7/52 - Romance

I've been torn on which photo(s) to use for this week's theme, so I think I'm just going to use them all. Yes, I am a dirty, dirty cheater...

The theme this week is 'romance'...which I found to be a difficult subject to photograph. And then I looked at this photo I took the other night (outside taking a family stroll around the block, we finally have some warm weather!) and it dawned on me...THIS is what came from a little 'office' romance that started 10.5 years ago in our local K-Mart store.

My definition of romance has definitely changed over the last couple of years. I clearly remember the Valentine's Days spent buying expensive, lavish (and sparkly) gifts for one another...that seems more than a little silly to me now.  A much more appropriate gift is the one I got - a well-cooked meal, some lovely flowers, and a bubble bath drawn for me when I came home from work on Monday. Even better, I had two of the greatest guys ever sitting in my kitchen. 

Do I sometimes miss the days when we could easily take a weekend trip away, or schedule a special night out? Oh yes. Definitely...but there is a certain amount of peace in the simple moments that my life is now filled with instead. A cuddle on the couch while your baby sleeps soundly in the next room is pretty much heaven in my eyes (and unfortunately, it doesn't happen as often as you might think!)

Here were my other contenders for the romance theme...some shots of the flowers Eddie bought me. Note: Most of the time I ask for no flowers, as I've always found it so sad when they inevitably wither and wilt, but I wanted some this year to photograph..and the splash of color mixed with this amazing warm weather brought me into a SPRING frame of mind this week. I absolutely cannot wait for this Winter to be over! Give me sunshine and fresh air!