I do love you....still

Saturday was Valentine's Day at the Sherman household, and love was in the air! But before we talk about this year's celebration....I wanted to take a tiny stroll down memory lane (indulge me):

I don't have many pictures of us before 2001 (the year we went digital), so my first snapshot to share was from February 2002. This was taken at a Valentine's Dinner hosted by a friend from Sunday School. Wow...do we look young or what? And yes, that IS a maternity dress I am wearing. I was pregnant with Kate. Speaking of...

This was taken at that picture place when Kate was only seven months old. What a funny face she is making! I'm sure she is gonna thank me for this picture when she is older.

Valentine's Day, 2004. Everyone knows the way to a man's heart...FOOD. Bryan loved his cookie cake. And Katelyn enjoys her first Valentine's Day party at Rachel's house. She was lovin' some Elmo at the time.

This is the only picture I have from Valentine's 2005. This was taken at another party thrown by Rachel. I think Bryan and I were living at my parent's house...waiting for our new house to be built.

Crazy what a difference a year can make! On February 14, 2006, I was taking care of a three-week old infant. Isn't Aaron just too cute? Look at that little grin...I could just eat him up. And of course, his big sister was too busy playing dress-up to bother with a photo shoot!

Valentine's Day, 2007. I finally got the two of them to pose for a picture together. Really, this is one of the FEW photos I have of both of them together...smiling, AND looking at the camera. This made my day!

Lastly (and sadly), here is one of the few photos I have from last year's Valentine's Day. Yep...a random shot I took of the kids jumping on MY bed. What can I say? Sometimes they just don't slow down for anything! But, hey-look at how much fun they are having. I hope that's how they remember their childhood.


Now, on to this year's Valentine's Day. You may have noticed from the pictures alone, that over the past few years, Bryan and I have shifted our focus from spending time together as a couple, to making it a fun day for the kids. This year, we did a little of both. Valentine's started a little early for us--when Bryan walked through the door on Friday afternoon with a dozen red roses. How thoughtful! He also gave Kate one long-stemmed pink rose, surrounded with baby's breath. She was just as excited as her Mommy!

The next morning, Bryan and I set out the kids' candy and cards on the breakfast table. When they came down for breakfast, they were very happy to see their Valentine's Day treats. Kate said, "I was hoping that there would be something for us on the table...and there was!" Aaron and Katelyn wanted to eat their lollipops BEFORE breakfast. And guess what? We let them!


After breakfast, we all took a family trip to the mall. It was SO crowded, but Daddy played with the kids while he gave Mommy a chance to do a little shopping. Thank you Bryan for allowing me a few minutes to browse. That was a true gift! It was a pretty day, so we ate our Chick-fila outside.

Later that afternoon, Kelsey came over to babysit our kids. That's right-Bryan and I were going out on a date. I was looking forward to some alone time with my favorite person.

I don't think Bryan was quite ready for the picture, but I promise, he was a happy participant.
Since we didn't have dinner reservations, we decided to try and beat the crowds by going to dinner early. We drove downtown to one of our favorite Italian restaurants, 518 West.

Not only were they able to seat us immediately, but they gave us a quiet little table for two. Perfect! Bring on the Cabernet Sauvignon and the oil & vinegar.

Bryan and I had such a good time, eating some great food, and just being able to relax and laugh together. This was exactly what we needed.

Hey...what are you taking a picture of? The fountain in the background? It was such a neat place...very cozy atmosphere and perfect for conversation. The service was great and our food came out amazingly fast. Excuse me while I finish my dinner...


Here we are outside of 518 West, self-portrait #214.

And....since my favorite little cupcake place is only a BLOCK away from 518, we just had to stop by for dessert.
While it was busy at The Cupcake Shoppe (yeah Sara!), most people were ordering cupcakes "to go". Bryan & I decided to dine-in and stay for awhile...you know, enjoy all the sights, smells...oh yeah, and the CUPCAKES. Bryan tried the Simply Cinnamon while I devoured my Chocolate Truffle. By the way, we tried the coffee there, and it was delicious!

Laughing and having fun!!! I was so thankful that we got this opportunity to be a couple again...to remember how much we enjoy spending time together, just the two of us.

I love you honey! Thanks for giving me such a lovely Valentine's Day. You are the ONLY person that I want to grow old with, and I treasure our marriage.