The GRAND prizes for the ENTIRE hop is:
1. A Kindle Touch
2. A $60 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble giftcard
Please make sure to leave a comment that INCLUDES your email address to be entered into the drawing for the GRAND prize, no email address, no chance! So leave it!
Now there will be two winner of my blog in this hop. I’m giving away 2 copies of my Centauri Series: The Complete Collection in paperback, each of which is a 18.99 value. Remember to leave your email in the post to be entered to win one of the grand prizes listed above. You can win on my blog and still win the grand prize, so take a chance and leave a comment with your email address. The paperback copies are for US only. Outside the use you will win ebook copies.
We don’t make a huge deal out of birthdays in my family. Never had any parties as a kid, just do a cake of our choice with the family. Until my 40th birthday. My husband, who was not my husband at the time, threw me a surprise birthday party.
He had it at my mother’s house and had me meet him there for dinner after I got off of work. It wasn’t unusual for us to have dinner with her, so I didn’t think anything about it. I figured she’d made me my favorite cake, German chocolate, and we would have dinner. A nice quiet birthday.
Imagine how surprised I was when I walked in and my whole family and several of my friends were there waiting for me. I couldn’t believe that all these people had managed to keep the secret and surprise me. My family especially. We tend not to be great secret keepers.
Then I got presents from everyone. It was lovely. I was excited and happy. My husband then gave me a small square box and he was on his knee’s in front of me. Everyone got quiet. I unwrapped the box and slowly opened it. My mouth dropped open. Inside was the most beautiful…fly for fishing that I’d ever seen.
Disappointed. You bet. He knew it too. His joke was funny though. So funny, I pushed him over. He laughed and came back up on his knees and handed me another ring box. I wasn’t so cautious this time, figuring that it was another fly. He ties them as a hobby.
I was wrong. Inside this box was a beautiful emerald ring. It wasn’t an engagement ring, but it was close. He asked me to marry him about six months later and got married about six weeks after that.
My family and friends gave us our wedding. One of my friends did the cake, one did the flowers, another the food. My nephew did the music and another one did the pictures. I have a very talented bunch for family and friends. It ended up costing us about $800 including the judge and my dress. And it was a beautiful wedding. I got lots of compliments on how fun the wedding was.
As a side, note. Don’t ever get an emerald in a ring. They are a soft stone and break very easily. That’s what happened to mine. About nine years after we got married the stone broke and fell out. I was devastated. We had used the ring I got on my 40th birthday for my wedding ring. That was 2005.
We were in Estes Park, Colorado which is only about an hour from where we live, not long after than in a cute little jewelry store and I saw this ring that I fell in love with. It had a huge pink spinel stone, which is a sapphire, and a swirl of opal. It was gorgeous. My dear husband bought it for me so I’d have a wedding ring again. That was in 2007, eleven years after we got married. It’s still as gorgeous and strong today as it was when he bought it for me. We go back to Estes Park at least once per year to get it cleaned and checked. It always looks so beautiful and sparkling after they clean it. It truly lives up to the name they gave the design. Verve.
Woot, first comment… :0) My hubby LOVES german chocolate cake too! I don’t really have a wedding ring, just a celtic knot band. :0) Great memory to share with us, Cindy! I, personally, love emerald rings and I’ve only lost them, never broken the stone out. I hope you get lots of comments and reads!
Jesse
jesse.kimmelfreeman@gmail.com
That was a great story wish my proposal was as sweet was more embarassing..lol But was meant to be 17 yrs later still going strong.Oh and i like tour tweets discovered lots of cool books ty
deanna_brady@hotmail.com
What a wonderful story! Thank you for sharing! He sounds like a definite keeper!
Thanks for participating in the hop!
Happy Birthday Carrie Ann!
slinkydennis@yahoo.com
So romantic, thanks you for sharing this with us and thanks you for your great giveaway ( i hope international*_*)
I did get parties for my birthday either but perhaps one day ^^, now i can hope that even if i only get one it will be the best ever
all the best
isabelle(dot)frisch(at)gmail(dot)com
Birthday Blog Hop!
Loved the story! So wonderful to get a surprise party for your 40th! I too had a wonderful surprise party on my 40th, only it wasn’t a surprise, lol! However, on our 25th wedding anniversary, my husband did an excellent job of surprising me! Relatives and friends from afar, room rented, music, cake, and renewal of our vows! Awesome!!
Thanks for the contest, they are always fun! Tamy 🙂
tamy.burns@gmail.com
Thanks for sharing and for the great giveaway!!
brandon_savannah@yahoo.com
What a lovely (and dirty) trick from your husband-to-be with the fly/ring boxes. Hehe.
I love Colorado!
torymichaels(@)live.com
That is so romantic. Your friends and family did a wonderful thing 🙂
Cambonified(at)yahoo(dot)com
Very sweet and romantic. 🙂
Good to know for rings. I’m forever getting mine caught on something. But both the engagement and wedding rings have outlasted any other type of jewelry I’ve ever had.
jessicasubject.writer at gmail dot com
What a great story! I actually bent my ring bent my original wedding ring because it was to big on my finger and got it stuck on a lever door handle. My hubby bought me a new on our 10th anniversary!
forgot my email
mmafsmith at gmail dot com
What a wonderful romantic start!! I love romantice stories! My ring is the diamond from my husband’s uncle tie tack when he served in the state senate back in the 30’s. So cool.
Mel
bournmelissa at hotmail dot com
Your husband seems like a very romantic and funny man. It’s great that you had a wonderful surprise party and a couple of beautiful rings.
sstrode at scrtc dot com
Great story. Thanks for the giveaway.
mythic021@gmail.com
What a lovely thing to do!
taiyouryuATgmailDOTcom
so sweet!
diannaandpaul@yahoo.com
That is a great story. My DH threw me a surprise 40th birthday party last year. This year he turns 40 so I need to start planning. Thanks for the giveaway!
beckerjo at verizon dot net
What a story, so romantic, but I’ll pass on the tip to my daughter because her birthstone is an emrald and she wanted an emrald ring too.
Z
Seawitch Reviews @ yahoo.com
Wonderful story, Thanks for the blog. DebP
r.d1@myfairpoint.net
Thanks for sharing the memory!! It was very romantic. The emerald has broke off of several of my grandmothers rings, so I understand. I asked why she still wants them and she says well, I love the stone! Great giveaway!!
viajeradelmar@aol.com
Hoping to win the hop 🙂 Thank you for the opportunity!
sumopalk (at) gmail (dot) com
I’m with everyone here – love the fly/ring story. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve already read the first two books of your Centauri series. Great fictional world you’ve created. Book 3 is on my TBR list, so I’d love to win. Thank you for the chance.
allieritch@yahoo.com
Great post! Id be sad too if my ring broke. Ill definitely think twice before getting an emerald. Thanks!
shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks for the international giveaway!!
sweety225(at)rocketmail(dot)com
What a great story! And a sneaky husband! I don’t wear my wedding ring, I’ve worn my mothers ever since she passed away and my husband’s ok with that.
suz2(at)cox(dot)net
I hate birthdays, LOL. But I’m old. My daughter always does something nice for me.
Love your site.
hopewelshwrites at gmail dot com
That was a great story,thanks for sharing it!
Happy Birthday Carrie Ann!
I forgot my email.
sqwalker2@hotmail.com
Okay that story is priceless! Thanks for sharing that. And thanks for the advice about emeralds. I had been thinking about getting one to replace my Mom’s for Mother’s Day.
Thanks!
rae.gwendy(at)gmail(dot)com
I am a May birthday and my wedding anniversary is a mere 3 days before my birthday. So as a wedding day gift my husband got me an emerald ring. It was a simple cut and design and I treasure it still today (13 years later). I don’t wear it often for fear of loosing it or something happening to it. So I wear it on special occasions and it has lasted so far.
sionedkla@gmail.com
What a wonderful story.
Talking about wedding rings…Mine was stolen at a B&B in the Garden District of New Orleans!
I love Carrie Ann and I’m glad to wish her a HAPPY, HAPPY Birthday. And how sweet that she and her friends are giving away things on her special day.
catherinelee100 at gmail dot com
I don’t make a big deal about my birthday. It’s never very fun anyway so I’d rather avoid it if possible. LOL
Thank you for the giveaway opportunity!
Pam
vanillaorchids69(at)gmail(dot)com
Wonderful story! Thanks for sharing and the blog hop! Birthdays are a pretty big deal around our house 🙂
jennyrlowery@yahoo.com
Hey, at least he caught you with that fly, right? LOL I like different rings too, other than the traditional. If I ever get married, I would definitely have to have something other than the traditional types of rings.
June
manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com
Nice story. We never did much either other than the family dinner and cake. I kind of prefer everything low key.
acm05atjuno.com
What a great story. Your husband sounds like my dad, I don’t think we ever got the real present first. He always liked to joke around and we all love it.
proudarmymom32(at)yahoo(dot)com
Great story. I love Estes Park also-it’s beautiful there.
Awwwwww! Great story!!
elizabeth @ bookattict . com
Thanks everyone for all the wonderful comments. I think my DH is a keeper too. And he is romantic, more than I am I think which is a really nice thing.
I hope you all have a wonderful Easter and holiday weekend.
Woohoo! Happy Birthday Carrie Ann!
What a great way to discover new authors/blogs and visit with old friends. Everybody wins this way! LOL
Thank you for sharing your story with us. It was very romantic and I just love it.
Thanks for being part of the hop and for the chance to win such a fantastic prize!
reneebennett35(at)yahoo(dot)com
Happy Birthday Carrie Ann and everyone else celebrating this month. Great birthday and wedding story. I think you can have a beautiful wedding without spending a fortune. My daughter spent about $1500 and had a beautiful wedding. Happy Easter weekend.
seriousreader at live dot com
Wonderful story! Thanks for the chance to win! Happy Easter! cheryllynne(at)rocketmail(dot)com
Thank you for participating in Carrie Anne’s birthday celebration and sharing this story with us!
bas1chsemail at gmail dot com
Thanks for sharing your story.
bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
What a great story, Cynthia! Glad his fly worked 😉 And I love how your rings have all been so special and gorgeous!
f dot chen at comcast dot net
The blog winners are isabelle.frisch@gmail.com and taiyouryu@gmail.com. Congratulations.
Cynthia