Coffee & Conversation

I love coffee. I love friends. Combine the two and bam! Something incredible happens. Last week, Kalyn and Lauren introduced a new linkup where you can come and find out whats going on in your blogger friends life. 

Lauren and I go way back (since our college days in 2005) and recently got linked back up through blogging. Now, we get to meet for actual coffee and share life together. 

I also recently got to go on a blate (blogger + date = blate) where a bunch of us ladies from Alabama (and our MS friend) got to eat and drink coffee together - and I got to meet Kalyn fro the first time too!

So come along on this journey. Make some new great friendships - isn't that why a lot of us started blogging anyway, to share life together. :)

Each week, they will have a new topic and you can link up. So grab your cup of joe and lets chat!

  TOPIC:

What are you most thankful for so far this year?

I can't even begin to answer that in a short post but I will try ;) I am most thankful for my relationship with my husband. We are about to hit our 1 year anniversary (March 10) and I feel like this past year has sped by me. Like all girls, I desired to be a wife and mom and dreamt of the day I would meet my future hubby and begin our lives together. I dated some not so great guys and got very impatient for "the one" to come along.

I waited

 and

waited. 

And then I realized that no matter what I did, I couldn't continue trying to make something happen. 

I had to wait and give it over to the Lord.

In His timing (and with help from a roomate), I met Stephen and the rest is history.

I am thankful for the way he loves me. How he makes me laugh. How he comforts me when I cry and am sick. How he holds my hand when we walk through the house together. How he is always excited to see me and comes to welcome me home. How he brings me my water at night (even though I never drink it but just like having it).

I am thankful for our playfulness. For our date nights. For every moment I have with him - good or not so good. 

I am thankful for my husband.

Let's try Valentines over

Valentine's was a disaster. I had a lovely meal planned out, a lovely and romantic evening planned for my honey and me and it all went to pot. Literally.

It was the day before, Wednesday, when I started to feel really horrible. We had already had an episode of the stomach bug in our house and I was praying like mad that it wouldn't happen again. Well, mother nature had a different plan.

I got the dreaded stomach bug and was knocked off my feet. I finally started feeling like myself 5 days later.

I decided to do all the fun and cute things I planned for Valentine's, just a week later. 

I had ordered a cute set of items from a girl I found blogging. 

I gave Stephen 5 little notes I had written over the course of 2 weeks. Each had a different thing I loved about him written, with the last asking him to be my Valentine. 

That Saturday night, I cooked a feast! With the help of my friend Amber, who sent me some delicious recipes and items from my February Carabox, we had a very romantic and fun evening.

Stephen wasn't allowed in the kitchen while I was cooking. 

I made Bang Bang Shrimp, ribs, and apple crisps and ice cream for dessert. 

I added candles, set the mood lighting, required him to wear a coat and I grabbed a dress.

I allowed Stephen to come in once everything was ready. Stephen brought me beautiful red roses and peanut butter Oreo (YUM).

We chatted about random stuff and went through a questionnaire of 7 questions we about our ideas of romantic evenings and marriage.

Once we were done eating with the meal, we headed into the den for a movie and snack. We lounged on the couch, watched, chatted and had a blast.

It was definitely the evening I had hoped it would be and we had a really great date night!

Here are a couple of pictures from the evening. I forgot to take pictures of the main meal, but got some of the gifts and dessert!

 Apple Crisp - delish!!

You planning a fun date night anytime soon?