Celebrate Good Times or Not

So The BF and I have been dating for almost a year. In fact our 1st date was 1/8/10 and I am debating do we celebrate that as our anniversary (as you know I am all about gifts and parties) or do we celebrate in April which is when we both stopped acting like idiots and admitted we were dating?

You see The BF and I had both been through some messy disastrous relationships that were not only hazardous to our health but dangerous to all those around. So to say that we both have commitment issues is an understatement. We have the whole damn subscription. For months after we started texting we danced around meeting, then after we started "hanging out" neither one of us wanted to label our relationship as anything other than friends with benefits. Slowly we admitted to dating and then one of us said the "L" word.

Yes one of us said I love you and no it wasn't me!!!! The BF said I love you to me one day when we were walking through his garage. I am not sure what inspired this but he said it quietly and I barely heard him. I turned and ask what did you say and he said nothing. So not being sure if he was talking to me or his truck, I tried not to freak out. After all I had been avoiding emotional entanglements for years and try to keep my commitments to the bare minimum. And here I am with a great guy that I have so much in common with like sex and coffee, and this great guy may have said I love you to me. After my initial panic induced hysteria (that surprisingly I keep under control while I was with him) I relaxed and realised that I loved him also. It took me another 3 weeks to say it and by then I was sure he was saying it to me and not his truck.

So my question to my 26 followers when do we celebrate our 1 year anniversary. I feel its important to acknowledge we have been together for a tear (which is the 2nd longest relationship I have ever had). Do we celebrate on the anniversary of our 1st date or when we both acknowledge how important we are to each other?

Presentation is Everything

To those who are not aware my love language is gifts. This means when I express my feelings its all with gifts. If we are fighting I will buy you a gift to say I am sorry. If your dog dies I will buy you a gift to express my sorrow at your loss. You get a promotion I will buy you a gift to celebrate. This means if any of these things happen to me I also want you to buy me a gift. I am not sure why I am this way, no one else in my family is a gift person. Lucky for everyone I read the book The 5 Love Languages (I highly recommend this book and its partner book The 5 Languages of Apology) so I am aware not everyone else is a gift giver.

Part of my curse is I like to give gifts that are visually pleasing. I wont wrap in just plan paper unless desperate. I even like to decorate gift bags with pretty ribbon. I spend as much time wrapping gifts as I do buying them. And almost as much on wrapping paper and ribbons. I even buy paper that coordinates with each other and when I give you more than 1 gift I like the paper to match so you know that it came from me. Once again I believe that professional intervention may be necessary and soon.

How Much is to Much?

How much money is to much to spend on you boyfriend you have been dating for a year. Keep in mind that while you are not living together you are both talking long term relationship. Also your love language is Gifts so gift giving is a big deal to you but you don't want to go overboard. Please help me by sharing your opinions.