Chelsea and I were told to wait upstairs as the preparation began. We were in our loungy clothes and relaxing as we had been told to do, but we still heard banging and clanking and had no idea what was going on; however, we knew at the end of it a surprise awaited us. Finally, Cameron came up the stairs dressed in black slacks, a crisp black button-down, and a tie, with a towel draped over his arm. He said (very formally) "Ladies, I am here to accompany you both to your Valentine." Chelsea and I looked at each other like he was crazy, and obliged. He steered us down the stairs and we never could have imagined what our Valentine truly was.
The furniture had been moved out of the living room. In the center of the room was a bistro table that was set beautifully, with two chairs and candles everywhere. There was soft music playing and a maroon-sheet-turned-curtain put up to add to the ambiance and make the kitchen separate and a secret to us as to what was going on in there.
Cameron sat us down, welcomed us to Café Adriano, and informed us he was our waiter - the head waiter at that - for the evening. He handed us each a menu and told us he would return in a moment with our beverages, one of which (for me, in particular) was wine labeled 'Adriano'. Uh!! He was SO STINKIN' CUTE! We looked at our "menus". Are you kidding?!? There are no words to do it justice...the only thing I can do to describe it is show it to you:
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So in and out of the kitchen came Cameron, bringing us our drinks, appetizers, one of the most delicious and thoughtful menu items we've ever had, and beautiful dessert.
Just a few weeks before, Adrian and I had been at a garage sale and saw a chef's coat for 50 cents. We both thought it would be a cute idea to get it and figure out something to do with it later. I washed and dried it and hung it in the Laundry Room, thinking we would make that some sort of project later. The reason I tell you this is because at the end of this wonderful dinner, our "waiter" informed us that we were the meet the master chef who had prepared this amazing meal for us.
Out walks my husband - beautiful man he is with a matching heart - wearing the chef's coat we had purchased at the garage sale. He held a white tulip in each hand, and presented one to each of us, telling both Chelsea and I all the reasons he loved us as he gave us each a tulip. Needless to say, we were bawling our faces off, all in the name of love.
FUNNY how we are conditioned to think Valentine's Day always has to be about romantic love...it's an opportunity to express true love in any fashion to those around you when we may sometimes forget to during the busyness of our lives. Knowing Valentine's Day is tomorrow, the first thing that came to my mind for my post today was the selfless way both Adrian and Cameron shared their love for Chelsea and I - as husband and wife, brother and sister, mother and son, father and daughter.
Be sure to celebrate all of those you truly love EVERY day of the year - but take Valentine's Day just as a simple reminder of who those people are.
This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used.