McDonalds and rose petals....remember when...

This morning I laid in my bed, tears slipped down my cheeks as my mind flooded with old memories...sweet memories. It's funny how this little "love project" I have taken on has reminded me of so many moments in time between Erik and I.
It was Valentine's Day eight years ago...I worked an evening shift at Dutch Mother's. Erik stopped by to say he was taking the girls to McDonald's for dinner and would have them tucked in bed when I got home. I remember feeling exhausted and hoping not a lot would be "expected" of me when I got home. I opened the door and smiled...rose petals sprinkled all down the hallway, all over the bed, a hundred floated in the bubble bath that awaited me. Music was playing softly, there was a pretty "something" hanging on the towel rack for me to slip into after my bath. A glass of wine sat by the tub and every candle in my house was lit and leading the path to each of those romantic destinations. Anyone who knows me well, knows that's a lot of candles! It was such a sweet night. All the ladies reading this go, AAAWWWWWWW...so sweet. But, my favorite part of the story is when one of the "sleeping" children (Taya, who was just about 3 at the time) snuck into the bathroom while I trying to savour every second of peace and quiet. She said, "Daddy took us to Donalds for Balentine's dinner". I said, "I know he is such a sweet daddy". She told me that first they had to stop and buy flowers so they could help daddy break them all. Break them all? I suddenly realized the moment I was enjoying had just become one I would always cherish. Erik had spent 3 hours in the McDonald's playland plucking rose petals with our girls. I didn't have the heart to tell him that the florist will do that for you for half the price of buying 2 dozen roses and "doing it yourself" or that you could buy a package of 200 faux petals at Michaels for $3.99. I just sat in that tub with all those bubbles and petals and felt so very loved. Taya sat by the tub, swishing her little fingers back and forth in the water whispering (so she didn't get caught by dad and sent back to bed), "do you just love these broken flowers mama?" I did. I loved every one of them. The story got cuter when she told me that all the mommys in the play area started to help her daddy for the big surprise and they think that I got to marry the "Bery Best Balentine!" Even now, there are so many parts of that Valentine's day that I loved. I loved that he shared that moment with our kids and they were so excited helping with the big surprise. I loved that he personally "broke" each one of those flowers for me. I loved that it mattered so much that I remembered it again this morning!

Idea #3
I think I am going to write a "remember when" journal. We have exchanged morning notes back and forth almost every day since we were first married so I can probably convince him to participate. I think it would be so much fun to look back and be reminded of precious moments we gave each other. I doubt he knows how much that day really meant to me. I'm sure there are things I could be reminded of that made him feel really loved as well. I think I will drag out some dating photos and tuck them in there too. Just a book that can go back and forth between him and me. I think I will love "remembering when"...Happy Loving!