January 4, 2012

Happy New Year! Jill and I had a wonderful week with our whole family. I don't know whether you know the story or not, but our youngest daughter, Brittina, was taken aback when her boyfriend of many years, Jared, disguised himself and flew down to Florida on the same plane to surprise her. She had no idea. Then last week at the condo where we stayed in Naples, Jared followed me into the bedroom one morning and told me that he had something to give me. He unwrapped a towel in which were seven olivewood camels and gave them to me one at a time. I knew immediately what he meant, for while we were together in the Holy Land last spring, our tour guide had talked about how men who wanted to marry women in the Middle East would give their prospective fathers-in-law a camel or two as the "bride price." The guide said that royal princesses were expected to fetch seven camels, at which point I told Jared that Brittina was worth as much and he would have to come up with them! I got my camels, so, of course, I gave my blessing and he proposed to her later on the beach. Now we have an August wedding to look forward to! Life is full of surprises, and we rejoice when they are good ones.