smitten

I am smitten.  As my husband's grandfather would say, I've got the bug.

Twelve years ago my then-boyfriend borrowed a two-seater table, two place settings, and white table linens from his uncle's restaurant and set it up in his dorm room.  He ordered Chinese take-out and served me a candlelit dinner for our first Valentine's Day together.  We also went to see the play Tartuffe at our university's student theater that weekend.

Through good times and bad, that's what love is all about.

Eleven years ago I made him dinner at my apartment.  It would turn out to be one of many horrible meals I'd serve him during our years together. 

Through good times and bad, that's what love is all about.

Ten years ago graduation was fast approaching and we were looking for jobs.  We didn't have a lot of cash to spend on big celebrations. I think this is the year that we went to the Madrigal Dinner Theater at the University Student Center.

Through good times and bad, that's what love is all about.

Nine years ago I was so desperate to get married and was tired of only talking about it.  I thought that I
*might* get a ring for Valentine's Day since I urged my boyfriend to propose before my March 5th birthday.  He was living an hour and a half away and we only saw each other on weekends because we both worked full-time.  I don't remember what we did that year, but I do know that we didn't get engaged until March 9th.

Through good times and bad, that's what love is all about.

Eight years ago we were still planning our fall wedding and needed a break.  My sister and I bought tickets to see Blast! at the Fox Theater in Atlanta.  We made a weekend trip to Georgia to see the show and made a little time to do some other touristy things like visit The World of Coca Cola and get yelled at by homeless people trying to bum cigarettes.

Through good times and bad, that's what love is all about.

Seven years ago we celebrated our first Valentine's Day as a married couple.  It's getting hard to remember, but I believe this was the year that we celebrated at Centennial Station a local theater where they serve dinner and put on a show.  It was a nice quiet evening and it would be fun to go back sometime, but unfortunately the place closed. 

Through good times and bad, that's what love is all about.

This is where it starts to get really fuzzy.  Uhhhh... wish I hadn't stopped using those darn Wolfwise calendars... six years ago we...did what?  Obviously not something too memorable.

Through good times and bad, that's what love is all about.

Let's just skip five years ago, shall we?

Through good times and bad, that's what love is all about.

Four years ago we were preparing for the birth of our first child.  We had no idea what was in store for us.  We spent the month of February getting ready for her arrival and tying up loose ends like maternity leave lesson plans, writing thank you notes for gifts, and completing the nursery.  Valentine's week we went out to dinner with my sister and brother-in-law and Jonathan gave me the adorable NC State crib mobile I had been coveting.  After all, our soon-to-be family of three is what life had become consumed with.

Through good times and bad, that's what love is all about.

Three years ago my husband babysat so that I could go with my mom and sister to our Stamp Club.  He also kept the little girl so I could run three miles as I was desperately trying to lose pregnancy weight.  We celebrated Valentine's Day at a Teacher Appreciation Dinner offered by the parent's of students at my school and that weekend we were in my sister-in-law's wedding.

Through good times and bad, that's what love is all about.

Two years ago he headed to work late after he went to "Donuts for Dad" at his daughter's preschool.  Then he spent one evening at an award dinner for work, work that he faithfully went to each day so that I could stay home with Jules.

Through good times and bad, that's what love is all about.

By this time last year we had just found out that I was pregnant again.  The week of Valentine's Day I was exhausted and working two part-time jobs.  He helped me with a couple mystery shops and went to a preschool open house at Julianna's school with me one evening. 

Through good times and bad, that's what love is all about.

This year he volunteered his time and energy to keep a bunch of kids so I could do something I wanted to do.  He ran to pick up Julianna from dance one evening so I wouldn't have to go back out in the cold.  He put an ornery baby to bed late several nights in a row so that I could go to bed despite the fact that he would have to get up early and leave for work the next day and I wouldn't.  He worked and worked several evenings in a row after dinner on his own stuff for work and he still made time for all of us as well.

Through good times and bad, that's what love is all about.

We've had some good times.  I am smitten.  I've got the bug.  I love you, Booger.  Happy Valentine's Day.