on this day in recent history...

On February 14, 2006, I opened the front door of my parents' house to receive a gorgeous Valentine's bouquet from a certain soldier and long-time friend named Andrew Harper who was far away at Ft. Stewart, GA. Our relationship was so new that he had barely received permission from my dad to send me flowers in time for the special day!

On February 14, 2007, I was still in a relationship with this guy. In fact, we'd been married for 7 months and he'd so far been in Iraq for 1 of those months. On that bittersweet day, he also sent me flowers. But it seems that I was so overwrought after he left that I couldn't bring myself to take pictures of anything for a couple months. I kept the card from the flowers, though. It reads:

My Cass,
You are my
greatest joy and
only love.
Happy Valentine's Day.
Love, Me

He'd found and sent a Valentine's card at a PX somewhere before he'd even reached Iraq. Not even a month into the deployment and his words were already hopeful (by faith!) about what God was going to do in us and through us this year. Mostly IN us.

Today, February 14, 2008. A mere 46+ days til April. We've made it an awfully long ways when at times we didn't think we could! My Valentine's card this year reads,

The card says it all, (I leave that to your imagination, reader)
but I cannot wait to show you in person
just how much you mean to me.
I'm coming home, Babe!
Happy Valentine's Day
I love you!

He surprised me by telling me in a separate e-card that he bought us tickets to a play in Atlanta for later in April and that the date includes a weekend on the town. Just us. Hand in hand so soon. Then the flower delivery guy brought me a sweet spring mix from my baby - full of daisies and hydrangeas, just like I like! ... Not to mention the amazing early Valentines he sent me from when he was in Qatar! That's a post all it's own. I promise.

Sigh. Andrew's been such a wonderful, thoughtful, and creative long-distance Valentine! I can't imagine what 2009 and beyond might be like...