Quarter of a Century!

This past Saturday was my 25th birthday and what a day it was! I have the most amazing fiancée in the world who finds new ways to make me happy every day! Over the summer she told me she already had a surprise planned for my birthday. I was thoroughly impressed and somewhat intrigued. My mind was wrapped around the whole engagement thing for the month of September so I didn't give my birthday much thought. All of the sudden October was here and I realized that the 23rd would be here before I knew it. I started getting excited for whatever Val had in store for me as she kept stringing me along with promises of a fun and exciting day.

On October 20th I received the following message on facebook:

BOB BOBBERSON SAID THIS IS URGENT!!!

These instructions are to be followed on Friday night!

Bobby has a birthday surprise!
It won't come easy-- you must use your mind.
Piece together every clue,
and soon you'll know what to do.
After a long day at work,
meet me where the duckies lurk!
I'll tell you what to do from there.
It doesn't matter what you wear.

Good luck :)

I almost met her at the wrong place on Friday, thinking she wanted me to meet her at the duck pond in Salem instead of the duck pond at Virginia Tech. Thankfully, I realized my error after reading the message a few more times. Unfortunately due to time constraints we were unable to take a walk around campus like Val had planned. We still met at the pond and she gave me the clues she had made for each destination we were going to visit. On each of these clues was a top five list pertaining to reasons she loves me and wants to spend the rest of her life with me. After reading the beautiful card she gave me I opened a small gift bag containing a new iPod! My old one had literally died a month earlier and I was desperately in need of a replacement to help keep me company on my commute each day. I was blown away by this generous gift. I love Val so much!!!

A shot of the beautiful scenery at the duck pond

When we got back to my apartment, my sisters and brothers-in-law were waiting for us and we had cake and played cornhole. It was so good to have my family there to celebrate the special occasion. Apparently the Texas Rangers knew it was my birthday as well. They took care of the Yankees and advanced to the world series. Yes, it is a bit sad that I take so much satisfaction in the Yankees losing (sorry Gram!!!) but what else do us Mets fans have left to root for??? As if all this wasn't already enough to make this the best birthday ever, Val's surprise was still ahead!

Val showing off her cornhole skill!

Rachel and Craig were the champs!

The beautiful cake Val made for me! Sadly a silly long-boarder collided with her and smashed the top of the cake. My sweetheart nursed it back to health and it tasted wonderful!

She made my birthday truly special :)

Earlier in the evening Val had given me four "puzzle pieces" which essentially made up the border of a picture. She laughed to herself and told me there was no way I could guess what the surprise was based off of such a vague clue. Val clearly underestimated my ability to figure things out as well as my stubborn mentality! It took me until 4:21 AM but I finally matched the border with a picture from Google. Our destination was Busch Gardens! I had told Val many times how special that place is to me. My parents would take us there almost every summer for vacation. Busch Gardens holds a special place in all of our hearts. Needless to say, I was excited!! Unfortunately for me, it was 5AM and we were leaving three hours later! Val was kind enough to drive most of the way while I took a snooze in the backseat. My friend Allyson came along with us. It was really neat to see how well her and Val got along. I think Val can be an awesome influence for Allyson as she grows in her faith.

At around 2:00 we parked our car in the Scotland lot and boarded the tram to the main entrance. Childhood memories instantly flooded into my head as I smiled from ear to ear. I knew we had a fun day ahead of us but I didn't ever think it could be as amazing as it turned out to be!

At the entrance to the park

Busch Gardens separates itself from other theme parks with its incredible atmosphere. Each section of the park is represented by a different country featuring rides, food, and entertainment to match. What made it even better on this particular day was Howl-O-Scream. Every October, Busch Gardens has a Halloween theme and decorates the park. They also have haunted houses, Halloween themed shows, and costumed park workers scaring people in the park. I don't typically like being scared, but this was a lot of fun. Nothing was overly scary and the atmosphere was amazing. My favorite part of the park was Ireland. The scene can be described as a night in an Irish city surrounded by traditional pubs and great music. I loved it!

"Downtown Ireland"

Hanging out with our goblin friend. We named him Griphook

That is one huge nose on that tree!

Sadly, we did not get to see this superstar in action for his "Frankenrock" performance. We did enjoy some amazing German food in the Oktoberfest building which is behind us in the picture.

Val is telling that horse who the boss is!

I also had a blast riding the roller coasters. It had been way too long! The Loch Ness Monster has always been one of my favorites and it didn't disappoint. While I had a great time on that ride, the new Griffin roller coaster stole the show! Though we waited in line for close to 45 minutes, the thrill of the ride was worth every second! This coaster brings you to the top of its main drop, holds you there for a few seconds, and then drops you 90 degrees downward, never letting up the rest of the way. Though we were physically exhausted at this point of the day, Val and I left that ride exhilarated and rejuvenated. I have never experienced such an adrenalin rush in my life. I am so happy Val loves roller coasters!!!

In front of the Loch Ness Monster

This coaster is not only fun to ride but is beautifully lit up at night

This may have taken the top spot on my list of roller coasters!

It was so great to have Allyson come along with us. Val's original intent was for a big group of people to go but I am glad it worked out this way! I am so proud of how far Allyson has come in her walk with Christ. It was only 1 1/2 years ago that she was saved and she is really starting to learn what it means to be a sold out follower of Jesus! Val and Allyson are great for each other. Val did not form any real strong bonds with the girls from VT over the summer but she has immediately clicked with Allyson. They both love the English language, sports, and Jesus. What else do you need to have in common?

Waiting in line for the Leonardo da Vinci Flying Machine

This is the sign that was in the picture Val gave me the borders to. I eventually found it on Google images to figure out where we were going!

I am so blessed to have such great friends and an amazing fiancée who goes out of her way to make me happy. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for us and hope this trip to Busch Gardens was the first of many more to come!

These are some nice shots of us from the day