A Wonderful Surprise

there we were on the last morning of our weekend seminar.
we were about to get started cooking french toast.
all of the sudden, someone starts talking, and i was like, sweet, i don't have to get everyone moving, someone else can do that.

but then she starts talking not about french toast.

my team presented me with a gift for being the sole leader while our director (and my co-leader) were gone for 3 months, unexpectedly.  and for organizing the weekend.

i was shocked.

so i opened the present, and there was coffee and creamer, which...i love coffee.

and then in individual pieces was wrapped a candle holder...with a history.

at our christmas celebration for our base, we had a white-elephant exchange.  one person got this very simple but elegant candle holder.  i knew i was one of the last people to open a gift, so i figured, i'd steal that one and no one else could take it from me. 
so i waited, and i waited and i waited.
i watched while one of my teammates stole it from the first person.  and then the first person's son stole it back for his mom. 
and then came my turn. 
and i took the candle holders! 
i was sooo excited.
so pretty!
and then...
one of my other teammates...stole it from me to give back to his wife.
sigh.
so i left with no candle holders.
and that was ok. 

so now i have my candle holders.

after that, i got to run around and take pictures of the kids cooking. 
since i lost my camera, i've missed taking pictures. 
and yesterday, i got to take pictures with a nice camera.

so the end of the cooking seminar was amazing. 

and i was blessed beyond expectation.