Our Chinese V-Day

I know. I know. This post is late but my computer was down for a bit so, better late than never!
I'm sure that most of you know that here in China, they don't celebrate the same holidays that we do in America, so, it has been really hard to just kinda skip the 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and thank heavans we got to go home for Christmas because that is another one they don't celebrate!! So, as you have probably already guessed, Valentine's Day isn't on the calendar outhere. Last year we didn't even acknowledge the holiday since we had only been out here a month and were still adjusting. This year, I was wondering if we should just not stress about it again, but Joey and I have yet to celebrate a Valentine's together since we've been married. I wanted to at least do a little something extra for him on this day. So, the brain storming began. I wasn't realy sure what I could get for him that he wouldn't see me purchase since anywhere I go, he is with me. I was stumped and my brain actually started to hurt. Valentines Day was a week away and I needed to figure this out sooner than later. Then, it finally started coming to me. The idea of making him a love song playlist and secretly putting it on his iTouch seemed like an easy but cute one. And then writing him a poem seemed like a sweet and sentimental gift. Only problem was, was that I have never wrote a poem before and I only had a week to figure it out.
Writing a poem seems like it would be an easy task, and for many, it probably is, but it didn't come as easy for me. I would write something I thought sounded good and then when I would read it back, it sounded like my lil 5 year old had made it up. This poem was literally one of the more frustrating things I have done, but, after 5 days of writing and re writing, mixed with a little swearing and storming away from my computer, I finally finished it! I was pretty nervous about actually giving it to my husband though. What if it really sucked and I just thought it was sounding good? Getting a crappy love poem for your Valentines gift would be...well, crappy. So, I was really keeping my fingers crossed that I had a little Emily Dickinson talent somewhere in me!
The night before the big day, I waited until Joey was asleep and snuck his iTouch into the other room and added the Love song playlist onto it. I put it back on his nightstand with a little note attatched to it saying that he could only listen to the songs in that playlist for the rest of the day.
The Next thing to get ready was the poem. I wrote it all out on a blank piece of paper in red. Then, I got a lighter and burned the edges of the paper. And of course I burned the crap out of a few of my fingers! Then I rolled it up, and tied it with a red ribbon. I placed the rolled up poem in his computer bag so that he would get it when he got to work.
The next morning, I woke up to a very excited text message from my husband saying thank you and how much he loved the playlist and the poem! I was relieved but still had some insecurities that maybe he was just saying that he loved it so my feelings weren't hurt. He called me later on that day just to say thank you again and said how it was one of the sweetest things anyone had done for him. My insecurities went away after that :)
Here is the poem that I wrote to him:
The Story Of You and Me
Once upon a time, not very long ago,
there was a girl who felt so very lost and alone.
Everyday was a struggle just to make it through, while she tried to stay strong, there wasn't much she could do.
There was a piece of her heart that was missing you see, and the hole that was left brought her only pain and misery.
Where could it be? How could it be gone? Could this pain that she felt ever be gone?
Feeling hopeless and empty, she continued to push on, as life was whirling all around her, she began to sing a song.
A song about love, a song about sorrow, a song of how she hoped for a new tomorrow.
Then one night, as she put on her fake smile, she headed off to work and tried to forget about the pain for awhile.
She pretended to laugh, she tried not to cry, and when the night was over, a guy walked on by.
He was handsome and sweet, knew just what to say that made the girl's breath get taken away.
she pretended not to notice, pretended she did not care. But when he was not looking, she couldn't help but stare.
she loved being near him, loved when he came around, because for that small moment, she could let her guard come down.
Each day that she saw him, she never felt despair, only joy and excitment, her heart even began to repair!
Little by little, day by day, the hurt she carried inside her began to fade away.
Now today is a new day, and all the pain is gone. Not a drop of fear, or a hint of tears lies within her heart. Now there is only room for joy and love, because that guy had healed that girl's broken heart.
Now they are both together, and the story gets better you see, because they lived happily ever after, and the story is about you and me.By~Cassandra Lange
Maybe not the best poem in the world, be he liked it so, that's all that matters :)
I wanted to make the day a little more special for Ava as well, so that morning I made some heart shaped pancakes with chocolate.

Of course she loved them!! Anything with chocolate she will eat!
The rest of my day just went on as normal. Earlier in the week, Joey and I had talked about all of us going to dinner at a Korean resturant that we really like, so, that was all I was expecting. I got Ava and I all ready and when Joey got home, we headed out for our Valetine's dinner.
We walked inside the resturant and headed upstairs, and there was a table reserved that had a Huge bouquet of flowers, and a little bouquet of flowers on it! My sweet husband had gone over to the resturant earlier that day and got it all set up!

And here is the cute little bouquet he got for Ava.

She felt so special!!
As if flowers weren't enough, while we were waiting for out food, all of the sudden there was a Swarovski bag on the table! My heart skipped a beat because I always drag my poor hubby into that store and just "ooh" and "awe" over everything in there! But, it's a little pricey so, I never end up purchasing anything. Now, there was this dainty little bag waiting for me to open! and I did! When I popped open the box, my eyes were filled with sparkles and hearts! A Sparkly hearts necklace to be exact! My husband knows I'm a sucker for anything that sparkles, and this necklace was full of them! 4 hearts. 1 for me, 1 for him, 1 for Ava, and 1 for Ginger.

I had to wear it ASAP!

Isn't it beautiful?! I just LOVE it!
So, that was our fun little Chinese V-Day. It actually was the best I've had yet! Maybe because it really was up to us to have the holiday happen, and also because out here, we really rely on each other. Sometimes you forget how special the people that are in our daily lifes really are. Some people don't like Valentines day, but I think, why not take advantage of any oppurtunity to let our loved ones know how much we love them? I hope my family and friends know how much I love and care about them. And if not, let me take this oppurtunity to let you know right now that I love you! XOXO