First Date Since Baby for the Win!

I never really liked Valentine's Day until I was married. Mostly, because I was glaringly single every year prior and was not a fan of being made aware of that fact. I still think it's a bogus holiday that plays to the habits of our consumerist culture (*stepping off soapbox*), but Chuck and I have now been together for 4+ years and I'm onboard with any excuse for romance at this point.

God bless my husband, because he's the sweetest, most well-intentioned man in the world. But the whole gift-giving thing is not one of his strong suits. He wants to be good at it, but most years he overthinks things, gives up and does something half-assed at the last minute (I love you, baby!). This year, however, seeing as we've been in the throes of newborn chaos and have spent shockingly little time together, I think my darling hubby realized that this Valentine's Day was going to need to be special.

It wasn't until after we left the house that we realized Daddy had spit-up on his shirt!

On Friday afternoon, after a very lazy morning, he watched the baby for awhile so I could shower and get dolled up. Then he went out to "run some errands" (subtlety is also not a strong suit). Upon his return, I was handed a bouquet of gorgeous flowers and a personalized box of chocolates from our local candy shop. Not long after, we dropped little Charlie off with his Nonnie and Papaw for the evening and I was whisked away to Valley Vineyards, a local winery about 30 minutes away. 

Daddy was the DD so Mommy had a fantastic night sampling wine and getting a tad bit tipsy for the first time in over a year (it was well worth the massive headache I had the next morning). We grilled steaks on their indoor fire pits, I discovered a new love of raspberry wine and we enjoyed hours upon hours of beautiful, uninterrupted adult conversation. We were the last couple to leave the establishment (and on a complete high, I might add). It's so easy to forget how much we genuinely enjoy each other's company in the mud and muck of everyday life. Valentine's Day 2015 was one for the books and we left the dinner table that evening with a promise to make monthly date nights a priority in the future because we need to make sure we stay besties fo' life.

We even got to take a private, self-guided tour of the wine cellar!