to love and to be loved

I love Valentines Day. Always have. Christmas is my favorite holiday, but Valentines Day is a very close second. Some people hate it, but I love having a day to celebrate all of those whom I love. Growing up my mom always made Valentines Day full of sweets, secret notes, and service. I can't remember a Valentines Day growing up that we didn't cut out a bijillion hearts and heart attack my dad's truck while he was at work. I try to show and tell others often how much they mean to me, but Valentines Day is a good reminder and excuse to make others notes and goodies and make them feel extra special.

Thursday mornings I work at the hospital until 12. I'd been scheming and planning all week what to do for Eric on Valentines Day. Anyone who knows Eric knows how much he is OBSESSED with puppies. It would surprise you, with his intimidating beard, how much he melts when he sees a puppy. SO...a few days before Valentines Day, I got a grand idea to rent a puppy for him to play with for a few hours (yes, there is an actual company here that rents puppies). Turns out, they'd all been rented for Valentines Day weeks before...and so I started thinking up plan B.

Plan B was to find someone selling puppies, ask to borrow/rent it from them, and return it. I found a really nice farmer in Provo who had two puppies he was trying to sell. I asked if I could "try her out" for a few hours and then if it didn't seem to work, I'd bring her back. To be honest - I had no intentions of keeping her - only to play with her for a few hours. But deep down, I was afraid. Afraid of getting attached...because that's what I do. 

I left the hospital a few hours early and eagerly drove out to the farm to pick up my puppy. She was the cutest thing and just sat on my lap the entire drive home. As I unlocked our front door, puppy in arms, my heart was beating. I was so excited to surprise Eric! We busted in, no Eric. He had left! I had the car...meaning he had walked somewhere. I called him and faked an emergency to come home asap. Turns out, he was out getting roses to surprise me with and I wasn't supposed to come home until 12 when everything would be ready for me. Well, needless to say, both of our surprises were ruined because we both tried to surprise each other early.

Sorry for the fuzzy picture...when I got home to an empty apartment, Eric had started to set up some stuff for me....here's part of his creation =)

Eric calls me his Monkey and I LOVE sock monkeys =) I also love cadburry eggs! AND these flowers are gorgeous! I love how much they add to our apartment!

One thing followed another, and we were in love. She was the cutest, sweetest, most well-behaved puppy I'd ever seen. She was house trained, just by default, didn't chew anything, and just liked to cuddle up and sleep on our laps most of the day. We both were really nervous about actually keeping a dog - given the fact that we're busy college students never home, and she is small...but will grow up to be a big dog. Along with other factors like $. But we decided to keep her, try her out for a few days, and then if it got too difficult and looked like it would be too much work to take on, we'd just re-list her on craigslist.

I'm not sure who is fuzzier...but they sure are cute!

Well, we're going on day 3 and we're even more attached and in love. It amazes me how well behaved she is. She's become our little girl. And we're becoming those annoying pet owners who treat their pets like children. But she has really helped both Eric and I to smile a lot more, we don't get grumpy, we don't get stressed, and the mood to our apartment is so much different. Sure, she's a lot of work. We take her on walks constantly, but it's actually fun having an excuse to stop homework and go for a walk. I love it. She cuddles with us all night and then gets us up early to go outside and play. The funniest thing is we're becoming worry-some parents. We can't go out without her or we just worry the entire time and miss her. The minute we're home unlocking the front door, we're just so excited to see her again and play with her. She's also become Eric's little baby. If he leaves, she gets really sad and the minute he's home, she's in his arms and lap. I know it's crazy, but I think we're going to keep her. For good.

This was right when we got home...she wasn't sure about her new environment. How cute!

As for the rest of our Valentines Day...Eric was going to take me out to lunch, but my surprise changed his plans. So we rain checked a lunch date and played with the puppy all afternoon. Eric had rehearsal all night and I went to the Sleeping Beauty Ballet with his friend, Lawrence. haha. It was phenomenal  especially the live orchestra and beautiful music...not to mention watching all of my friends in it! I rushed home to check on our puppy and make Eric his favorite dinner for when he got home. We had a beautiful Valentines Day and are still enjoying every minute with our new baby girl, Snickers!

Thanks to the stranger who left this on our door while I was at Sleeping Beauty!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY EVERYONE!