As someone who grew up feeling very close to her family, I remember my first birthday away from home as a freshman in college. I awoke knowing I wouldn’t walk downstairs and find the dining room table decorated with the Happy Birthday placemats that my mom always took out of storage for every family member’s birthday. There wouldn’t be birthday pancakes. No homemade cake. I didn’t dwell on it too much, but I remember feeling a little sad.
My birthday always fell during finals week in college and I had tests and studying on my mind. When I got a call from Ryan saying he had a birthday surprise for me, I didn’t think too much of it. We started dating less than three months before my birthday and were still in that awkward “Are we officially a couple?” stage, so I wasn’t expecting a gift. I figured he planned a casual dinner for us at our favorite sushi place near campus or something of the sort.
(Throwback pic! College kids!)
When I pulled up to Ryan’s apartment early that evening, he met me at my car and handed me a card. I tucked my finger under the envelope flap and opened the card to find the first clue of a birthday scavenger hunt.
I was shocked.
He had me drive all over town to spots that meant something to us as a new couple, collecting gifts along the way. I was blown away.
When his birthday rolled around that October, I knew I wanted to make him feel as special and adored as he made me feel. I sneaked into his apartment, decorated his room, baked his favorite cake and planned a fun date. I remember wrapping his presents on the floor of my bedroom, hoping he would like everything. Hoping he would feel special and loved.
And then I realized something. This is amazing.
(The night of our engagement)
Before Ryan I felt like I was always the one giving the love. Always pouring my heart out and showing how much I cared. It didn’t really register at the time, but looking back, I realize now that I would anxiously wait for birthdays or holidays because I knew that I’d get a card and that was one of the only times I heard how much I meant to someone.
Ryan showed me what it meant to feel adored. To feel loved. To feel like a priority. I wanted to make sure he felt the same. It was like a love challenge!
Every year when Ryan’s birthday rolls around, I am filled with the same desire to make him feel special.
To Ryan:
I hope you feel special today. I love you very, very much. Happy 29th birthday!
Question of the Morning
- What is something that someone did for you that surprised you and made you feel special?
Please share your stories! I’m in the mood for warm fuzzies today. 
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I saw this proposal video today and it definitely gave me warm fuzzies!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz_s8ThT6oc
Not me, unfortunately, even though we share the same name, but I thought of your blog post when I watched it later in the day!
Happy birthday Ryan!
Happy Birthday, Ryan! One more year until the big 3-0! 🙂
Wow! This post gave me the fuzzies! I felt every word! Happy birthday, Ryan!
My husband and I had to do the whole long distance thing bc I worked in Atlanta at the time while he was here in Texas. I told him one night that I was craving this particular ice cream so much and what do you know? He showed up at my door the next day with two tubs of ice cream in his hands! And he left on that same day! Crazy I know…He did a lot of other crazy things….But I’m with you..All I need is a handwritten card that shows how much he loves and appreciates me ;). Best read ever!
I love this story :)! Happy Birthday to Ryan!
Happy Birtday Ryan!!!!!
I always joke that my fiancé can’t surprise me. The problem is he gets so excited about his “surprise” plans that he ends up giving away sudle hints and doesn’t even realize it. So, I’ve always known when things were coming. When my friends started asking me if/when I thought he would propose I used to tell them that I would know it was coming bc he can’t keep secrets very well. The day that he did propose I was so surprised I couldn’t believe it!!! We were on our way somewhere and he was driving but taking an extremely long round about way to get there. When I asked him why he took that route he said google maps took him that way. He turned down a street nd parked, I thought he was lost, I didn’t even realize what street we were on. We got out o the car and onto the side walk and he started explaining… “This is where I all began…” We were standing in front o the bar we met at!! He proposed right there and t was the most amazing moment of my life!!! I STILL can’t believe he didn’t give this surprise away!
Happy Birthday Ryan!!
My most favorite time of year is christmas- Im sure I share that with many people, but I lost my grandmother several years ago and she was one of the most wonderful people I have ever known- Christmas means so much more to me now because it was her holiday and she shared christmas eve with her birthday. I moved to south florida 2 years ago and christmas time is not exactly the same as it is back in New England. I had been having a very hard time around the holidays and my fiance could sense that… I had gone out to run errands one morning and when I was walking in the house I could see twinkling lights coming through the back door… when i opened the front door to go in there it was, a christmas tree all decked out. To this day it has to be one of the sweetest and surprising things that Adam has ever done for me. He had saved the ornaments for me to do since thats the best part of decorating!
What a lovely post! You and Ryan have what we all dream and SHOULD have in a relationship.
Happy birthday Ryan! (Will an Oreo cake be making an appearance?)
What a sweet story!! Happy birthday to Ryan. My brother who is named Ryan also has a birthday tomorrow October 6th.
My husband, but he was my boyfriend at the time, gave me a present one year after we met (which is his birthday not mine). He told me I was the best gift he ever received. Very sappy, but I always think of his birthday as special since we met that day.
When I was in college, I suffered from an eating disorder and had to leave school to enter treatment. When I returned to campus for my final semester, all of my friends had already graduated and I was super bummed. I lived in an apartment with 3 random girls I didn’t know. Well, it turns out, those girls ended up becoming some of the closest friends I ever had. When I was about to graduate in December, I really wasn’t feelin’ it–a mixture of sadness over graduating “late” and sadness that I was finally becoming close to these girls and I was leaving them! Towards the end of the semester, my roommates told me they were inviting me to their Rugby Team formal, and to wear something nice. I got ready, halfheartedly, and we all piled into the car to drive to a local restaurant. As we walked into the restaurant, I saw a car in the parking lot with my family’s state plates and it looked a lot like my dad’s car, but I didn’t think too much of it. When we entered the restaurant, I was STUNNED to find my parents, friends from home (over 3 hours away), AND friends from college all there–over 30 people. My roommates had planned a graduation party for months, complete with cake, presents, and the entire restaurant rented out. It was the happiest moment of my life, seriously.
So, so, sweet! Probably my favorite PB Fingers post ever!! (: This year is my freshman year and my first year away from home! My birthday is Friday! Eeeek!
I can’t think of what my favorite birthday was but I do remember going all out for my boyfriend on his 21st a few years back. The challenge you mentioned was kind of how I felt… I wanted to prove that I really cared and wanted him to feel loved and surprised on his birthday. I bought him 21 gifts… definitely not all expensive, they ranged from his favorite pencils to beef jerky to a pair of Nike Frees. The look on his face when he walked into the bedroom full of balloons, decorations and numbered gifts (which he of course had to open in order) was perfect!!
I love that idea. My husbands 30th is coming up, and if I start now, I might be able to think of 30 gifts! He is an amazing guy and would definitely deserve it!
Happy birthday Ryan!
My boyfriend and I just celebrated our one year anniversary and he’s not really romantic, but he completely surprised me with a hand made gift! He is a fire fighter and I had met him at his station last August. As fire fighters, they are always trying to be as hospitable as possible at the station, it’s their home. All they had was this huge bottle of olive oil and red vines so he offered me those (as a joke of course). Later that evening he called and asked me on a date and we’ve been together ever since. Well this past August he made me a dozen roses made of red vines and put them in a vase full of olive oil. While super silly, it’s the best gift I’ve ever received. We always joke how it was the red vines and olive oil that made me fall for him!
The summer before my husband and I were engaged he lived in another town for an internship. Before he left, he handed me a stack of letters he had written me for each day he would be gone. The letters were specific to things I would be doing on each day. I had a girls weekend planned and he picked put a bottle of wine for that and revealed its location in the letter for that day. He is a great guy:). Sounds like Ryan is a keeper as well. Such a thoughtful idea to do the scavenger hunt:)
you two are my favorite blog couple ever. I would love if you did a post on a little bit about your guys relationship (how you met, etc.) unless you already have in which case… where is it?!
Happy Birthday Ryan!
On my 30th birthday (almost exactly 4 years ago) my husband surprised me by taking me to San Francisco for the night. He got us a City view room (two walls of the room were pure windows, with views of the City and the Bay). He let me shop my heart out in Union Square, my favorite place to shop in the world. I was so touched that he put so much thought into my birthday. Especially shopping, considering he hates it, but knows how much I love it.
That is such a beautiful post Julie! I think I feel like that sometimes, like I’m always giving/showing the love (which I LOVE doing – not complaining!) I think it makes me appreciate it 10-fold when someone shows me that in return 🙂
this post kind of makes me sad in a way. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so happy for you and Ryan and hope he has a great birthday! It makes me sad bc it makes me reflect on my relationship and realize that it’s still not what it should be….even after I’ve spoken up. I absolutely deserve to be treated special and have thoughtful things done for me like all of these commenters above. I am always the person who thinks of others. I plan, shop, etc with excitement that the other person will love it and feel special and loved, but I don’t really get that back. Wow that’s sad huh…kind of just smacked me in the face.
Sorry for the downer! I love your blog tho and check in often for encouragement, cute stories, Sadie, and great workouts. Thanks Julie!!!
I agree with you…as much as this post gives me the warm and fuzzies, it’s also given me some clarity. Definitely unexpected, but necessary! Hang in there.
I’m wondering if you guys have ever read the book the 5 love languages (http://www.amazon.com/Love-Languages-Secret-That-Lasts/dp/0802473156/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1349561270&sr=1-1&keywords=love+languages) ? It is more popular in Christian circles, but I think lots of people would find it interesting. It is all about the most common ways different people express their feelings. One is gifts (I think big romantic gestures would be included in this one) but there are 4 others ways people try to show their feelings. For some people is it hard to understand why you might prefer to have affection expressed one way, when they have learned to give it in another. Of course, there are plenty of bad relationships out there, but I found it a helpful read, and perhaps you will too. Good luck to you both!
so sweet! Happy Birthday Ryan! Hope Sadie gives you lots of love and birthday kisses!
Such a sweet post! Happy birthday Ryan!
We were 21 and in the Army.. he came up to me in the office and gave me his # and said if I wanted to hang give him a call.. so after work I went home and invited two guy friends over to drink and play cards.. and then called Frank and was like “Hey I’m having ppl over if you wanna stop by.” – meanwhile it was all for him! he came over and we all hung out.. and of course we stayed up ridiculously late talking.. and somewhere along the lines that night he said “I think I’m falling in love with you.” hahaha OK!!! I quickly informed him I was not that type of girl LOL and he was so adament.. so just to shut him up I was like.. ok cowboy, tell me in the morning when you are sober.. He said “I’ll wink at you at work tomorrow, sober! and that will prove I’m for real.”
Well of course I did NOT make eye contact with him bc I didn’t want him to think “Uh, you didn’t think I was serious did you?”
So since I wouldn’t look he emailed me one word: *WINK* it was sooooo weird.. I hardly knew him.. even tho I totally felt it too.. not love love.. but something!! we eloped less than three months later and are celebrating 11 years this fall.. =)
Aww! This made me tear up! Happy Birthday, Ryan!
Aww, that’s so wonderful! I’m so happy that you have found someone that makes you feel so loved and adored!!! So cute! Hope I find my soulmate one day soon 🙂
Aw, this made me cry 🙂 You two are so lucky to have each other!
And happy birthday Ryan!
Awww, goosebumps!!! Haha. My bf always does thoughtful things- the things he says, helps me out, gifts. I’m just way too lucky. Happy Birthday Ryan!
This post was SO sweet, I have tears in my eyes! Happy Birthday Ryan!!
My family is huge on birthdays too. My mom decorates the kitchen and we have a big birthday meal. She wraps a few small gifts then we also do a scavenger hunt to find a bigger present. It usually involved 6-8 clues where we are running all over the house (inside and out, 2nd floor to the basement and back!). Its awesome.
-AJ
FitTravelerAJ.blogspot.com
Happy birthday to Ryan!
Btw, I tried your taco pasta yesterday, only instead of tomatoes I added pasta sauce, and it was really really good! Thank you 🙂
You guys are so cute together! I am way happy that you found someone who can make you feel that way. Btw, that pic of you guys in college. You look very pretty. Not to sound creepy I hope.
My husband always makes me feel loved. Sometimes I feel like I don’t deserve it! His proposal was AMAZING too. Totally surprised me. 🙁
My husband always makes me feel loved. Sometimes I feel like I don’t deserve it! His proposal was AMAZING too. Totally surprised me. 🙂
This is so sweet Julie! My boyfriend always makes me feel loved and is constantly going above and beyond without being asked. He is the first person that has ever made me feel like a priority.
For the first few years of my relationship, we were seperated while he was in the Marine Corps and I was in school. Even simple things, like sharing a meal, were special since we rarely had the time together to do so. I was unable to take off from work one weekend when he came home, and, needless to say, it totally destroyed my mood. When I got home from work, he had dinner on the table for me (ordered from my favorite restaurant) and used paper plates, because he figured if I didn’t have time to cook, I “shouldn’t have to clean either.” The fact that he thought about the cleanup, too, meant the world to me, especially since it gave us that much more time together =)
My now fiance, Cameron, and I were dating for a year and a half when I had a surgery where I was bedridden at my parents house for a week afterwards. He came to see me after I got out of surgery and brought me four of my favorite snacks: pickles, coffee ice cream, boursin cheese & guacamole. 🙂