Two Down!

Jay and I celebrated our two-year anniversary on Monday night. Last year, we went to Alex Madonna's Steak House and then spent the night at the Madonna Inn and we enjoyed the restaurant so much that we decided to go back again this year. Kendall is already back in Kansas for Christmas and since funds are tight this year, we decided to just spend the night at home but still wanted to enjoy a nice, romantic dinner out together.

Jay got off work a little early and I was wondering if something was up because he took about 45 minutes to get home after he called and said he was on his way (his usual commute is about 20 minutes). He came home with a beautiful flower arrangement that made me feel incredibly special.

After we got dressed and I made myself beautiful, we headed out to the steakhouse in San Luis Obispo. If you've never been to Alex Madonna's Steak House, I highly recommend going during Christmastime. The restaurant has 100 Christmas trees and the most elaborate decorations throughout from deer and bears to angels and lights to mechanical elves and dolls swinging in the air. When you get to the restaurant, they ask you if your are celebrating anything special. We told them it was our anniversary and they brought us a huge red balloon and as you look throughout the restaurant, you can see balloons everywhere that say, "Happy Birthday" or "Happy Anniversary" or "Congratulations." They really make you feel very special. Jay ordered the bacon-wrapped filet, the same thing he had last year. The steak was about 2 inches thick and was cooked to perfection. I had the grilled halibut that I had last year and it was even better than I remembered! The fish was so fresh and had so much flavor, I absolutely savored every bit. After dinner they brought us a complimentary piece of spice cake to make our celebration even more special. Oh yes, and I must not forget that while we were sitting in the bar waiting for our table, I saw the bartender make a pink drink that had whipped cream and pink sprinkles on the top so I asked the waitress if the drink was a Madonna Inn special and she said yes, it's basically just a strawberry daqueri with whipped cream on top. I decided to order one since it is their house specialty and after I had a few sips, I looked at the drink and it looked like it had a snowflake in it. I took a picture to share....I know, I am such a dork but I delight in the little things, what can I say?

After dinner we came home and Jay was a nervous wreck because he was so worried his gift to me wouldn't be here. He had originally ordered it about a month ago and received a confirmation email and didn't read it, just filed it away in one of his email folders. When the gift hadn't arrived he went back to the email to check the shipping information and discovered that the email said the item was discontinued, so he had to find a similar item and order it with express delivery, to arrive on Monday. When we left for dinner at around 6:00, the gift wasn't here, but when we got home from dinner, there it was on the porch. I asked him if he needed to wrap it and he said he ordered it gift-wrapped, so he took it out of the box and brought it into the living room. When he took the box out, he was concerned because the shape did not look like what he had ordered.....so, he was just as curious as I was to see what was in the box! I must mention that he likes to stick with the traditional anniversary gifts and for the 2nd anniversary the traditional gift is either cotton or china. I had a heck of a time figuring out what to get for him with these limited options, what do I get him that is special that is made of cotton or china? For a guy???? Anyway, back to my story.....first I read the card and it brought tears to my eyes. He is so romantic and thoughtful that I could care less what was in the box. I finally opened the gift and it was a Christmas ornament that said, "Our First Home 2007." I asked him, "Is this what you ordered honey?" I could tell by his expression that was NOT what he ordered! First of all, he bought this house long before we were married and second of all, I've been living here since 2005, so it wasn't exactly the thoughtful gift I know he tried to get me. He told me he ordered a bone china ring holder since I take my rings off every night and put them on my nightstand. I told him it's the thought that counts and we'll get the right gift here and not to worry about it. I also told him someday he'll laugh about this and although he wasn't ready quite yet, the next day he was already laughing about it.

I got him a customized throw with a photo of his Dad on the beach. I had some drama with my gift also. First off all, I originally tried to get it with Footprints printed on the throw but was pretty sure it would be illegible and sure enough, I got an email from the vendor that the text would not work so I resent the photo without the text and asked if she could just print the last line, along with the date and she sent me a confirmation that that would work. The gift was to arrive on Friday via Fedex and I checked Fedex online that evening to find out when the gift was to be delivered and the tracking information said the package was delivered at 7:58. Well, it was already 8:20 so I called Fedex and they said it was delivered and to call back the next day so that they could speak with the driver. I was in a complete panic! I spent so much time trying to find a meaningful gift and there was absolutely no way I could get another one in any reasonable amount of time. I cried and felt sorry for myself for a while and at 9:15, the gift was delivered! I had no idea Fedex would deliver that late, but I was relieved the package was here. When I opened the box, however I was disappointed. First of all the throw was smaller than I anticipated and second of all, the photo wasn't nearly as clear as I had hoped. But, at that point I realized it was the thought that counts and decided to just put the worry aside and appreciate our love and remember it's not about the gifts.

Jay ended up loving the throw. He was very touched at the thought and he was really pleased with the way the photo turned out. Although neither of our gifts were exactly was we imagined, we still had a wonderful anniversary together and spent the evening appreciating each other and looking back on our journey together and continuing to look forward to all of the memories that are yet to come.