It's A Major Award...

Yes, it's a major award, and fortunately it doesn't involve a leg lamp to display in our front window!

I'm proud of Brad every day.  I see how hard he works, how genuine he is, how devoted he is, how totally committed he is, how loyal, how friendly, how kind...I could go on and on. 

But this weekend he was awarded for being all those things by his company, whose employees voted him "Employee of the Year"! 

The week leading up to it?  A bit stressful for me.  We had not planned to go to his office Christmas party because we just weren't sure what our plans would be for this weekend with Brenna's birthday.  And we had to decide well over a month ago, and there was so much unknown we decided it would be easier to just say no. 

Then, on Monday, I came home from work to find seven missed calls from Brad's office.  I was so puzzled because I had heard from Brad during the day, and he knows when I am not home, yet all those calls...

In checking the messages, it turned out to be one of Brad's bosses, calling to talk to me about this party.  I called her back, and she told me I really had to find a way, if at all possible, to get Brad to the party.  She told me why, that he'd won this award and they wanted to present it at the party.  You know what that meant for me?  Keeping a secret from Brad and PRESSURE to try to act suddenly interested in going to his party, without being over-eager.

I started with the oh-so-subtle "We need a date!  Will you take me on a date this weekend?  A nice date where we can get a bit dressed up like grown-ups???"

He was quite willing, and told me the two places we had gift cards to, and wanted to know which of those places he could take me to dinner.  (Mr. Romance, that's right.)

I said it was too bad we decided not to go to the party.  He agreed (!) but said it was way too late to say we would go.  I dropped it for the night, my mind churning with how I was going to lure him there.

THEN!  The next day at work he sends me a text saying that a couple gals at work were giving him a hard time about now going, and he told them we probably could stop by after dinner and what would I think about that?! 

What did I think about that???  RELIEF!  So the plan was set, and now I just had to watch Brad go through a very stressful week at work, and not grab him by the collar and say, "It's worth it because you are the Employee of the Year!!!!!" 

Saturday finally came, and it was such a great night.  We went out for a fabulous dinner alone together.  Loved every minute of it.  I even said a couple times, "Are you sure you want to go to the party?  This is so nice just being alone..."  I had to make sure I didn't make him suspicious.  Although that is a very un-suspicious man.  (I could do a whole post about our dinner.  I'll leave it at this:  I fell in love with Cornbread Pudding.)

Then we headed over to the party just in time for the crazy gift exchange, a little mingling, and then the big (and very heartfelt and warm) speech announcing all this.

I'd love to have taped the speech they gave about him when they announced it, Brad's reaction, and his speech afterwards.  It was so sweet.  I looooooved hearing people acknowledge HIM, just the core of who he is.  It wasn't about his technical skills, but all about his character.  Everything I know, it's just so nice to hear other people honor and recognize those things.

And Brad's speech was pretty special too.  He got a bit choked up, and gave a very heart-felt thank you.

The plaque is beautiful.  And the other thing?  They are sending us on a vacation!  We got a very generous travel voucher to plan a nice vacation for ourselves.  How incredible is that?  It's something we probably would never do for ourselves, so to have this given to us is overwhelming.  And, even though I know I'm immensely biased, I think he is so very deserving of this.

terrible phone picture, but it had to do!

I love him so much, and I'm so glad all those people who get so many hours of his time each day love and appreciate him too.

He's the real deal.  He's pretty great.  And I'm so proud to be his wife.