Best. Wife. Everrrrr!!!

I have been shouting that all day like a ridiculous, conceited battle cry. Maybe I haven't been the best blogger ever lately, lol- but for the next 24 hours, I think I deserve a title. You see, I would never deny that I have the best husband ever. I even think I have the best puppies ever. 

Charlie is a dead bug.

Quincy clearly knows how special she is. 

However, in my own mind, I pale in comparison to the loved ones around me. I rarely think I'm a great wife, let alone the best! However, today is different. Today- I am the best wife ever, because it is my husband's birthday next Tuesday and I got him a flight lesson. :)

See... there's a bit of a back story to my smug feelings over this particular present. When Robert was a little boy, he got to fly in a little charter plane at the Danville Regional airport with his friend and a little girl neither of them knew. The girl got to sit in the front seat while Robert and his buddy were stuck in the back like I was today. Believe me, I didn't mind. They didn't mind either... at first. It was his first time in a plane, and he was so excited. 

But as you can see here, the front seat is for the pilot and the co-pilot. So in the middle of the flight when the pilot asked the little girl if she wanted to fly the plane, Robert's little brain must have exploded with jealousy. And then, to make matters worse, the little girl refused! It must have seemed like a huge waste to the two eager boys in the backseat. In fact, it seemed like so much of a waste to my dear husband that it scarred him. He still tells that story in his adult life. I've heard it so many times, I feel like I was there. 

Now the second time that Robert was jilted out of the chance to fly, I was involved. We had been dating for a year or so when my daddy got a gift certificate for a helicopter flight with our friend Lee. He let Robert and I have the trip, and we went for our Valentine's date that year. For weight balancing reasons, Robert was yet again stuck in the back seat. I was the girl in the front seat this time, and when I was offered the chance to steer, I jumped on it. However, the fact that I took advantage of my good fortune did not soothe the jealousy my poor Robert felt from the backseat. Scarred again, I heard his indignant account many, many times. 

So it has been ingrained in my head that Robert desperately wanted to fly something since I have known him. In fact, there are few things that he feels this strongly about, so I felt a little guilty during our helicopter ride when he was not the one in the co-pilot's seat. In fact, Robert seems to like the idea of flying so much that I encouraged him to join the Air National Guard or the Coast Guard so he could learn. I took him places on commercial airline jets. I put up with the squealing toy helicopter he got for Christmas. But it was always in my mind that I needed to get him to fly- actually give him that chance. When I found the flight school in Morristown, I knew it was a perfect opportunity. 

I tricked him into thinking he would be accompanying me to Morristown to go to a bridal shower. He's so good and agreeable that he didn't even complain much. He had no idea what was really going on until we actually parked the car at the airport. Then you should have seen his face! I can't believe I successfully lied and kept a secret for 2 weeks! I'm not good at either... but it was so worth it. He was so stunned! Robert and the pilot flew us around for an hour. I got to ride in the back and take pictures. Robert got to do the take-off and help out with the landing and steering. Even the nausea inducing turbulence wasn't enough to steal the smile from his face. I'm not sure how I will ever top this for future birthdays, but I will definitely try. We flew all around East Tennessee, landing and taking off three times while flying over mountains and lakes. 

We even flew over this 13 bedroom, $8million house that apparently belongs to Harrison Ford. 

It's not his real home- It's in Morristown, TN for Pete's sake. But apparently it's a weekend home for his family. Harrison Ford in East Tennessee. Who would have thought?

But anyway, I'm off on a tangent again. I could get used to this "best wife ever" feeling. I just hope I managed to help Robert get his "best birthday ever." And I may have created a monster, but a certain someone is considering a pilot's license now. I am not opposed at all; he's a natural. :)

Happy Birthday Bobert!