Surprises Are Worth the Wait!

Dear Frens, I just got back from vacating.

Do you like surprises? Boykins love happy surprises.

Recently, my hooman mommy surprised me with a big surprise. It was the biggest surprise ever.

She told me I was going to be happy, happy, happy, but I never thought I would be as happy as I was!

Just the thought of ‘happy’ makes my heart smile. (I smile a lot.) I imagined what my happy would look like. I would do ziggy zags and play and run and carry my bumper everywhere! Oh, and I would be with my hooman mom. That’s my happy.

So, I smiled really big as mom put me in my kennel in the car. I didn’t care that I had to wait for the surprise. I got upside down and thought about happy! I smile in my sleep (I can’t help myself!)

We drove lots and lots of miles and from time-to-time, mom would ask me if I was okay. I was. I was thinking about being happy.

The moment we stopped, and my kennel door opened; I knew where I was! I was at the farm where the Vizslas live. They are German hunting dogs, and they run like the wind just like me! We would chase one another through the farm’s tall grass and come out giggling.

Oh, what a surprise! I sprang out of the car like I was at Blaine’s, and he was training me to fetch ducks! (Only I don’t fetch dead things, so we have a little bit of a problem!)

I ran down the Old Orchard Creek Farm Road fast, zigging and zagging and calling out for them. But suddenly I stopped! No one was home!

I did a zag down to the barn and looked everywhere, but everything was locked up tight and the lights were off. Even the chickens were sound asleep.

No matter how much I called out, no one answered.

My hooman mom called me to come back to her, and I did a sad right there on the back porch overlooking the place where I usually run and jump and play.

What was I going to do? Who was going to chase bumpers with me? I did my close-to-my-mom’s-leg thing so she would know that I needed her to say, “It’s going to be okay.”

I pressed hard against her, and she reached down and touched me on my side. “The surprise is not for today, Wessy.” She voice was soft. I knew she cared. “It’s for tomorrow morning.”

When I heard that, my heart did a little jumpy, jump inside my chest and I smiled. “What?!” I thought, “Then let’s go to bed now so tomorrow will come sooner!”

But instead she said, “Let’s do a walk down to the other barn and watch the sunset.”

It was the best walk ever. The surprise, the promise was for tomorrow. I could wait! I carried my bumper and played under the grapevines that runs along the gravel drive. This was the best place. The place I first learned it was okay to run with just my eeeeky collar on.

On the way back, we passed the other cabin, and I did a run up on the porch and looked inside the glass door. It was dark, but I had this flippy floppy feeling inside. I looked back at mom, and she said, “The surprise is coming.” Then she smiled even more.

I love promises! I love surprises (all Boykins do), and I love my mom! I love being with her as we walked. On this walk, she never had to buzz my eeeky collar once. I was just walking beside her. I wanted to stay close . . . just in case the surprise came early.

When I went to bed that night, I could see the little cabin below us through the darkness, and I wondered what surprise could mom be talking about?

I fell fast asleep and dreamed that I was running fast with my sister Roxy beside me. My feet wiggled in my sleep. We ran and ran and ran and then stopped to laugh because we were together.

Morning came quickly. I was glad and ran out onto the porch to look for my surprise.

At first there was nothing, but then something moved along the gravel drive! I heard familiar voices! My heart was pounding inside of me.

“Go on, Wessy,” my mom said to me. She was laughing, and I knew it was good!

Suddenly, my sister Roxy and her family were walking toward me calling my name! “Wessy!” “Wessy!”

I called back, “Oh, Roxy, how did you know where to find me?!”

Miles from home and suddenly, Roxy was right in front of me! We didn’t waste a second! We took off running through the apple orchard. I looked at her and she looked at me and we couldn’t stop laughing and doing Boykin things.

Then I shouted back, “Mom, it’s Roxy; it’s Roxy!”

“Peas in a pod together, again!”

My heart was full as we ran past the second barn out to the blueberry field where we chased one another up the hill. Then we stopped and looked back. We were together! It was enough!

Our moms, brothers, dads and friends were trying to catch up with us.

“Roxy Girl,” I said, “You are the best surprise ever!” Roxy looked over at me and smiled. Then she did a ziggy zag just like me! We did a big hug and took off running again—like the wind . . . just like Boykins always do!

Frens, are you waiting for something good? Take it from me and Roxy, it’s worth the wait! Remember to do a little sleep  and then wake up to your promised surprise! Happy! Happy! Happy!