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50 for 50: A Yearlong Celebration
2024 I Already Love You
Yesterday, our condo tenant called to say the furnace wasn’t working. The estimates came in at $7,500 — $12,000.
We were supposed to sneak off to Carmel-by-the-Sea next weekend for my husband’s 50th. The place holds special meaning for us, and I’d like to surprise him with an (exceedingly rare) weekend getaway (it’s been nine years), but since he doesn’t know, is it better to cancel the trip and spend the money on the furnace?
Honestly, I’d rather cancel our upcoming Universal Studios Hollywood trip, but we’ve already told the kids. Like most parents, I will rearrange heaven and earth (is that the saying?) not to disappoint my kids.
I’m rationalizing. The kids know about the upcoming theme park trip (plus, it’s partly nonrefundable); my husband does not know about his birthday trip (plus, it’s largely refundable), so that’s the one I should cancel. Right?
We just got back from Wisconsin to see family. It was wonderful, and on the plane home, our littlest one said, “My word of the year is family. Can we see both sides of the family more in 2024? They make me so happy.” How can you argue with that?
Family has always been at the top of our list. My husband and I have rearranged our lives and careers (heaven and earth?) for…