Thirteen Year Later

1998

Thirteen year ago Doug and I had our first Valentine's Day. We had been dating for a few months and he surprised me by taking me to San Francisco. There were two parts to my surprise.

First we went to the Starlight Room, with amazing city views, at the top of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. We had a couple of drinks, and a really good conversation. I vividly remember talking about happiness, and how I felt in that moment.

Next we walked down the street to the St. Francis hotel where he said, "Let's check-in, I need to drop something off before dinner." When we arrived in the room, he had a arranged a private dinner for two in a suite. We ate filet mignon, champagne and creme brulee.

It was a perfect night!

I wanted to recount this story so when I've lost my memory, with our soon to be three kids, I'll remember what life used to be like.

2011

I arrived home to find two very excited little Valentine boys. The third was running a few minutes late, and said he would be home shortly. We had a date planned for the four us.

Our plan....Pizza My Heart and the new G-rated movie Gnomeo and Juliet.

When Doug arrived home, he hurried upstairs to have the boys sign my newly purchased Valentine cards. (I'm always surprised the store has any left.) Nathan handed me the pretty bouquet of Tulips Doug purchased. (I made sure to put my request for flowers in early this year. The Tulips were a surprise.)

As we sat down to eat our slices of pizza, I had a flashback to 1998. The conversation was very different, as were the drinks, but the feeling I had was very much the same.

It was a perfect night!

Thirteen year later Valentine's Day had no major surprises, but these days that's a good thing!