Deja vu

We had a wonderful night celebrating last night. After our original plans fell through, I thought we weren't going to be able to go out together, but Eric swooped in and found a new babysitter and arranged a wonderful night of remembering and reminiscing. It was so refreshing to have a night out without our kids and just be together! Date nights are the best.

Eric took me back to the places where it all began - Temple Square, the Roof, and the fountain on BYU campus.

Eric told me that he wanted to go revisit some of "our places" and then didn't say much else other than that we were going to start out by looking at the view outside of The Roof and then go to a performance.

When we got up there, he said, "Hey, let's go ask if we can see the view from inside the restaurant." I didn't think they would let us and said no, I didn't want to get told no and get embarrassed. Eric said he'd just go and ask while I waited outside. He came back and told me it was ok.

When we walked inside, the hostess greeted us and said, "Are you ready to take a look around now?" If I had any little suspicions that we really were going to eat there, that vanquished them. "I guess we really are just going to look at the view," I thought. She took us a little way into the restaurant and stopped and pointed out the live piano music and then pointed to the buffet and said, "Tonight we are featuring Prime Rib and Chicken Cordon Blue and then we have our dessert buffets - each side is a little different. So, if you do decide to stay... Do you want to go see the view by the tables over there?" We followed her over towards the table where we had sat the night we got engaged. "Wow, isn't that an incredible view? Do you want to sit down and try out those seats and see what it's like?"

"Ok... that's a little strange - she's really into this. But, ok..." I thought. So, we sat down and then she smiled slyly and said, "And Jan will be your server if you do decide you want to eat." Then she turned and walked away and our server poured water into our glasses and set the drink menu down in front of us. I was still a little bewildered and looked over at Eric who was giving me a teasing smile. After they walked away, he told me that he wanted to still make dinner a surprise and so he'd made up the story about "looking at the view and going to a performance" to throw me off and then gotten our hostess to play along. She did really well for just being asked at the last minute! I was very surprised and very happy! We haven't been to The Roof in years - it was such a treat!

Going with our theme of reliving the night on our five year anniversary, Eric again had flowers waiting for me at the table. :)

Check out that view!

Have I said before that the food at The Roof is amazing? Oh man... I really wanted to just stay there all night and eat and then let my food settle and then eat some more and let that settle and then eat some more. It was SO good! :) During dinner we had fun talking about where we had come to in five years and where we would be in five more. We both agreed that we never thought we'd STILL be waiting for Eric to finish school. Haha. And we both thought that this last five years has flown by. I'll never get over how it feels like we just blinked and now here we are - and yet it's like it's been this way forever. In five more years, Eric will be (way) done with school, have finished his engineering apprenticeship and passed the PE exam and be an officially licensed engineer with his own stamp and everything. :) Elena will have just gotten baptized. We'll have another kid. Lily will be in school. And we also both put in a vote for cancer being a thing of the past - never to rear it's ugly head again. Here's hoping!

After dinner we walked around Temple Square for a bit and then we headed down to Provo to go to our fountain. BYU better never remodel that area of campus. I think I'll cry forever if our fountain goes away. :)

This is the place!

After sitting at the fountain for a few minutes, we retraced our steps and took the same little walk from five years ago and even stood on the same warm vent to warm-up. Oh, BYU campus, what would everyone do without those warm air vents? :) I want to come back and walk that same walk when we are old and wrinkly and can barely walk.

When we came back around the corner, Eric had another surprise waiting for me. He'd gotten his sister and her husband to come set up candles around the fountain and floating in the water - just like before.

He also had some diamonds waiting for me. :) We are still doing the poor student thing, so there were no "new" diamonds, but he made my ring look like new. Each year, as part of the package from when Eric purchased my engagement ring, I get to have it re-finished and professionally cleaned for free. Eric had taken it to go get that done, but he came home and told me that while they were cleaning it, they had knocked the diamond out of it's setting and so they had to keep it for a few days to fix it. When we came back to our fountain all lit up, he pulled out my ring - all safe and sound and sparkling like new. There hadn't been any problem with it - he's just very good at pulling the wool over my eyes. I blame it on the fact that I just love him so much. :)

I had so much fun reliving bits and pieces of our engagement night. I sure love that guy. He's had the heaviest load on his shoulders trying to finish up his five incomplete classes from when Elena was diagnosed, do two independent study courses, AND keep up on all his regular coursework for the semester so that he can graduate in December and start his Master's program. On top of all that, he's also still working hard to try and make a living for us. I don't know how he does so much. He is so strong and so hardworking and self-sacrificing. Even with all he has on his plate, he took the time to plan such a wonderful evening for the two of us - because he is thoughtful and romantic like that and didn't want such a momentous anniversary to pass without a proper celebration. He is the best. I love you babe!