Summertime Romance

Summertime Romance
by Brettani Shannon


Take advantage of great weather by romancing your lover in the great outdoors. You have hours of warmth each day to spend outside together. Garden walks in the morning, boating in the sunny afternoon, and sleeping under the stars are just some of the romantic activities you can take part in. Below are some great ideas from the readers of Lovingyou.com.

A Night Out On the Lake
My love left our one-year anniversary planning up to me, so I thought long and hard about possible romantic ideas. After a few days, I had the perfect idea. I picked her up at her house and blindfolded her. I brought her to the lake and walked her to the dock where a small rowboat was awaiting us. I undid the blindfold and enjoyed the look of surprise on her face. Iin the boat was a tiny table with a candelit dinner for two. I brought the boat out into the middle of the lake and we watched the sunset together as we ate our dinner, then we laid back in the boat and watched the stars. The night was unforgettable and will live in our hearts forever. Next year it's her turn, and I'm anxious to see what she has planned.
--submitted by Brian and Lauren

At Work Kidnapping
My boyfriend had been having a hard time at work for several weeks. His birthday was coming up, and I wanted to do something special for him. I made several phone calls and got reservations at a campground four hours away. I also got tickets for a steam engine train ride I knew he wanted to go on. I called his boss and asked if I could pick my husband up after his lunch break on Friday becuase he had Monday off for Labor Day. His boss said that he knew my boyfriend needed to get away, and he totally approved. I packed our camper with clothes, food, drinks, and everything I knew we would need and at 1:30 I walked into his shop with a loaded water gun and a ransom note. A few minutes later I was leading him to the camper at gunpoint. I'm not sure who was more surprised - my boyfriend or his coworkers. We had a wonderful weekend and made some beautiful memories. We also went gem mining that weekend and found a stone that we both liked. We've had it cut and put into a ring that is now my engagement ring! Who needs a diamond? My ring has a story. What a great weekend!!
--submitted by Diana

Birthday Sailing Surprise
My boyfriend is truly a blessing to me. He tries so hard to please me in every way. For his birthday, I rented a cruise ship and invited all of his friends and family to join us on a surprise birthday cruise. I told my boyfriend that the cruise was for one of his friends, becuase he was sure that noone could surprise him. Well, surprise! I decorated everything with Dallas Cowboys colors. There were streamers, pompoms, and party hats; I even got him to wear his Cowboys jersey! We had tons of food everywhere on board. We sailed for two hours, and he told me that it was his best birthday ever!

-submitted by Sharon

The Beach and a Book
Take your significant other to the beach and bring a book and a picnic lunch. Have them lay back and relax while you read to them. Take turns if you want. If they have a favorite book, make sure to bring that.
--submitted by Meep

Buried Treasure Chest
For our three-month anniversary, my boyfriend took me on a camping trip. One night just before sunset he told me to meet him down on the beach. When I got to the beach he was waiting for me with a bucket and pail. I thought that we were going to build a sand castle on the beach at sunset (very romantic). He then started telling me how to dig up the sand. He said he had watched it on TV. He made me start digging a big hole becuase wet sand was the best for building a sand castle. While I was digging, I came upon a tin can that he had buried earlier. When I opened it I found a note that read, "Argh mate, you found my buried treasure!" He had filled the can with tissue paper and my favorite chocolates. I thought that was it, but he told me to keep looking. He had made a false bottom in the can and beneath it were two boxes neatly wrapped. Inside the boxes were a beautiful necklace and matching earrings. The gift was beautiful, but the presentation was so romantic! We ended up sitting on the beach and watching the sun set together.
--submitted by April

Deck Camp Out
My boyfriend and I had been seeing other people, but I really wanted us to be together exclusively. He had been away for the weekend, so I invited him to come see me on Sunday night. I have a huge deck on the back of my house. Before he came, I dragged my mattress off my bed, with the sheets and pillows still on it, and put it out onto the deck. I lit lots of candles all around the deck, and brought my CD player out there too. When he got there, I told him I had a surprise for him. I led him out onto the deck where the candles were burning, and the music was playing. I pulled him onto the matress and held him for a long time. We made love all night and finally fell asleep together on the matress. After that night we got back together!
--submitted by Sue

Night on the Docks
My girlfriend and I are both students, so needless to say we do not have a lot of money to throw around. I work at a tackle shop that's right next to a big boat dock. So, for our anniversary, I took her out to her favorite restauraunt for dinner. After dinner, I asked her to take a walk with me along the docks. She didn't know, but I'd had one of my friends set up a blanket on the end fo the largest pier and completely surround it with candles. We laid on the blanket and talked all night. It was very romantic!
--submitted by Jerrod

Outdoor Escape
We have three small children, so getting a romantic moment or a night out takes a little more imagination and thought than it does for most people. I found an old iron bathtub for $5 at a second-hand store. I took it home and set it up on bricks in a secluded area of our backyard garden. I used a camping burner to heat the water. While that was heating up, I prepared a plate of finger foods including chopped vegetables with dip, salami, fruit, cheese, etc, chilled a bottle of wine, and sat it all next to the bath. I placed a few candles around the bathtub and the scene was set. As soon as the kids were in bed we snuck out to our private hot tub. We spent the next few hours feeding each other and talking before jumping out and braving the chilly night air to run back inside and cuddle by the fire. It was a wonderful night!
--submitted by Anna

Riverside Picnic Dinner
My boyfriend surprised me one evening with a romantic dinner. He picked me up from my dorm room and we drove down to a local river where we usually went for hikes. This wasn't unusual, so I didn't expect anything out of the ordinary. But when we got to the spot, I was surprised to find his best friend dressed up like a waiter and standing next to a table set for a candlelit dinner for two. A couple more of his friends were there to serve us dinner, and as soon as everything was set they left, leaving the two of us alone. It was so wonderful knowing that my boyfriend had taken the time to plan something so ealborate!
--submitted by Janie

Truck "Bed" Date
You'll need a pickup truck and lots of blankets and pillows for this idea. Put all of the blankets and pillows in the bed of your truck and try to hide them as best as you can. You may also want to stock up some hot chocolate or champagne. Drive your partner out to a secluded country road and park the truck. Reveal your hard work and lay back with your love to watch the stars. You can stay there all night if you want! Make sure the weather is going to be good, though, becuase I haven't figured out a rainy night contingency plan yet.
--submitted by Kilo

Romance: http://www.lovingyou.com/content/romance/romance101.php