Valentine's Day

Yesterday was Turner's first Valentine's Day.  Heath was wonderful and took Turner for some father-son time and let me sleep in.  They went to Chick-fil-A and ran some errands.  Heath surprised me with breakfast, a candy heart, a dress and some earrings!  I gave him equally expensive Mario Kart for the Wii....Ha!

Anyway, then Heath and I decided to go to Auburn for the day.  It was actually Turner's second time to Auburn - he went for the first time when he was 2 weeks old.  We packed him up and headed down there.  We said it was to go to the basketball game (I didn't know they were playing until Saturday), but I really wanted to do some shopping at Ellie!  I love that store.  

We got there and ate at Big Blue Bagel.  Why does Auburn seem to have WAY better restaurants than Birmingham??  You would think it would be opposite, but I would take Auburn restaurants any day.  I lived there 5 years, and I never remember getting sick of them!  

Side note - Heartstrings said they were closing.  I asked them what was up, and they said the owners were retiring, so they were closing February 28th.  However, they were hoping to reopen March 3rd with new owners in the same location with shockingly similar things in the store.  Whatever.

After Heath's favorite part of the day (the Ellie shopping trip), I dragged him to the basketball game.  He called our friends Lee and Jamie, and they happened to be in Auburn, going to the basketball game.  What a terrific coincidence!  Great news for me since I don't care about basketball.  In college my dad would graciously (and unknowingly) buy tickets each season in the rare chance I wanted to go to a game.  I ended up giving the tickets away a lot.  Wasn't Dad generous??

We met up with Lee and Jamie, and we had a blast.  I watched the first half of the game, then I thought it was fascinating (and probably uncomfortable for some readers) that they will let nursing mothers use the First Aid room in the coliseum during the game.  I was walking out of the coliseum to find somewhere to feed Turner, and one of those security people (who used to wear yellow at the football games, but now wear white) came up and walked me to the First Aid room.  I apologized in advance to the lady in there, but she said that was actually what people mostly use that room for.  Silly me, I thought it would be for a medical emergency!  I had to take a picture, because that was definitely a first for me at an Auburn sporting event.

Turner sitting on the bed in the "first aid" room.

When we were heading up to our seats, we ran into Mark and Sarah.  Sarah and Heath grew up together in Andalusia, and Mark was our boss at Camp War Eagle - my dream come true and where Heath and I started dating.  They have a daughter Turner, and our Turners had to meet.  Especially for Heath, because he was uncomfortable naming Turner that because he said it was their little girl's name.  As you will see in the picture below, it fits perfectly for a boy or a girl.  Aren't they cute??

  Mark with his second favorite Turner.

After the game, we went to Amsterdam.  However, it was a 2 to 2 and a half hour wait.  We weren't super surprised, remembering Valentine's from when we were in college.  I love Amsterdam, but not that much!  And they weren't even seating people outside, though it was warm.  Huh.  Well, Lee got smart and called Niffer's and put our name on the list.  Again - shout out to the restaurants in Auburn.  It was wonderful, and we didn't wait long at all.  I guess it was not the romantic choice for Valentine's, but it was awesome!  We were having so much fun, that I even let the creepy/somewhat nostalgic (because he was there when we were at Auburn)/Keith's cousin/balloon man make us some balloon shapes.  I was reeled in when he said "I mean, I can make absolutely anything."  Lee asked him for a bicycle like from the movie "Wedding Crashers" but we settled for a Valentine's heart for Turner.  When he made it, he asked if Turner had teeth.  I am still not sure why. 

   Niffer's balloon man?!

The whole situation was making Heath uncomfortable, so I thought it would be funny to ask for something for myself.  He made me a flower "corsage" as Heath was trying to find some cash to begrudgingly tip him.  I had to do it - so many years of this guy asking if we wanted a balloon animal, and never getting one.

We ended the night with TCBY.  What a perfect Valentine's Day!  Did I mention Auburn beat Mississippi State - oh wait, you can tell the food and shopping were on my mind!  Heath, Lee and Jamie did love watching the game.  I loved it just because we were in Auburn again.  I love that place.  

Bonus - this was Turner dressed up for a birthday party a couple of weeks ago.  He wore cousin Kate's lobster costume from her first Halloween.  I thought it was appropriate, because I have always said Heath was my lobster (thanks for the reminder, Star) from a Friends episode (Lindsay J.)  Every time I see it, I laugh!  Laurahelen came over the other night, and Turner had to try it on again.  Hilarious.

        Our LOBSTER!