Valentine's Day 2010

As I am writing this blogpost and remembering yesterday I find myself giving this huge sigh of...... contentment....... absolute and total bliss and contentment! My only disappointment is that I forgot my camera :-(

I was sad that Bass had to work but excited about the day anyway. Falling on my favorite day of the week it started with an awesome worship service that was made even more so by the attendance of our good friends the Dawsons, who now live in Tacoma. I was sad again that Bass was at work and unable to meet them but he and I and the kids will go visit them in March over spring break. I LOVED hearing our church family telling Paula about what a wonderful man Bass is, how they can see how happy he makes us, and how they have given their blessing to our upcoming marriage. Paula and I talked a bit about what a miracle it was that God gave me such a gift at this stage of my life and even more so that I was able to find the courage to accept it and trust it after all I have been through. After church we went to lunch with the Dawsons and the Case family.

After lunch I dropped the twins off for a sleepover birthday party and headed to Kennewick for the beginnings of our Valentine celebration. I bought a dozen gorgeous red roses. I had borrowed the sweetest picnic basket from my friend Melissa and called ahead to order take out from Olive Garden to pack in it for Bass's dinner break. As I walked into the store I could hear his staff making comments about "oh how sweet! There is "Bass's chick" (love that!) and she has a picnic and roses for him". (They are mostly a fairly young staff LOL) I was escorted to Bass by one of the young men who work at Macy's. The smile that lit up his face when he turned and saw me was all the gift I needed for the day. Then as his eyes took in the roses and picnic basket he was positively beaming. I love that I was able to surprise him this way. To make the afternoon even better after a "picnic" (ravioli portabello and white chocolate raspberry cheesecake) in the food court we went strolling through the mall. We ran into some old friends of Bass's who had not seen him for about 2 years. I loved hearing them tell him how great he looked..... how HAPPY he looked..... and how nice it was to see him looking so happy :-)

After he closed the store at 7 we headed back to Pendleton for his valentine gift to me..... 9pm dinner reservations at Cimmyotti's. We were the last customers in the restaurant and everything was perfect.... right down to the roses waiting on the table! I had not been to Cimmyotti's since they reopened with new owners. It is still very elegant looking and the food and service were excellent. Our waiter was so attentive right down to refilling my wine glass each time it was empty. We started with appetizers of calamari and crab cakes along with their wonderful bread with warm dipping oil. Bass had prawns and linguine and I had the linguine with clams and white garlic sauce. YUMMY!. I even got to give Bass his first taste of clams (which surprised me since he LOVES seafood).

After dinner I gave him the rest of his gifts from me...... An altered 12x12 "LOVE" collage frame done with photos from our engagement shoot and love quotes and a hand made card with a love letter inside. I love how he was not embarrassed to show how these gifts touched his heart. I would share a picture but he took them with him because he wanted to show everyone at work today :-)

What a positively perfect and magical day! Thank you God for all the blessings in my life.