Daisy's baptism day

Valentine's Day

I don't have a bunch of pictures to document this day, but I wanted to note how incredibly thoughtful Justin is. I pretty much handle all the finances in our home and Justin rarely really knows what is going on with our money. Because of that, it's hard for him to surprise me with anything because I'm always checking our bank and credit card accounts almost daily. We also have a budget spreadsheet that I update every month so I know how much we can spend or put into savings. This month we had extra expenses for fruit trees, the kids lunch money accounts, Home Depot (for gardening and around the yard project stuff), and a splurge I shouldn't have made for some bedding. We were already over budget and I told Justin this and I really didn't want to spend money for Valentine's Day. I ended up buying Justin a pretty affordable electric knife online (of course not in time for it to get here on Valentine's Day, I'm so lame...) and figured I'd make a nice dinner for the family on Valentine's Day. Well, Justin informed me that he already had plans for dinner, so I got out of that one as well. 

In the morning Justin stayed late for a bit and I thought to myself what a nice present it would be just for him to take the day off and hang out with me all day. Turns out that was already his plan, but that wasn't all. He informed me around 8:30am that I needed to "top off" Daisy before I put her down because he had me scheduled to go get a massage at 10am. After I came back from the massage he told me he figured it wouldn't cost too much to go to Chili's for lunch since we had a little money left on a gift card and a coupon for a free dessert, so during Dale's nap (thank you to Frances downstairs for always being around so we can run off while he sleeps), Justin, Daisy & I headed to Chili's. As we were leaving after lunch I said something about being way over budget now, and Justin said that spreadsheets and budgets are nice and all, but it's Valentine's Day and it's okay to go over once in a while. I realized he was right. I shouldn't have been so concerned about not spending money that I didn't plan anything for Valentine's Day. I need to loosen up a little...

After we got home from lunch, Justin told me he had a hair appointment scheduled for me to go get my hair cut and colored....Colored? I haven't colored my hair in YEARS. Who has the time? (I always schedule my haircuts during Dale's nap so I don't have long because I have to be home in time to get Brighton and Adaira off the bus) Not to mention it's expensive to maintain.(I'm a little obsessive about our budget...) My Relief Society president does hair from her home so I've been going to her and apparently Justin snuck into my email and saw that I emailed her to schedule an appointment a few weeks ago. He secretly intervened and asked her to schedule it any time but make sure it was after Valentine's Day. She scheduled me for today, the 15th, but through Justin had me scheduled for yesterday and with plenty of time to get my hair colored since Justin was going to get the kids off the bus. 

Here are my new stripes (I asked for something very subtle but she told me I needed at least a medium weave...I'm sure I didn't really NEED it), I was honestly a bit freaked out at first but they are growing on me:

After I got home from my appointment Justin started dinner and made us a great Tri-tip, seasoned fries and some veggies from our garden. I was truly pampered all day and felt pretty awful about not doing more for him other than getting him a card and a present online that wasn't even here yet.

After the kids were in bed Justin told me I had one more present and I told him he better not have anything else for me...but.he.did.

He came out with his guitar and sang me this song. I've never heard it before, but apparently he has been working on it for almost a year ever since he heard it on Pandora and was touched by it. There are so many things that make me love him, and the fact that he does this every once in a while is one of them. Justin doesn't have a perfect voice (neither do I but I think I have quite a bit more practice singing in front of people than he does, and yet I don't even have the guts to sing to him). He doesn't hit every note perfectly and that is why I am even more impressed and have to fight back the tears even harder because he allows himself to be so vulnerable as he does this. I can tell he is nervous and at some parts maybe even emotional (I couldn't quite tell if he was trembling at some parts with emotion or embarrassment). He looks at the music and also directly into my eyes and I can't believe that I am the luckiest...to have a husband that would do that for me. Those of you who know our history know that just over 5 years ago our marriage was essentially over. We came so close to not existing as we do today. I think the mistakes of the past are part of the reason Justin was touched and felt inspired by this song. I think of how much I love him and how happy I am with him, in a way that 5 years ago I never would have thought possible. The more I listen to this song the more it hits me, and more I want to cry when I think that Justin actually sang it to me. To think that he thinks he is the lucky one...No Justin, it's me.

Lyrics:
I don't get many things right the first time
In fact, I am told that a lot
Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles and falls
Brought me here


And where was I before the day
That I first saw your lovely face?
Now I see it everyday
And I know


That I am
I am, I am
The luckiest


What if I'd been born fifty years before you
In a house on the street where you live?
Maybe I'd be outside as you passed on your bike
Would I know?


And in a wide sea of eyes
I see one pair that I recognize
And I know


That I am
I am, I am
The luckiest


I love you more than I have ever found a way to say to you


Next door there's an old man who lived to his nineties
And one day passed away in his sleep
And his wife, she stayed for a couple of days
And passed away


I'm sorry, I know that's a
strange way to tell you that I know
we belong
That I know


That I am
I am, I am
The luckiest

I played this song tonight and Brighton heard it and he said "Hey! That's the song Dad is trying to learn" and he sang a few of the parts he knew from hearing Justin practice. He didn't know why he was practicing it, but he heard him working on it. I hope my sons see their Dad in action and grow up to be just as good to their wives as Justin has been to me these past 5 years. I feel like the luckiest, most loved woman around. I love that man.