Be Mine

Happy Valentine's Day! I don't care what anyone says, I think Valentine's day is a great holiday, whether you've got a special someone or not. It doesn't have to be just about romantic love. I think this holiday is a great opportunity to celebrate all types of love, and the world could use more of it! So, all you cynical, disparaging, love-less people of the world---COME ON GET HAPPY! This Valentine's day started out as your regular run of the mill day. I went to class and learned all about the null and alternative hypotheses in stats, then went to acting. Mike picked me up afterward and we went to an early dinner at the infamous PINE restaurant. It was a fabulous place. A little pricey, but I believe it can be fun to splurge sometimes, am I right? Man, I love food. Especially beautiful, well-prepared food that makes me want to savor every delectable bite. I'm such a sensualist! I'm sad that I didn't get pictures of our meal because it was so gorgeous like it came straight out of a fancy gourmet food magazine. I even brought my camera, but I just forgot about it until it was too late and we had already eaten every last bite. Oh well, you guys will just have to imagine it. We started with the popcorn shrimp, calamari, fennel, zucchini, and green bean appetizer. I was totally in the mood for seafood. For my main course I ordered the grilled salmon with roasted tomato whipped potatoes, roasted pepper tapenade, and citrus vinaigrette. Scrumpdittily! Mike ordered a grilled 21 day aged Angus Coulotte steak with blue cheese and bacon mashed potatoes, and a Cabernet reduction sauce. For dessert we shared the butterscotch creme brulee with fresh berries. I swear, one day when we're rich I will have my own personal gourmet chef. (oh, and while I'm fantasizing about being rich I'd also like to add that I'll have a masseuse and personal trainer...) Anyway, Mike and I had a good time. When we got home I saw a vase of a dozen red roses on the table from my sweetheart. It was a simple but thoughtful gift. They are lovely and I adore having fresh flowers in the house. Then I began making a killer chocolate pie to take to the Valentine's dance at the church hosted by the EQ. I'm telling you, you MUST try this pie, because it is to die for! Babysitting was provided by some of the young women in the ward so we were able to take Vessel. Mike and I had a blast cutting a rug and bustin' out on the dance floor with our mad skillz. Gavin picked out some great songs, including Thriller, Ice Ice Baby, and other classics. He also played some swing and waltz ditties, so Mike and I were able to brush up on the moves we learned in our dance class together. We also learned some Irish polka dance which pretty much amounted to Mike and I swirling and stomping about until we were dizzy and out of breath. Good times! The best part was that we got couples pictures taken just like at a high school dance. It was sweet! Gotta capture the memories, right? It turned out to be a pretty fun night. Here are some pictures of me and my two loves:

Us with Tracy and Gavin:

Scotty with his dad Wade. When I babysat Scotty this week, I helped him make the crown for his dad to wear to the dance. Wade and Anne (his wife) are like the best dancers ever! I was so amazed (and envious) of their abilities and they totally showed everyone up!