Valentine's 2014

I love Valentine's Day. We don't do gifts and flowers. We just do love. Love each other up all day. I really feel it's important for my kids to feel loved on V day too. So, on top of mom hugs (which for my boys, usually means I grab you and hold you so tight against my boobs that you can't breath and you slap at me to let you go) I let them pick out donuts before sending them off to school with bags full of sugar, to be exchanged for more bags of sugar. 

Speaking of sugar. I decided Valentine's Day was the perfect time to cash in my See's candy gift card that Sean gifted me for Christmas. I basically filled my one pound box up with Dark Chocolate Rum Nougats. With a few dark chocolate caramels to fill in the edges. 

 Someone hired an airplane to write love notes in the sky by my house. I just pretended it was Sean and thought, "how nice."

 My babies. Man those are some sweet boys. While I was running errands, Daysen was babysitting and got the bros together to make me some V Day love notes. I have the best picture in my head of them all sitting at the table with a huge mess of my craft supplies. I bet you anything Zane and Brenner were fighting over who gets to do what and Daysen was patiently letting everyone help. If I had to guess, Indy decided to just leave me a love note by way of marker on my desk. Found that one later. 

We all opened Valentine's cards from grandma Annye. She always sends the sweetest cards. Thanks Mama :) 

My cousin, Sabrina, came to visit for the weekend. We met up with her boyfriend and his family at the beach on V Day and then the Zoo the next day. She's so stinkin' cute and fun. Plus, she has mermaid hair and I secretly want to steal it right off her head. 

The Zoo was fun. Zane made wishes.

 Indy crashed from all the sugar. 

 Zane harassed the Peacocks. 

On Valentine's night we had Bronx pizza and Girl Scout cookies for dinner, followed by falling asleep watching Harry Potter. Good times. Sean and I usually combine our V day date night with our Anniversary Date night. So that's something fun to look forward to. 

We had a really fun time planning a Valentine's Party Enrichment Night for the sistas at church. I love me a good holiday themed tablescape. And hey, I only broke two vases! We had a great discussion about Love Languages and heard some inspiring things about the healing power of loving and being loved. 

Hey, wanna hear an excerpt from my favorite talk about Love? 

"Love is the healing balm that repairs rifts in personal and family relationships. It is the bond that unites families, communities, and nations. Love is the power that initiates friendship, tolerance, civility, and respect. It is the source that overcomes divisiveness and hate. Love is the fire that warms our lives with unparalleled joy and divine hope. Love should be our walk and our talk."

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Happy Month of Love!