Tell me your genuine surprises!

[Orangeblossomfield]

I don't think I've ever had a really genuine, lovely surprise.

I guess I was surprised when my husband proposed, but had kind of expected it and the thought had crossed my mind that he might have done it the weekend he did. All of my pregnancies were planned and I started testing before my period was due as I knew there was a good job I had conceived.

I was thinking how I've never had a completely unexpected and joyful surprise, something I didn't see coming. Something that blew me away.

I would love to hear about a surprise you may have had that was totally out of the blue and not expected, but wonderful.

I was 13 and my friends had arranged a surprise birthday party for me- genuine surprise

my realisation that bbc does not have adverts - I was in late primary when I realised

My birthday 2019. My son had been travelling Australia and came home to surprise me.

He was here for 2 weeks then went away again, that was the last time I saw him. He ended his life in December 2020.

Best surprise of my life, and I'm so glad I had those 2 weeks with him

My DH got me tickets to see Queen - he knows l am a massive fan and just presented me with them on Christmas morning that uear.
And they were fan-fucking-yastic!!!

I'm so sorry to hear this. It sounds like you had a precious two weeks with your son. I'm so sorry.

One that springs to mind. Daughter told me she was going to book us tickets for a concert at Liverpool Proms.

she phoned to tell me she'd booked, but couldn't decide between Jose Carreras (one of his first concerts after her had lukemia) or Paul Simon. Which one did I fancy? I hummed and hawed a bit, and said I couldn't choose, I'd love to go to both of them. She's said "oh, good, cos I've bought tickets for both". They were both unforgettable.

oh another. Mum had decided to give us each some money to have an "experience" . Daughter decided she would like to do the Anfield Tour. She couldn't decide which guide she wanted to go with, all of them being ex Liverpool P!ayers.

She came home from work and told me she'd booked and the guide was one of my favourite ex players (and assistant managers). After I'd stop waxing lyrical about how he was such a fantastic defender, and a real child of Liverpool she said "I'm glad you think so, cos I've got you a ticket as well". Unforgettable.

My daughter is just ace

Thank you, I did, never in a million years did I think it would be the last 😪

When I was 14 my parents took me ( and my sisters) out for breakfast and announced after that we were going to drive to the airport and fly to Cuba for a week. I had never travelled before by plane and had only been to Canada ( my home ) and the USA. I remember it felt surreal and I thought I was going to pass out from the excitement and shock of it .

On the same topic, but not a complete surprise , I asked my husband to plan our honeymoon as a surprise . I had no preferences , gave no hints and was happy to do whatever . I let him pack for me . I knew I was going away but I only found out at the airport where we were going ( South Africa for a safari and then Mauritius for a beach holiday ). I wanted to recreate the feeling I got with the Cuba trip . It wasn’t quite the same but it was so cool and I was genuinely surprised .

Our son. We didn't find out if I was having a boy or a girl as at the scan they couldn't tell. Best surprise ever and he completed our family. Girls run in our family so it was a massive surprise

I was in my 20s and a couple invited me round for dinner. I was friends with the girl, worked with both of them, but they'd never asked me on my own over (a group of us might go out of an evening though).
I went and it was a big surprise birthday party - I really had no clue! My only hint was when she opened the door the room was in darkness behind, then lights on and they all literally jumped out from behind the sofa etc just like in TV. Totally got me.

I'm so sorry, @Goldenboysmum. 💐

Ohh this might be a long one

I was 11 and had a horse on loan but the owner was a bit odd, and she took her back. Obviously I was heartbroken

On Christmas Eve my mum told me I had to go to the stables to give someone a present, I was crying and saying no, I don't want to as I miss my horse and she will be there. She made me go
Got there and my loan horse came out the stable with a giant red bow around her neck. Dad had been approached by the odd owner and managed to buy her for me secretly

Probably when my dad got a "bonus" at work of a paid family holiday to Orlando. The surprise was when he told us rather than being told on the way to the airport or anything like that.

I've never had a proper surprise with finding out at the time though. DH isn't great at keeping secrets so always tells me when he's got me a gift and I knew when he was going to propose. He planned a big thing for my last big birthday that was going well until DC accidentally let slip about something and I worked it out. I didn't let on that I knew though and still acted surprised at everything.

I'm more the type of person who surprises others though. I enjoy doing random acts of kindness and never admitting it was me and I planned a couple of things for my wedding and honeymoon as a surprise for DH. I have the worst poker face for most things but when it comes to a good surprise I'm brilliant at hiding it.

Definitely when my son was born. I hadn’t found out the sex but I had had numerous scans whereby the little legs were wide open and I couldn’t ever see anything. I had previously already had a son who on scans most certainly wasn’t shy about showing us his bits. I also felt just as sick as when I was carrying my daughter so I had totally just assumed we were having a baby girl despite not finding out.

Honestly when he was put into my arms I laughed so much with my husband that I cried. They were tears of laughter and of joy. It truly was a massive surprise.

I love these!!!

I found out the sexes of my babies but that was connected to a previous birth trauma (long story) and would do so again as it was worth it.

Particularly love the one about the pony! Have a mental image of it cantering out with a big red bow!!

Won flights to a far off country I'd never have visited otherwise. Random competition and you know how you usually think, I'll never win but email anyway. Was a great trip!

Finding out the sex of DC4 at birth - lovely surprise!

I don't think I have had a genuine huge pleasant surprise either. There have been a few times where people have done lovely things for me but discussed it in advance, saying 'I know you don't like surprises but what do you think about doing XXX'. This is clearly lovely of them but I've no idea why people assume I'm not someone who would like a surprise.

I do really like surprising other people and my best ones to date are:

• telling the DC we were going for a day out but secretly taking them on holiday (neither guessed even when we parked up at the airport until they saw the cases- DS ,6 at the time, nearly exploded with excitement!)


• Dropping in on an older relative living nearly 300 miles away to let her meet our new baby. She'd had a tough year and wasn't up to travelling but loves little ones so we secretly arranged with her son for her to be in having lunch with him.

I loved horses as a kid
did the whole riding lessons but was forced to give it up a few years later
anyway,years later I was telling my dp (who’s shite at surprises) that I’d love to have one last go on one
didnt think much more to it to be honest
Anyway,my birthday rolled round and I got the usual presents-and one was a slip of paper
it was a voucher for two hours of horse riding at the local riding centre-and it was booked for that day

im a huge fan of only fools and horses
my partner (same bloke!) said we where going for a day out to London to see the Tower of London (We had been the year before but my sd had ruined the day)
we get to London and he was rushing me down the street-to the point we where running
i couldn’t understand why-did we have a slot or something?
we turned a corner-and there,in front of us was the theatre that was showing the musical!
he’d booked tickets-and we had about two minutes to get it and get seated
best show I’ve ever been to

that and finding out the sex of my babies

50th birthday - in the middle of hard lockdown. I came home from work and was planning to wash the windows.

Found DH at home and adult DD. I wasn't allowed to wash the windows (!) but was sent out for a walk with DH while DD cooked. When we came back the room was all decorated and DD had made a video montage of friends sending birthday wishes.

Just as we sat down to eat, an old friend came by unexpectedly with a gift for me, and agreed to join our "bubble" ( he's single and we'd offered before but he hadn't yet said yes). So he was also able to join us for dinner.

It wasn't the 50th birthday I had hoped for but it was totally unexpected and such a good surprise. I felt very loved that day.

My 16 yr old son brought me a new bike with his first wages, l am widowed and not well off, l don't have a car, l was riding round on my old bike that was falling to bits and forever having to walk miles pushing it to be repaired.
It was such a kind gesture and a lovely surprise.

Almost thirty years ago my best friend surprised me with tickets to see Billy Connolly. She'd wrapped a naff gift of artificial nails. I'm so not that type. I hate cards but opened hers as she watched and the tickets were inside.
The concert was on a Monday night. I started work very early so booked a day off for the next day. We decided to go clubbing after the gig, something we would never have done on a week night. There she bumped into her childhood neighbour/brother's friend. He asked for my number.
We were engaged within three months and married in under a year. Not sure I believe in fate but he was a chef and rarely went out on a weekend so the chances of us meeting were slim. The years have flown by and we now have 3DC too.

@Moonface123

That is lovely.

Once had a weird day dream /premonition type encounter I met a man with a particular name who worked in a particular place.

Felt a prompt to go out one evening to a wine bar in town..
Did indeed meet a particular named man who worked in that particular place.
Married with a dc now.
Been nearly 10 years!
Big surprise all round!

When my baby boy was born, 4 scans had told me he was a girl..proper surprise and so lovely (I won't go in to how many people gave me their condolences, fuming about that part)