Valentine's Day - 2014

Generally, I'm not one to give a rip about 2/14.

Well, actually, it's always been my favorite holiday. But that's beside the point.

This year, though, I just so happened to not be single, and I was able to enjoy the Day of Love with my wonderful fiancè!

Oh, did I not mention that I'm engaged?
Yep.



That rock has been on my finger for a month and two days so far. I even notice when it's not there now, which is pretty awesome.
Not that you can tell from that beautiful phone picture, but there are 37 diamonds on my ring. Yeah. He done good.

This was my first Valentine's Day in a relationship, an engaged relationship as a matter of fact, and it seems to me like what you envision is never quite what happens in reality. I think our culture and Hollywood seem to make Valentine's Day a fantastical daydream that's surrounded with hearts, teddy bears and chocolates.
Granted, the chocolates are nice. I was thoroughly pleased that Tad got me chocolate. I'm totally fine with chocolate.
I'll admit that I over-romanticized our little date last night. For as logical and un-emotive (I do NOT prefer emotionally-challenged) a person as I am, I'm still a girl. An eighteen-year-old, slight romantic, who does, on rare occasion, fantasize about flowers and poetry. My man, being the busy one that he is, can't always deliver what I desire (Though, for his sake, I'll say he is one heck of a romantic and can write me love letters like nobody's business.). Sometimes I get my hopes up and expect a ravishing candlelit dinner with roses galore and a five-page poem entitled, "101 Reasons Why I'm In Love With Emily".
As lovely as those out-of-the-ordinary displays of affection are, I think know I take for granted that constant, deep, dare I say, supernatural love that we have for one another. I don't need to make Tad a steak and shrimp dinner, a kiwi and raspberry fruit tart (more to be said on that), and massage his aching feet for him to know that I love him. And he doesn't have to write me daily love letters and put aside hours every day to spend time with me in order for me to know that he loves me - though admittedly, I can make it feel that way sometimes.
No, Tad and I have been blessed with something deeper than silly little infatuated affections. We've been given a deep love for one another. Our commitment to one another stems from our commitment to Christ. We've devoted ourselves to our Creator, to serve and glorify Him, and now, we've chosen to reflect that devotion through marriage. We can spend whatever leftover hours of the evening we have, cooking up a hodge-podge meal that doesn't get done till 9:30, and then just snuggle and relax on the couch while watching "Silent Hill" (NOT my idea) and "Resident Evil". Our love is not dependent on that temporary romantic feeling we had back in May. Our love is dependent on our commitment to one another and the strength our Lord and Savior gives us to serve and love each another in every moment. It is by God's grace we take on the responsibility of caring for another Soul, and it is by God's grace that we are privileged to see them through to the end.


"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."
2 Corinthians 4:16-18