By Grace Usher

Valentine’s Day is a holiday to celebrate the importance of our significant others. We shower our loved ones with flowers, jewelry and of course, chocolates. On the other hand, some love birds desire something different for the holiday; they tend to “think outside the candy box.”

Gail and Al Key have been together for more than 25 years (and counting). When asked what her dream Valentine’s Day gift would be, Gail Key responded simply with a loving embrace to her husband, Al.

Gail and Al Key have been married for 25 years. Grace Usher/RiverScene Magazine.

“I have all I need,” said Gail.

Mother-daughter duo Donna and Tara Dougan laughed when asked about their dream gift.

Donna (left) and Tara (Right) Dougan joke about their Valentine’s Day gift ideas. Grace Usher/RiverScene Magazine.

“I want a handpicked box of See’s dark chocolates and flower,” said Donna Dougan.

“I’m just making liver and onions,” added daughter Tara Dougan.

Timothy Wells wants a Bentley this Valentines Day. Grace Usher/RiverScene Magazine.

As for Timothy Wells, all he  wants for Valentine’s Day is a “Bentley Continental GT speed. I’ll take any Bentley as a gift any day, actually.”

Not just adults dream of a romantic gift from the one they love. Even young love has its fantasies.

Sierra, 21, said her dream gift was “A trip to Hawaii.”

Rylee, 12, said she would prefer to “hang out with the other person instead of a getting something.”

Sammuel, 9, added “I would want to go somewhere besides home … a different city.”

Rylee (left), Sierra (center), and Sammuel (right) share their Valentine’s Day dream presents. Grace Usher/RiverScene Magazine

Though some fantasize about their ideal dream gift, others just reminisce on their favorite gifts of years past. The memory of the gift may be a gift in itself. A gift is just an object until sentiment has been attached to it.

Gwen couldn’t think of her dream gift, but knew precisely her favorite from past years.

Gwen remembers her silk roses many Valentine’s Days ago. Grace Usher/RiverScene Magazine

“He gave me silk roses on our first year we were married so I could keep them forever.”

Deanna Corey surprised her husband with a unique take on the chocolate tradition.

Molly (left) and mother Deanna Corey (right) share memories and ideas about V-Day. Grace Usher/RiverScene Magazine

“I gave him a 10-pound chocolate gorilla in a wooden crate. He ate every inch of it. He started with the feet and worked up. He kept putting him back in the box with less limbs each time. My dream gift, however, would be a sunset cruise,” Corey said.

Corey’s daughter, Molly, added, “My ideal Valentine’s Day would be to go out on a fun date to a concert or a show and maybe go to a nice dinner like Shugrues.”

For Greg Hanson and Rocky Woodruff, they put hard work into their best Valentine’s Day present. When their wives went to the gym, the two came together to make a home cooked breakfast.

Greg Hanson (left) and Rocky Woodruff (right) share their best gift they ever gave to their wives. Grace Usher/RiverScene Magazine

“[We] spent hours cooking like a nine course meal for all the wives. When they came back, it was all prepared … pancakes and fruit. [Rocky] cut all the fruit into Valentine’s Day shapes,” said Hanson.

Gifts can come in many shapes and sizes, but the best gifts are the moments shared with loved ones.