Valentines

5.) Valentine’s Day is coming…share a favorite Valentine’s tradition

I’m not really double dipping at the inspiration trough this week. It’s just a coincidence that I have something to say on the topic.

Valentine’s holds a special place in my shared history with DH. It’s very, very rare that he misses it. And that being said, he has a 2:30 flight that day to go to a training course.

We had our first date at a Valentine’s Masquerade Ball–that I invited him to as second choice just so that I could flirt with another guy. Classy, I know. Especially considering he drove over two hours to take me to the ball and had to leave at midnight. But he kissed me goodnight and thought about me all the way home. We didn’t actually start dating until seven months later.

I believe our first Valentine’s as a married couple was at a Sweetheart Dinner at church. The teens were our waiters. Over the years we went to several of these. The entertainment was the Newly Wed Game as only church people can play it. One year the question was “Which Bible person does your husband remind you of most?” I was pregnant and had a total brain fade–you’d think I would have said Noah with the whole on a boat connection. Nope. And I won’t embarrass him (a second time) and tell what I really said. But I could not believe the number of wives who missed even more obvious answers–like the woman married to JOHN didn’t come up with JOHN… or Mark or Peter. Duh. At least I could blame pregnancy brain and my husband’s name isn’t Noah.

During my second pregnancy I had got bad heartburn from peppers and onions though I craved Mexican and the hosts we so kind as to cook a batch of fajita meat sans peppers and onions just for me before cooking the rest.

I didn’t mind this loud and close quarters events with family and friends. It was actually kind of fun trying to win the game and be the couple that knows each other best. Not to mention learning some interesting details about the couple sitting next to you in the pew. All in good fun, all in good fun!

Some of my favorite and more intimate Valentine’s were a surprise from DH. Neither of us wanted to go out to over crowded and over priced restaurants. Not romantic, not our idea of pleasure either. It was most likely our second Valentine’s. DH has seen an ad for a 4-course meal at a local establishment not usually open in the evenings. It was just a little cafe open for street traffic in a historic antique shopping district. This 4-course meal would also only cost pennies and limited to three seatings in a very small restaurant ensured the volume would be kept to a minimum of only a dozen couples at a time. And the food was to die for! We enjoyed this tradition a few years, even going back once when we moved away, dropping the children off with grandparents for some free babysitting.

Two years ago DH was at sea one of the very rare times. I decided to host a Sweetheart Dinner of my own for our new congregation. It was a great deal of work and I missed DH and his calm, steady, get everything done way. I was most relaxed that whole day while I was decorating by myself for three hours. A good time was had by all and the Newly Wed Game was a hit with this crowd too. I do remember calling him from Wal-Mart with a new Dust Buster in my hand to tell him, “Thanks for the Dust Buster! It’s just what I wanted!” The guys on the ship want to know how he gets away with this. LOL

We were supposed to host it again, together, last year. Unfortunately a late snow storm derailed plans. This year a family game night has been planned and that would have allowed us to share an evening with the children as well. DH and I probably would go out for lunch while the children are in school and avoid all the noisy crowds that way. With a 2:30 flight maybe it will have to be a brunch or something on the way. It’s not like we had any big plans or would do something outlandish and we don’t even exchange gifts, but considering DH missed our 15th wedding anniversary and we haven’t gotten to celebrate it yet I was kind of hoping this help make up for that. I guess we’ll just have to pick another day, perhaps the 11th and have even smaller crowds to contend with.

It’s been a while since DH has had some uninterrupted at-home time. The timing of this training stinks. He is scheduled for even more in March–but I’m hoping to go with him. Crossing my fingers and hoping not to jinx myself!