Going Out of Our Way

The Valentine's Day countdown continues in our house.  Each day Jim and I read a small card from an envelope on our bathroom mirror:

The cards give us a small, romantic task to complete daily, and it has been so fun!  I can't believe we've never done this before!  I didn't make up the tasks, but I found them on the Love, Actually blog.  Whoever wrote them did a great job of making the tasks reflect different love languages (gifts, touch, words, acts of service, etc.).  Since I respond to all of the love languages, this has filled my "love tank" on a daily basis.  It also confirmed what I have suspected all along: My primary love language is acts of service.

On Wednesday, this was our task:

I didn't know how I would accomplish this, as I was stuck at home with a very feverish boy and a four-month-old baby.  I instant-messaged Jim early in the morning to tell Jim that Brennan had a fever of 104, and while I was busy complaining, I told him that my already-crappy flat iron had bit the dust.

(No, it should not be bent like that!)

That afternoon, at lunchtime, I heard the front door of our house unlock (a bit unnerving, as no one has that key and Jim and I always enter through the garage).  In walked Jim, bag in hand.  He presented me with this:

It's a CHI!!!  Not only did my prince charming go out of his way to drive to two different stores on his lunch break, purchase a new flat iron, and deliver it to our house, all before rushing back to his desk, but he also did research about what type of flat iron would be best and spent a pretty penny getting me the top of the line.  

I cried.  The effort, the sacrifice, the expense, the thought... It was so sweet.  

The next day, when Brennan was feeling better, we surprised Jim at work with homemade Valentine's Day cookies.

I think my impromptu back massage the night before had meant more to Jim than the cookies (his love language is physical touch), but his expression when he saw Brennan standing in the lobby with a plate full of cookies was pretty terrific.  

I love Valentine's Day, and I love my husband.