Dreams Come True

With the sounds of Super Tuesday chiming in the background, let me tell you about my day's turn around.

I'll be honest with you: Tuesday is the most exhausting day of my week:
Long meetings.
All day. ("Super Tuesday" is actually an apt description.)
I mention this not as a complaint but as a prologue.

As I sat waiting for tonight's final, 7:00pm meeting to begin, and as Wes prodded Lucy back to the bedroom to commence with her nighttime routine, he gave me a slightly cryptic glance and whispered: "Put your boots on when the RAs leave." I didn't know whether to groan or giggle. Obviously, an outdoor event was pending.

Flashback:
February, 2004.
Valentine's Day Eve.
Wes and good friend Ryan are whispering behind Lori and Amy(married to Ryan)'s backs. The girls are exceedingly curious, but the boys drop no hints. Give no clues. Finally, Ryan instructs his wife, "Um, Amy, why don't you just sleep here on Lori's couch. Wes and I will be back...sometime." The two young wives raise eyebrows, but don't ask many questions. Husbands leave. Wives eventually fall asleep. Husbands return around 2am. Amy and Ryan go home.

The next morning (Valentine's Day), Lori wakes up to a darling little V-day decoration and a beautiful potted flower. Happiness...smiles...shmoozing. In the evening, Wes takes Lori to Amy and Ryan's house where the boys proceed to prepare a fancy filet mignon dinner, served at a candle-lit, fine china-clad table.

A delightful Valentine's day! But...why were the boys so glum? Why such long faces all day? Why so many confusing apologies made? What had they been doing until 2am the night previous? And WHAT in the world inspired dear husband to gift his wife a pair of thermal garments wrapped (quite cleverly) in a pink and black Victoria's Secret box...????

Fast Forward:
February 2008.
Tuesday staff meeting: finished.
Lucy: in bed.
Wes to wife: "Get your boots on."
Lori (cringing with thoughts of cold): "OK"

Husband leads wife by the hand across the snow covered grass. Wife wonders what is going on, until: hello! Igloo.

Laughter ensues.
Lori: "We have to send a picture to Amy and Ryan!"
Wes: "I called Ryan the minute I found it."

And so... we sat inside the igloo and lived the dream that my cute husband and his best friend had tried (until late in the night!) but had ultimately failed to create for their unsuspecting wives one Valentine's Eve long years ago. And you know what?

It was delightful!

And romantic!

(And surprisingly warm...but I could have used those thermal garments!)

So, amid the political clamoring of this important Tuesday night, my thoughts find themselves drifting from Washington's white house to the wintry little white house just a few paces beyond my front door and to the husband who continues, after five years of marriage, to capture my heart and my vote.