I Hate Myself for Saying This. . .

.... but I love Valentines Day!

I do. I really, really do. Every year I try to convince myself that it is just a silly made up holiday and I don't need anything special or anything like that, but every year when this day rolls around I realize that it is just such a fun excuse to feel love in the air for the day!

Today was awesome for so many reasons:

• Pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training! WOO Baseball Season is almost here!
• My bosses were out of town so my co-worker and I can wear jeans to work (and of course my Papelbon Jersey to support my team!)
• The weather was absolutely beautiful (57 degrees on my way into work, I should have worn flip flops) and it finally is starting to feel like spring around here!
• Got to talk to my soldier who got my care package that I mailed exactly two weeks ago
• Walked to lunch with AmyMarie (my coworker) and had one of the best caesar salads ever
• Called a(n undisclosed) location about our rehearsal dinner and it looks like everything will work out to have it there
• My car has been in the shop, and the mechanic called me back with the price to get everything fixed and it was actually lower than I was expecting to pay
• Came home to a big box addressed to me on the dining room table; opened it up to find a miniature rose plant from Andrew (this was definitely my favorite part of the day! I love that he thought to get me flowers [and a jumbo hershey kiss]! It is so meaningful that if I take care of them I'll be able to have them maybe forever!) They had a tough journey, I'm guessing, and need a little TLC but in a day or two I might have a full-fledged miniature rose bush!! Thank you so much, honey!
• Andrew's parents and I had a wonderful Valentines Dinner. I told them I would be happy to go out to Shannon's or find something to do so that they could have their own romantic dinner, but they were happy and excited to share it with me! We had steak and potatoes and salad and a wonderful cabernet my parents brought down when they came in November (wow, was that really almost 3 months ago?) I honestly couldn't have been blessed with better future-in-laws (Victor and Lisa... we sure lucked out marrying into this family!)
• Amy made a flour-less chocolate cake this weekend and we devoured it! It was the perfect ending to the perfect night!

Our Valentines Dinner... in the midst of a Kitchen Remodel! Love this family!

Now I am off to bed a little bit early to get some reading done before I hear that "ding" on google chat telling me that my Valentine is messaging me all the way from Afghanistan! What a great day!

And just a side-note: I am taking bets as to how many engagements and proposals will happen tonight? I'm waiting for them to start showing up on my facebook news feed!!

Happy Valentines Day, Everyone!