Valentine's Day Weekend

We don’t usually go big for Valentine’s Day. Our first year we spent it together we were dating and were two months away from being married so we put a $10 limit on gifts, I enjoyed the challenge. The next year, our first Valentine’s Day as a married couple, we were going to spend the night in so I wanted the house to be spotless. Jason worked until eight o’clock so I had time to clean the house and cook. Unfortunately our washer broke mid cycle and I wasn’t about to leave it there to turn mildewy. I still had some time before Jason came home to go to my friend Sarah’s just down the street and finish the load. The clothes were soaking wet and soapy. It took way too long to get one load of laundry finished. Anyway, we ended up eating around 11pm and I totally failed at that Valentine’s Day.

This year was much better but didn’t lack in awkward snags to our plans. I booked a beach cottage for Jason and I for Valentine’s Day weekend at the San Onofre State Beach Military campground. We got the last one available, I thought it was odd that everybody had the same idea as me but then I realized it was the same weekend as President’s day so I called back and extended our stay.

Ours is the yellow one on the left. Cozy #18.

Brought some Valentine's Day decor with us.

This weekend was my idea of an intimate getaway: packing light, cooking together, no agenda, little make up, sandals, naturally curly hair, and sun. We packed what we needed, grocery shopped when we got there, and spent our days relaxing. It was the perfect vacation for someone who had just come down with a cold.

Thursday I started feeling sick so I took a half-day at work to attempt to salvage my good health. Friday I knew I was done for and just needed to go along for the ride. The nights were rough since I’d wake up not being able to breath normally but the days were a little better. We just relaxed on the beach, at our fire pit area, and in our cottage. Jason was so sweet and didn’t kick me out for blowing my nose nonstop. Although, Valentine's Day night he did sleep on the couch...It wasn't until about 4am and he didn't like the mattress at all so it wasn't completely my fault. And the couch really was comfy...I tested it with a late afternoon nap.

We don’t do presents for Valentine’s Day or Anniversaries, we like to spend our money doing something together, but Jase couldn’t resist and got me a box of chocolates and a card with a cat on it. Luckily he writes really sweet things in cards so I still appreciated it.

Cooking together was fun, we often do at home but for some reason grilling makes it all more exciting. The grill is his domain and then I’d take care of the side dishes and table setting inside.

Jason grilling up our Valentine's Day meal. Steak!

Jase grilled up some nice pork chops for our Valentine's Day Eve dinner.

He cooked breakfast too!

Our weekend together was wonderful and I can’t wait to go back there!

2nd of August

I turned 22.

Jason is always excited about my birthday and he always does AMAZING. This year he wasn't able to be here. Even though he had just been gone for 2 weeks for military duties, he had to leave again for his usual monthly drill. So Thursday we celebrated. When I got home from work he blind folded me and lead me to the gray room (a name my grandma had given it because, well...it's gray.) and he brought me presents one by one. I had to close my eyes between each present and hold out my hands for the small ones. 

He got me:*

an iPhone charger (No idea where mine went!)

The most adorable apron

Four six packs of mini San Pellegrino

a Kate Spade "Mrs." necklace

Jo Malone-Wild Bluebell perfume

an Ivanka Trump handbag
a Kate Spade tote

Bottega Louie Macarons 

(which he had shipped to me from LA in a really nice insulated bag we will most definitely be using for our next picnic)

Put a couple hundred dollars in our savings

&

Paid off a credit card that was a few hundred dollars!!!!

He did all of this with the money he earned while he was away. Now he's glad he went. He feels like it was worth the heat and boredom.

(There's another 2 rows of Macarons but we ate those pretty quick..)

I know I have to be away but you still deserve the best

-J

After opening presents we watched The Grand Budapest Hotel and had a Papa Johns pizza delivered.  It was perfect.

Of course I was sad to not have him here on my birthday but having my family and Krista near by made it much more bearable.

Friday night I spent the night at my parents'. Saturday, my actual birthday, I went school shopping for my little brother with him, one of my older brothers, and my mom. (This gave me a great opportunity to browse clearance sections.) We got a cupcake from The CupCake Store in Santee. My mom and I got pedicures. Then I met up with Krista and Trevor for dinner at BJ's! I was so happy to be able to actually spend time with them. The past two birthdays had to be crammed into a flat rate box. I could do without the presents, just having the people you love around you on your birthday is what makes it awesome. But I also didn't mind the gifts (:

My parents got me a cute maxi dress and a generous gift card to Ikea. (We're saving up for a few pieces of furniture we've had our eye of for awhile!)

Krista & Trevor bought me dinner, got me a cute cosmetics bag, makeup, nail polish, and a Kate Spade compact mirror!

The compact has "hey gorgeous" engraved on the front. HA! So adorable.

I was SO spoiled this year! I have never had a birthday involving so many luxury/designer names! 

It feels weird to be 22 but glad I got here!

*(He also got me a Coach tote bag but we decided if we are going to spend that much money on one item I have to absolutely LOVE it. It was hard to tell him but he appreciated me telling him instead of 2 months later when he would bring up that I've only used it twice and then I'd finally admit I wasn't crazy about it and we'd be SOL. The Kate Spade bag replaced it and I'm so glad I spoke up! I LOVE IT!!)