In celebration of Valentine's Day, I thought I'd just write a little something.
How we celebrated:
On Valentine's Eve, Josh got a fabulous babysitter and we went out (with Mia) to dinner at probably the best restaurant we have eaten at since we arrived in Italy, and it was only 5 minutes down the road! It was perfectly delicious. He had the most beautiful card for me with his inner most thoughts and feelings about me hand written inside. All it said was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. No really, he did write me a lengthy note about how much I mean to him...blah blah gushy gushy.
Seriously though, Josh has been given the gift of words (on paper..lol). He can express himself so beautifully in a card or letter. I've got a whole box full of 12 years worth of cards and notes to prove it. I keep them because one day, when I am long gone, I want there to be tactile proof for my children to see how much their daddy loved their mommy.
He also surprised me with an unnecessary but cherished gift: A Tiffany's necklace! Can a girl get any more lucky?
So here it is, the meat and potatoes of this post: UNSOLICITED RELATIONSHIP ADVICE:
I usually don't give advice or opinions unless asked. Probably because I have been given unwanted and unsolicited advice in the past and it usually annoys me. So I try not to annoy others. But just in case you've been dying to know the secrets to a happy marriage, strong relationship, or landing the mate of your dreams...READ ON!
Josh and I have been a "couple" for 12 years now! We are coming up on our 6 year wedding anniversary. We have been through a lot together and so I like to think I know the tiniest bit about being in a relationship and what it takes to make it work.
Here are a few lessons I have learned.
1. Don't judge a book by its cover.
When Josh first showed interest in me, I really wanted nothing to do with him. I even tried telling him that I didn't want to get involved with him because of his "bad boy" image. Ok, that last part was a joke, But I really did tell him I didn't want to be with him and my excuse was because he was going off to college to the fall and I didn't want a long distance relationship. As a freshman in high school, I KNEW what I did and didn't want. haha. Josh basically let my request go in one ear and out the other, which leads me to number 2.
2. Don't take "No" for an answer.
Well....let me clarify fellas (for my millions of male readers). "No" means "No!"," but sometimes you just need a little persistence in the right situation. In our case, persistence paid off for Josh. So did roses, lavish gifts, and extravagant dinners at Applebee's.
3. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate, and Procreate!
I CANNOT tell you how important communication is! Holy Toledo! TALK to each other, if it bothers, angers, annoys, upsets, disappoints, humiliates, or embarrasses you, TALK about it. Make the best effort to TALK about it. Don't fly off the handle, raise voices, or throw a hissy fit. Talk calmly about your feelings. On the other side of it, let it be known when you appreciate, love, adore, are impressed, are pleased, or are thankful.
And Procreate! Children are a blessing from above, and they have only made our relationship stronger. Now, don't go gettin' knocked up, because I said it will make your relationship better. That would be bad. I'm just saying having children takes a relationship to a whole new level and you depend and rely on the other so much more that is changes the dynamic, from my experience, in a good way. I also say Procreate because it is fun to try...."EWWW gross!" (In the voice of my former 10 year old self) Moving on.
That is about all I can think of on such a whim of a blog and my creativity has dried up for the day. If you have someone special in your life, take this day and EVERYDAY to show them how much you appreciate and love them.
If you don't have someone special. Hit the alarm and throw your head under your pillow because today is the worst day of the year!
I'm totally kidding! Really though, there are plenty of fish in the sea, and despite the fact you've been through most of them...fish are always laying millions of eggs and thus there is always fresh fish out there on the open market. Does that make you feel better?........ No?! Crap.
There really isn't anything I can say to make someone who is feeling crappy about today feel any better. Except for the fact that St. Patrick's day is around the corner and there are usually plenty of single Irish gals and guys, or guys and gals pretending to be at least 1/12 Irish out at some bar drinking green beer looking for that special someone through their thickest pair of beer goggles. What does this mean for you? YOU are going to look AMAZING! Forget about those last 10 lbs, the bad highlights you just got, or that beer gut, because you are now the cream of the crop and the biggest fish in the sea! Go get em' Tiger!
Happy (or not) Valentine's Day.
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