Yesterday was Tom’s birthday.  I love birthdays and enjoy planning something special throughout the day.

It started with making Tom’s coffee and having it ready for him as he got out of the shower.  Then, I had a bag of gifts to be opened throughout the day.  They were all placed in one big bag and numbered according to the order he was to open them.  His first card was waiting for him in the cabinet where he stores his car keys.  It had two puzzle pieces enclosed.

Once he arrived at work I called him telling him to open gift #2.  There he found a Message In A Bottle filled with puzzle pieces.

He put them together and read what it said.  But there were still many pieces missing.

After this he received a call from me every couple of hours informing him to open the next gift, which would include a few more pieces to the puzzle.  This continued throughout the day until he received the final two pieces telling him where to meet me for dinner.

It was a fun way to build excitement for an evening out for dinner.   As  a bonus the restaurant we went to was having a Savor The Summer special – a prix fixe menu including appetizer, entree’ and dessert for one price.  It was a way to enjoy a more expensive restaurant for a fraction of the cost.

If you live in the Orlando area, all the restaurants at Pointe Orlando are offering this Savor the Summer special through the 30th of September.  Click HERE for a complete list of the participating restaurants.  Our experience was one which far exceeded our expectations.

So, the next time you’re planning a special date, think of ways to build the anticipation throughout the day.  It will pay off in more ways than you can imagine.  🙂

NOTE:  We know we mentioned starting a new series today…please forgive us.  We simply did not have the time to devote to the post in the way we want.  So, next week we’ll be sure to begin this series in earnest.  Here’s a puzzle piece of a clue:

It’s the things listed in Scripture for which there is no law.  Do you know?