Monday, February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day!

I am a self-proclaimed, non-apologetic, loving-every-minute-of-it sap! I'm a sucker for a love story. I love sad movies. Nothing squeezes my heart more than a Hallmark commercial. I'm a sap, and proud of it! And it is for this very reason that I LOVE Valentine's Day. I decorate my windows with hearts. I dress myself (and my children) in pink and red. I help Connor and Janelle get valentines ready for their classmates and I send treats for the classroom party. I have a stack of Valentine's Day children's books that I never get tired of reading. This afternoon I'm planning to bake heart-shaped cupcakes for my family, and I'm trying to decide which family favourite dinner to make to celebrate the day. I love Valentine's Day.

Luckily, my husband understands how much I love this day. I have always told him that my favourite gift from him is not having to plan our Valentine's Day celebration. He knows that I love to be surprised. Last Thursday he called and told me to book a babysitter because we were going to have an early Valentines dinner. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a sitter, but he brought Chinese food home after the kids were in bed instead. Saturday afternoon I went down to the kitchen and found a heart-shaped box of chocolates and a box of Turtles, along with a very sappy card. He knows how much I will treasure that sappy card! I'll probably keep it displayed on my dresser until next February! But what I really love about my husband is that this morning I sat down in my favourite reading chair and found another Valentine card, this one absolutely hilarious! He knew I needed the sappy card, but he couldn't help but buy me the funny one, too. That's one of the reasons I love him.

Chris and I have celebrated 17 Valentine's Days together. But it is the one before we started celebrating together that I always think about when February 14th rolls around. Valentine's Day 1994. We had gone on one date the previous summer, and I had made it pretty clear that I wasn't very interested in another one (I know — I am a very lucky girl to have gotten him back after the way I treated him that year!) He steered clear of me through the fall, but after a chance meeting in an airport at Christmas time he was on my mind again. He started showing up in my neck of the woods more often again, and we rebuilt a bit of a friendship through the winter. He knew I was a little timid, and I'm sure he didn't want to risk rejection again, so he didn't ask me out. But on February 14th he surprised me. My friend and I travelled to and from work together, and when we arrived back at my house that evening, there was a flower delivery person there to greet us. But he didn't just have a rose for me. He had one for my friend, too. From Chris. That melted my heart and hers. Chris knew that sending a rose to both of us would be less scary for me (and buttering up my friend didn't hurt either), and I realized how very sweet of him it was to think of doing that. I called him and thanked him, and I think that was the real beginning of "us". He has been every bit as sweet on every Valentine's Day since, but that is the one I always think of on this day. That is my Valentine's Day love story.

If you have a Valentine's Day love story, I'd love to hear it! The more sickenly romantic the better! Remember, I'm a sap — I'll eat it up!

4 comments:

  1. Loved reading your Valentine's post. You have a very thoughtful hubby! This year I told my valentine that I would look after making plans - so we went out for dinner and a movie. We had a really nice evening together and he even surprised me with a necklace from What on Earth and a really sweet card. :)

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  2. I miss What on Earth! Love their jewellry! I bet it's beautiful. We're both lucky girls!

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  3. How did you make heart shaped cupcakes? Do you have the muffin pans? I had wanted to buy t=some from Regal once but they were out and I've never seen them since! I always think of them on Valentine's Day though even though I have heart shaped/ love themed everything else - cake pans, pizza pan, tart maker, egg/pancake mold, ice/jello jiggler molds, "love" spoon chocolate molds, rose chocolate box mold, cookie cutters, valentine's dessert plates! I guess you could say I love Valentine's Day also. I wrote an entry about it even with pics. Glad you have such a thoughful guy. You know I do too. :)

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  4. Oh, I also have Pampered Chef's heart shape bread tube as well. Yeah, I'm a sucker for heart day too!

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