The Valentine Surprise(s)
It was 7:07 when we woke up, and I wondered how long it was going to take Adam to remember the "marketing holiday" that sweeps the nation every February. He was eating Cap'n Crunch Berries and it was 7:49 when he looked over, grinned, and said, "Happy Valentine's Day Sweetheart!" 42 minutes. Not bad! Soon after, he left for work and I hit the gym. Yesterday, I started an Eight Week Fitness Challenge with some friends in Washington, and my renewed motivation for a healthier lifestyle is in full swing. And that means: no sweets. Not any for this girl. This makes February 14th a most torturous day. But multiple surprises today made up for the dreadful chocolate ban. Following a sweatier than usual workout, I pulled into the Marlins facility to pick up my sweetheart from his. And when I saw him, my eyes swelled with tears. He wore a sparkling smile, toting a bouquet of vibrant red roses in his arms. When he got into the truck, he gave me a kiss, but not before I asked him how he went about getting those flowers. Turns out that once practice was over, he ran a mile to the store, bought the flowers, and ran a mile back, just so he could surprise me. He knows how much I love surprises. And he didn't disappoint! I couldn't have asked for a better man to share my life with!
And then, there was the boxed surprise in the mail. The return address was from Mommy and Danny Weitman, and immediately I could feel my Ma close by. Duped by her obnoxious tape job, it took me some time to rip into the box before I realized my second surprise! They sent The Conleys a Valentine's gift box, complete with Sweethearts, a white chocolate polar bear, a milk chocolate baseball heart, a hanging wall heart, and topped it off with a most thoughtful and loving card. And even though I can't eat the sweets, having them here makes me feel a little bit more at home. I love you Mommy and Dan. Thank you for your love.
Finally, Blowing Rocks Preserve gave us our third surprise. We miss Washington sunsets, but with paradise only 4 miles away, complaints are hard to come by. We walked the beach, stunned by its immaculate beauty. The petrified marine sediment dates back to the Pleistocene era and during high tides, the ocean smashes against the rock, sending plumes of saltwater over 50 feet high - which is how the preserve got its name. Unfortunately, we saw no such event, but were still enamored by the beauty we did get to see. Among thousands of sea shells, massive rock, and perfectly placed palm trees, we were lost in our own little world. And so in love.
On mom's card was written:
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13:13
It's because of God's love that we can even love at all.
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