Valentine’s Day: five years ago…

…was my LAST FIRST date!

We were just two buddies on the same track team when one day Jeff asked me on a Valentine’s date!

He took me to the fancy Tuscany Italian Restaurant in Lexington, VA for some yummy alfredo pasta…

…and he’s been chasing after me ever since! …ha ha… [confession: in this picture, Jeff is about to lap me for the…7th or 8th time in the 10k race, but I like to think I’m winning!]

Valentine’s Day 2007:  We were at SVU living in our almost 200 square foot “Pad” and finishing our undergrad degrees. We celebrated the day of love with a heart cookie (baked in a friend’s oven since we had only a hot plate in the Pad).

Valentine’s Day 2008: We were in the middle of our 100 day trip across Europe. On the 14th, we were on an all-night train traveling from southern France to fair Verona, Italy so we could go to the theater. We didn’t really do anything in particular to celebrate on Valentine’s Day that year. But going to Italy counts as a celebration in my book!

Valentine’s Day 2009: We were living in the attic of the gift shop at the historic Boone Home in Defiance, MO. We went on our date to the Arch in St. Louis! [we’re inside it at the top of the arch in this picture]

Valentine’s Day 2010: Jay was 9 months old, and we were living in College Place near Walla Walla, WA. Jeff was working on his M.A.T. while I worked on my MOM.

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, we re-lived our first date and made alfredo pasta for dinner at home (after Jay was in bed). Dessert was a big, fresh cookie with ice cream melting on top. Favorite. Then we had our own little dance in the living room. It was a 1-song dance, since we aren’t big on dancing. Then we watched Peter Pan.

Valentine’s Day 2011: We’re living in Grandview, WA in a HOUSE, Jay is almost 2, and Rose is 1 week old! We had a family dinner with our “traditional” alfredo noodles (the sauce was the best we’ve ever made, thanks to Julia Child). Then we put Jay to bed and ate a two-person sized warm cookie with ice cream melting on top, just like last year. YUM. We watched a Netflix episode of the best Superman show ever: The Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (from the mid 1990’s with Dean Cain and Terri Hatcher). By then, Rose was fed and sleeping, so her tired mommy went straight to bed too.

I LOVE MY KIDS!

I LOVE MY HUSBAND!

Happy Heart Day!