Birthday Surprises

For my dad's birthday recently, my sister had an awesome idea, to give my dad a "build-a-bear" animal, and outfits.

We all got together, and chose cute little outfits for him, and I hoped more than anything dad would like it. So when he opened his present (in this awesome cardboard closet my sister also made), it was full of outfits! He just had to choose what went inside of them.

It was an untraditional idea, and dad loved it! He picked out this cute little monkey, (who is now named "Zip", and this will probably be a very spoiled stuffed animal. This is Zip in his Air force outfit. :-)

Zip got a church outfit, cowboy outfit, scrubs, military outfit, and I can't even name everything! He even got a little sleeping bag and tent.

We went along with him to choose Zip (with some excuse about the kids might enjoy it, but the truth is Ben and I both wanted to go, and couldn't decide who should stay with the kids). The monkey has a monkey sound in his hand, a beating heart and ... you know those little hearts they let the kid kiss and put inside so he's filled with love? Zip has two - because my three kids were there. Jacob kissed the first one and they put it in, but Brandon and Megan wanted their love to go in grandpas monkey too, so they both gave one some love.

It was so fun, and he left the shop in his darling church outfit. However, yesterday morning he was in his Air force outfit, and rumor has it that he'd already tried on his fishing outfit, and two other outfits already that morning.

So, here's for untraditional ideas. .... I think that is probably my favorite present we've ever given my dad for his birthday. He loves it, and we'll all remember it for a long time. (And it makes it easier to get something for fathers day - Zip needs a star wars outfit.).

:-)