The Special Night

My Valentine's Special Night Out (not on Valentine's) was awesome!

It started with both Glenn and I being ready at 6:00pm. At 6:15, the rental car showed up, complete with bubbly and champagne flutes. (Don't worry, it was non-alcoholic) As my husband opened the car door for me, there on my seat was a beautiful longstem red rose dressed in pretty ribbon.

We headed to the Staunton Grocery, a very nice upscale restaurant, where my husband had a 5 course tasting arranged for us. The food itself was delicious - but the presentation was stunning in and of itself. The neat thing was even though we both were having the tasting menu, both of our tastings were entirely different. (So we also tasted each others!) Of course, my favorite was the desert! Mine was an orange carrot cake on a caramel sauce with a side of gelato (yummie!) Glenn had a baked whole pear with a caramelized sauce and rich milk chocolate - it made for a stunning combination of texture and flavor as it mixed on your palette! We also had handmade sodas that were out of this world! The main course of beef (for me with a reduction sauce and fancy mushrooms) and pork (for Glenn with a wonderful herb crusting and reduction sauce) were both amazing! Dinner was slow paced and relaxing. Glenn and I were able to have wonderful conversation - we didn't feel rushed or hurried - in fact when we went to leave, we realized we had been at dinner for over 3 hours!

I wish I was a better writer so that I could put words to my thoughts and feelings of that night. For today, I will have to be satisfied with the single words that come to mind:

CHERISHED

LOVED

BELOVED

BEAUTIFUL

And for those who have asked - here are some pics of me at 17 and 1/2 weeks. Note: the part that is "popping" isn't necessarily my belly (although it is catching up!)

Like I told Glenn the other day, "I know I'm pregnant, but right now I just feel fat." I can't wait to actually have the 'baby bump' so that people will know that I'm pregnant. But, truly, I am just trying to relish each stage of this whole life creating thing because already it seems to be going by so very fast! Soon I'll be having my first ultrasound at 20+ weeks!

And, no, that is not a tattoo on my arm - I had a rather large vase that jumped off the shelf at Valentine's Day and decided to use my head and arm to break it's fall before it crashed into a million pieces on the floor.