V-Day :) (LATE!)

Disclaimer: Totally thought I posted this last week. Totally. did. not. Sorry! Here's my late V-Day post! Enjoy!

Is Valentine's Day your favorite holiday? It's not mine. It's not my least favorite holiday, just not my favorite. It's cute, the kids have a lot of fun, and it's a good excuse to eat some chocolate, for sure! Maybe I don't like it because it's so close to my birthday, or maybe because I am over the winter months, or maybe because I fantasize about a perfect romantic evening with my husband, that would really never happen. Not in the "perfect" way I think about it. You always think back to the beginning of your relationship. For us, that was high school.

There wasn't a whole lot going on then in the romance department, but I remember as soon as I moved to Minneapolis in 2001 the romance was kicked up a million notches. I received letters from him a lot, with sweet words that I won't mention because I don't want to embarrass him. He visited as much as he could, he rode his motorcycle through the rain once for 6 hours (one way!)  just to see me for 2 days. He brought me Rosie's Pizza (my favorite from home). He brought me my favorite cereal. He bought me a sno-cone machine so I could have "Rainbow Snow" in Minneapolis. He moved to Minneapolis to be with me in September, only 3 months after I left. That said a lot to me about how he felt. He transferred stores, dropped out of school (with the promise that he would finish, and he did.) and changed his entire life so that we could be together. At such a young age, I know everyone thought we were crazy. And I would say the same thing to Callie if she told me she was going to move in with her boyfriend right out of high school. If Tanner quit college for some girl, I would NOT be happy, and I am sure that is how my now mother in law felt. But he did go back. He did finish. He kept his promise. And I remember being so proud of him, and I still am.

We moved into a one bedroom townhouse style apartment. Our rent was $800 a month for a tiny apartment. Looking back now, I don't know how we did it. We were poor. I was going to school for 25 hours a week, working 30-40 hours a week, and he was working full time. We were living off of love and ramen noodles! We didn't have cable. Our favorite show? Supermarket Sweep, of course. I wish that was still on. We always said we would kick butt if we ever went on that show, and I still believe it!

After I finished school, we moved back to his hometown. Our rent was only $450 for a two bedroom, much bigger apartment! We spent a few years there before getting married and moving to Omaha in 2005. We had Callie in 2007, bought our first house in 2009, and had Tanner in 2010! No babies for us in 2011! 2012.... maybe :)

So here we are today, two beautiful children, our own home, both working and not living paycheck to paycheck anymore. I always dreamed of this day. But part of me does miss the spontaneity that comes when you don't have children to take care of and a mortgage to pay. And the long distance notes that truly came from the heart, the thoughtfulness of Rosie's pizza that is 6 hours old, and Supermarket Sweep. But I wouldn't change my life for anything. Our romance is scheduled dates every few months where we talk about the kids, "luv u" in a text message, and quick kiss before work. I cuddle with my kids a lot more than I cuddle with my husband. But neither of us would have it any other way.