Valentine's Day, Part Two

Hi friends! So I've been a bit of a blogging slacker again but now I'm back to reveal the wonderful little weekend getaway my handsome Valentine planned for us! :) I know...over a month ago now, but I promised!

It started basically with my adventures into the closet and trying on at least 4 skirts trying to figure out a nice outfit for dinner :) Don't most nice dates start that way?

Anyway, I had previously been told to pack an overnight bag so when hubby got home, we tossed our bags in the car and took a circuitous route to a restaurant I love and only have visited on special occasions...The Melting Pot!

Our wonderful dark and white chocolate fondue at the end of the meal. YUM!!

Such a lovely dinner courtesy of this thoughtful man :)

I was then whisked away to the same hotel where we had our wedding reception and welcomed with flowers and chocolate. :) It was fun to relive our memories of that day over a year and a half ago now.

Memories from this day! Hello wonderful ladies! :)

The next day, after grabbing a quick Panera breakfast, we headed into DC to spend some time at the National Gallery of Art and walking around the Mall. We wandered through a gallery of sculptures and saw some early Picasso works (most of which weren't all that impressive though there were a few). We enjoyed traversing the moving walkway between the two halves of the Gallery which makes for a great picture backdrop.

The moving walkway shot with the cool tunnel lights :)

After our adventures in art, we headed down the Mall to take in the sights. It was fun seeing people out flying kites and we even had a girl tell us "Boiler Up!" when she saw Dan's Purdue hat :) Only in DC (and probably Indiana...or during a Purdue game).

All in all, it was a fabulous and relaxing weekend. It gave us time to unwind and reconnect after some long weeks of the typical routine. It's always nice to have a chance to break out of the routine and get away, even if it's locally, for a little bit. :)

I hope you all have had a great month since Valentine's! How did you spend your Valentine's? What about St. Patrick's Day today? Any fun family traditions?

Soli Deo Gloria!
Meghan

Valentine's Day, Part 1

I'm pretty excited for this upcoming Valentine's Day! While I think it's a good idea to acknowledge those we love all the time, it's nice to have a special day set aside to do so as it can be easy in the busyness of life to overlook intentional displays of affection. That...and I love conversation hearts. :)

I'm especially excited this year since Dan and I will be together on Valentine's Day. Last year, we celebrated our first married Valentine's Day the day before (Sunday) and he had to leave that night for a work trip. I treated myself to Chick-fil-A and a trip to the pet store to play with the puppies on Valentine's so that I wouldn't just be alone at home wishing he was there.

This year, with Valentine's being on a Tuesday, we've decided to celebrate the weekend after. I have Bible study on Tuesday nights and with my commute, it just made sense so we could enjoy it more and not trying to squeeze it in amongst our normal activities. We're also doing a group dinner with some friends tomorrow at our church. This is the group that we got together with the first Valentine's Day right before we started dating. Should be a fun potluck dinner and movie night. :) I'm making some BBQ pulled pork for sandwiches and a banana cake with cream cheese frosting (courtesy of Pinterest).

What I'm most excited about though is that Dan asked me to reserve next Friday night and Saturday and not plan anything. Then about a week ago, he told me to pack an overnight bag. I have no clue where we are going or what we're doing...and I love it! :) He has taken total control over the plans and I can't wait to find out what he has in store! That's where Part 2 of this post will come in ;) Stay tuned after next weekend to find out!

I hope all of my friends know how much I love and appreciate them, both on Valentine's and every day! Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan