Meet Abner.

He’s my “new” donkey!

He’s actually not all that new, just sort of new to me.

Abner is a precious two year old Sicilian donkey, who came to me as a gift.

A gift, you say? Who gives donkeys for a gift?

ThrillCam gave him to me for my birthday!!

I know, I know…most girls get blingy things or gift certificates to their favorite store, spa treatments…

Not me.

I get donkeys.

Now wait.

Let me defend my husband, lest you think Abner is an awful gift.

My husband is an extremely good gift-giver. He always gives items that have a great amount of thought behind them, something I’ve said I wanted, something that has meaning attached to it.

(I, on the other hand, am an awful gift-giver…I try so hard, but it never comes off the way I want it to.)

(Except for this past Christmas! I done good, y’all!! Maybe I’ll talk about that in another post.)

Back to Abner.

Background: two and half years or so ago, before we moved to our little sliver of acreage, out in the country, I said, almost incessantly, that I wanted a donkey when we moved and had the space.

All three of the males in my family would roll their eyes and say how goofy that idea was and immediately break into, “And, in the mornin,’ I’m makin’ waffles!” 

(Thank you, Donkey, from Shrek.)

I held my ground. I never let up on the dream to own a donkey.

I even posted pictures on my Pinterest boards, declaring my love for all things donkey. (That, y’all, is commitment.)

My donkey dream did not become a reality immediately.

In fact, it took two and half years to come to fruition.

On November 30, 2014, around dusk, I get a call from my husband who says, “Please come outside.”

Okay…

I walk out, see the horse trailer, and think, “He needs help with a new cow, I guess.”

As the light dims outside, I see my husband wearing an unsure grin, as he points to the trailer and sheepishly says, “The day is almost over, but, Happy birthday!”

There inside the trailer, is the cutest, most precious, big-eyed and big-eared donkey you could ever imagine!

And, he’s all mine!

Honestly, y’all…

It was the most perfect birthday gift from an almost perfect husband.