my valentine

As I've pointed out before (in regards to "preserving" my memories of Malcolm's babyhood), I go all the way when it comes to documenting and keeping little mementos of the past.

For example ...

I have every greeting card my husband ever sent to me during my four years away at college ... And there are quite a few of them because we celebrated every "month" as another anniversary! I know, I know. That's a LOT of cards ... A LOT of cards, with a LOT of writing in them ... We liked to make them personal (you've got to get your money's worth when you're sending that many cards).

I have all the handwritten tags that came with bouquets of flowers.

I have the movie ticket stub from our very first date.

I have more corny photographs than I should probably admit (and that I certainly WILL NOT post).

I also have this:


This is a scan of a page from my 2003-2004 school planner ... My senior year of college.

As you can see ... A week after my "Micro Exam," but about a week before my "53 Month Anniversary," on March 25th, 2004 (at precisely 9:56 as indicated by the pink heart) my then-boyfriend got down on his knee in my dorm room and asked me to be his wife.

I said "yes" and the rest (as they say) is history.

This Valentine's Day won't be much different from any of the others we have spent since we began dating ...

We won't go out to fight the crowds at a local fancy restaurant.

We won't get dressed up and take in a show.

Instead, we'll make a nice dinner together and spend the evening in with our amazing son ...

Then I'll get some chocolate lava cake, my husband's signature dessert.

And (of course) I'll put the inevitable Valentine greeting card into the box with all the other memorabilia ...