Tradition

When Ryan and I were first married, we often talked about the different family traditions that we each grew up with.  I remember saying to him, “…so why do you eat pizza on Christmas Eve?”  Well, one year his family decided to make pizza on Christmas Eve, and then they did it again the next year, and then the next year, and then there you go, family tradition.

Likewise, Ryan would say to me, “…why does your family celebrate Easter with an egg fight?”  While I’m not exactly sure why we have an egg fight on Easter, it has been a part of my family’s Easter traditions for as long as I can remember.  (Read more about these famous egg fights and all of our Easter traditions here.)

my birthday this year started with homemade eggs benedict for brunch

A tradition that we both grew up with, was enjoying a home-cooked meal for our birthdays.  I have very fond memories of my Mom asking us what we wanted her to make us for our birthday dinner.  And no matter how time consuming or laborious of a recipe we picked, she gladly made it for us.  (Yep, mushu pork, I’m talking about you.  Thanks Mom.)

In our early years of dating and the first few years of marriage, since neither one of us really cooked at all (unless you consider frozen pizza cooking), Ryan and I used to try and pick out a special restaurant to go to for our birthday celebrations.  But then one year, Ryan veered off course and surprised me with a home-cooked birthday dinner…and it completely blew my socks off.  First of all, I didn’t even know that he could cook.  But also, it felt so sweet and thoughtful that he took the time to plan out a special menu with me in mind.  (Not to mention the waiter was pretty hot stuff.)

Ryan surprised me with my favorite champagne to toast to another year

So that pretty much ruined me.  Why would I possibly want to go out to a restaurant when I could otherwise have my sweet hubby surprise me with a special dinner in the comfort and quiet of our home?  (Plus the dress is code is always pajamas or lounge-wear, and we all know that I am pretty enthusiastic about that.)

Over the years Ryan has made me so many different and amazing meals – he has recreated some of my favorite restaurant dishes (and completely surpassed them), he has made multi-course dinners, homemade pastas, braised meats, beef wellington, mushroom soup (even though he doesn’t like mushrooms), seafood, risotto – you name it, he has probably made it.

this year’s masterpiece – homemade pasta with a lobster tomato sauce

With every bite, and with each moment, I truly feel the love that he has poured into not just the meal, but the entire day.  And although all of this pampering and these surprises make me feel like an absolute Queen on my birthday, I am truly lucky, because he makes me feel this special every day of the year.