was receiving from my family.   After they all started singing Happy Birthday to me, my kids each brought out the homemade cards that they made me.  They were so sweet and it reminded me that reading my book right now was not important. I need to enjoy and savor this awesome, unrepeatable time with my family.

My wife likes to tease me that I am older than her (by only 3 1/2 years I might add) and told me that the neighbors might think that they need to call the fire department when they see all of the smoke billowing out of our house after I blow out my candles.  Then when the teasing was done, my wife gave me one of her “always awesome” cards. (I seriously don’t know where she finds these? They are always just the coolest and say the most timely things. Her cards are always way cooler than mine.  I think I need a “card coach”…LOL)

I think this is what my wife had envisioned would happen to my cake. Yeah...she's a real funny girl.

Soon it was time to go to the 9 AM camp.  We all hugged and as I was leaving the kids broke out in song with “Happy Birthday” as I was pulling out of the the driveway with a big smile on my face.  😀

Now it was time to rock-n-roll with the 9 AM camp.  As everyone was arriving I noticed many of the ladies had on their light blue “Boot Camp Girls” shirts with their names (and some nicknames like Cookie Monster, Houdini, etc.) on the back.  Then more and more started to show up in their boot camp shirts, but honestly I didn’t have too much time to think about it.  When I am getting ready for camp or in the middle of camp…I have one thing on my mind:  To make it the best hour of my camper’s day and I really try to block everything else out.

One camper said Happy Birthday and we continued on with camp.

Like I said I did notice the blue shirts but I was already in boot camp mode and ready to launch this camp and make it awesome!

Camp went great but at cool down, one of my long-time campers, Jodi Fagan, said “Walk with me.” We started walking and she started making small talk. I thought she was warming up to talk about something really important on her mind.

Then as I came around the corner, I saw all of the ladies standing on the road in some sort of formation.   Jodi ran off and joined the formation.

My brain just could not compute what was going on and I must have had a dumbfounded look on my face!

They surprised me with this….I’m not joking when I tell you that I will NEVER forget this birthday!  The love that I felt from my campers that day was overwhelming and I’m still amazed several days later.  It was one of the best days of my life.

I just want you ladies to know that I KNOW I am so blessed!  I love you guys so much!  I can’t believe that you ladies practiced for SIX WEEKS!  It definitely showed and I just don’t know how to thank you!

This was way better than my book. I will never forget this Birthday. It is branded in my mind forever!

I appreciate you ladies giving me the privilege to be your coach.

We are a special family. We are here for each other. There are lifetime friendships made here.   It really is something special and I feel the love!

Boot Camp does … Rock!

John