Celebrate Love Daily

Justin and I never got into the whole Valentine's Day celebration. Sometimes we will make dinner together, but we never spend hundreds of dollars on each other + go out to dinner + drink imported wine from Chile that costs $20 per sip.

In fact, our very first Valentine's Day was hilarious. It was a winter storm (similar to right now) and Ball State had actually closed down the campus. Justin, being the procrastinator that he is, didn't go to the store to get the food to make me dinner. So, he borrowed a co-workers car, drove to the store and then hiked to my house from his dorms. When he arrived, he had roses too.

Then we made dinner together. But really, my only responsibility was to make the Alfredo noodles. It was the bag kind that has the power + you add milk. Let me just tell you, that it ended up being an Alfredo SOUP! It said, add a cup of milk -- so I grabbed a large up from the cabinet, filled it up and dumped it in.

Salmon, steak, steamed veggies, garlic bread and my famous Alfredo soup.

Needless to say, we agreed we'd rather celebrate love daily. For this reason, I was a little shocked when he came up to me on Sunday afternoon and handed me a Valentine. He then ran away like a 7-year-old boy would after he gave his elementary crush a card. He peaked his head around the corner and watched a smile instantly come to my face as I read, "There are 24 more Valentines hidden. Find them all, we go out for dinner (your choice) for V-day. Maybe even a terrible Katherine Heigel movie, too."

I was really sick all weekend. In my office, we had the flu, strep throat and sinus infections going around - I think I got the lucky combination of all three.

I started to search around the house and found my first one, "To: My Soulmate." Each Valentine had a different name for me. I would get so excited to open up the Valentine and see what word or nickname he picked to describe me. My heart melted nearly every single time and a few times I laughed out loud.

• To: My Inspiration
• To: My Facebook Whore
• To: My Best Friend
• To: My Boo
• To: My Future Author
• To: My 1 & Only
• To: Miss New Booty
• To: Mommy (from paw print aka Bandit) - I found this one in Bandit's treats! :)
• To: My 1 Love From: Justin (Bieber)
• To Future Mommy From: Cooper
• To Future Mommy From : Avery

These are just a few of my favorites.

"Babe, I don't even know how I can be sick when I am this happy!" I said to him and grabbed his hand while driving to my work meeting. He looked over at smiled at me, lifted my hand to his lips and kissed them.

***

This morning, I was getting ready to leave for work and I asked Justin to make me coffee.

"Why don't you make ME coffee?" He asked.

"UMMMM hello- I have to go to work. I don't get a snow day! So will you please make me coffee?" I said with a snarky tone, bitter about traveling to work in these weather conditions.

He smiled and said, "No- why don't you make the coffee?"

"Justin, I haveeeee toooo gooooo toooo," and then the light bulb went off. That's where the "hard to find" Valentine was hidden.

I rushed over and found it in the coffee maker.

"And since I forgot where I hid the other one, you win!" Justin said.

"WHOAAA!!! I am so excited! I won!"

"Yeah, but I helped you..." he said.

I gave him a kiss and skipped off to work. But when I think of it, I am not surprised about his cute gesture. This is simply part of our agreement, to celebrate love daily.

Much love,
Ashley