What time is it?

(teen girl squad)

I know Valentines Day was so two days ago, but this week has been way too busy for me to keep up. (I am currently running on 3 hours of sleep. and a total of 8 hours in the last 48.) It turns out today is actually a special day for us anyway, so it works out.

Four years ago, today, Chris came home from college for President's Day Weekend. This was the weekend that we realized we couldn't live without each other.

We dated for a year in high school until September came around. Then he was gone. Thousands of miles away. Having a blast at college while I was stuck finishing up my senior year. I was miserable. After five long months of being apart we both felt like something was missing. We decided to try out the long distance relationship thing.

After that day there was a spiraling turn of events filled with goodbyes and i miss yous. We knew that if we kept this relationship going now, it would only be more goodbyes in the future (a mission.) Those three years were filled with many emotions and unexpected twists. I had some of my very best times in those years, and some of my very worst. I didn't always think Chris was the one for me during those years, or even right when he returned. About five months after he returned from Mexico I realized that I had always known. Ironically, the date was very similar to todays.

***

It seems like we are alternating when we celebrate the day of love each year. (That makes it easier for busy schedules, right?) Last year we celebrated February 16--I rewrote a flight of the conchords song with a lot of our inside jokes--it was awesome. This year we celebrated Valentines Day. I bought tons of chocolates to have around the house and Chris planned the perfect date for a week night. Not too lovey-dovey, but not thrown together at the last minute. Even though we were swarmed with homework and projects and tests, we reserved the night for some steak dinnnerrrrr at the Outback Steakhouse. My favorite.

The plan was to eat and get back home to finish some assignments. After we sat down I grabbed the pile of coasters at the edge of the table and started playing with them. I spread them out so I could play a game with Chris and to my surprise found two tickets for The Vow. Chris had somehow sneakily slid them in there. It is a Big deal if someone can surprise me. I mean BIG. I am always expecting the unexpected--even in the weirdest of circumstances. And if someone tries to surprise me, I usually just fake it. It's a curse. But that night I was very surprised. Even though it was something super small, I loved it.

Chris had been very vocal that he did not want to see that movie unless it was in the dollar theater. He even suggested that I see it with a few girlfriends. Lucky for him that didn't work out, because the day before Valentines Day he decided to try and surprise me. The part that tipped it off was that we had just found out that his brother was taking his wife to see The Vow and so I was teasing him about not taking me. Little did I know.

I won't say anything about the movie itself in case anyone who is reading this hasn't seen it. I hate hate hate when a story is spoiled. But I will say that I loved our date! It was amazingly simple and romantic. I hope you had a great Valentines Day, too!

This was supposed to post last week.

xoxo