The photos I posted the other day were taken in June of 2002. I love those photos - no matter how embarrassing or hilarious they are to others. To me, they represent love, and I think of that evening back in June every Valentine's day!
I was looking forward to our dinner out. David, my fiance, and I were meeting up with one of my dear bride's maids and her boyfriend for dinner. It did not seem odd that they had agreed to go to an expensive fish restaurant - even though Cara hates fish! It did not seem odd that a group of kids were hiding behind the bushes and giggling. It did not seem odd when David stopped just before Cara's apartment and turned me around and planted a wonderful kiss. Nope, it all seemed perfectly normal.
Till I knocked on the apartment door.
Cara certainly was not dressed appropriately for the restaurant, for starters.
And secondly, her apartment was over crowded with all our mutual soccer friends.
A surprise bachelorette party for yours truly.
Ok. So that explains the huge pen*s and my get up! And, yes, the drinking. But how does that relate back to Valentine's day or true love.
Like all totally awesome bachelorette parties, mine involved a few drinking games. One in particular is dear to my heart.
Cara had cornered David at work and drilled him with a million questions. She asked him tons of questions about his likes, dislikes, our relationship, his childhood - no topic was off limits.
From that interrogation she compiled a long list of questions to ask me. The idea was to see how much I knew of my true love...and how much I did not!
If I got the answer wrong, I had to take a shot - or at least what my friend Lynn thought was a shot - which was more like 3-5 ounces of really terrible "girlie" liquor!
At the beginning I did pretty well. More right than wrong...then I was asked, " What was the name of David's first dog?"
CRAP. CRAPPITY CRAP.... Princess? Queenie? I knew it was something "royal".....
DRINK UP! The right answer is Duchess!
For a bunch of questions I was so close, but yet so far...what a slippery slope...soon I was really feeling the effects of my wrong answers. Like my father always says, close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades!
Oh, I got David's favorite colour, his favorite restaurant, what we did on our first and third date right, there were some doozies...some challenging, some easy, then came the big question:
When did David know you were the one?
Hmmmmmmm.....When did David know I was the one? hmmmmm...when???
I knew for me, it was after our FIRST date that I gushed to my girlfriends I just knew he was the one....could he have known that early???
No. Probably not. OH! Could it have been at
this time? That would make sense...
Yep. That had to be it...so, I confirmed, that was my final answer.
I held my breath...
Cara yelped a big, "Nope - it was when your ski broke, or something like that..." and Lynn poured me another drink to chug!
I accepted defeat, and slugged back my "punishment" and started to reminisce about the night my ski broke... even in my drunken state, I could remember it perfectly!
David knew I was the one when one cold February night we went downhill skiing. I was not a skier - had not been for years. So, I dusted off my 10 year old skis I had lugged to Ottawa when I first moved to the area, but had never used. And, hoped for the best. David had suggested I rent newer skis - but I insisted mine were perfectly fine.
I had great fun. I stayed mostly on the smaller hills and slowly started to get the hang of it. So midway through the evening, the bunch of us decided to go to a more challenging hill.
During the chairlift ride David and I held hands. I was loving it all!
We did the top half of the slope. Met up, and then continued down the hill. All was going great.
I zipped passed David and then he zipped past me.
David finished the run before me and waited at the chairlift line.
And waited.
And waited.
He got a bit nervous, and started to make his way back to the ski run. He turned the bend, and little did he know that the next 5 minutes would change his life forever!
There I was, walking down the hill, carrying my skis!! And boy, was I giggling!
When we met up - I burst out laughing and gave him a big hug. He looked so concerned and worried.
You see, my ancient binding had exploded...yep, exploded.
I was in the middle of making a turn when I heard a strange noise and then I saw my ski take off down the hill...without me!
I went tumbling down the hill!
After getting up, dusting myself off, I could not stop giggling...I picked up all my equipment (I would later learn that it is called a yard sale wipe out when you loose your equipment all over the hill in a spill!)
With skis in hand, I walked down the rest of the hill. Laughing.
All I could think about was, "Wow, this is sure going to impress David! NOT! Hope he asks me out again, but I will have to buy new skis!"
Once he confirmed I was ok. He asked if I wanted to go home - I quickly replied, "No way - let's stay, you do a few more runs and I will wait in the chalet. Go have fun, but promise me you will help me buy a new pair of skis!"
David gave me a hug, and said, "Sure, I am so glad you like skiing..." he hugged me again, kissed me and told me, "love you lots".
I never imagined that at that moment, he was realizing that I was the one. The ONE for him.
All I knew was no matter what we did, no matter what, I always had fun with David. Even in the midst of huge wipe outs, I super enjoyed being with this man. Little did I know, that during our night of skiing, David was coming to the same realizations about me!
I waited in the chalet and watched the man of my dreams ski a few more runs. I was happy. Truly happy... and I still am today!!!!
Now, every Valentine's day, I give David a big hug and innocently ask, "Remember when my ski broke?"
And David replies with a grin, "I certainly do!"
Then, I giggle and say, "Remember my giant pen*s?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?"
(I will not post his routine response...just in case my mother or mother-in-law are reading!!!)
Happy belated Valentine's day everyone - I hope you had a wonderfully happy day with your loved one. Me, I went skiing!!!!
With the man I love with all my being...
... and with two of the three products of this mutual love!
IT ROCKED!
and I was happy!
PS - sorry for the delay - my access to Blogger is a bit wonky!
biked, 
away from old bad habits, emotional eating, over eating, poor lifestyle and 
(yep, that is me, proudly posing while my son snaps a few shots!)
