Thursday, March 6, 2014

Love Day


Valentines day came again this year.  It snuck up on me a bit since I don't have school schedules breathing down my neck.  No teachers requesting glittered shoe boxes.  No students anticipating personalized cards and candy.  Just me.  Just Brian.  Just our kids.


It was heavenly. 

A few days before the love day I took the kids to the craft store and let them pick out a few card making supplies.  Colored construction paper.  Markers.  Glue.  Pink glitter.  Pipe cleaners.  Red glitter.  Pretty ribbons.
Refreshing.
No generic superhero/princess cards.


Once Mr. Everything-Is-Harder-When-I-Am-Awake was down for his nap, we turned on the afternoon Olympics and pulled out our stash.  Then we promised each other we wouldn't look and went straight to work crafting the perfect card for each family member.  I admit I looked a couple of times to control the amount of glue being squeezed onto each card, but I swear I didn't see what they were making.


Once the cards were completed, we shoved them into each others small boxes (way too small... next year we'll have to either make smaller valentines, or get bigger boxes) on the windowsill and stared at them until Valentines day finally arrived.  There was lots of hugging.


LOTS of hugging.


I think next year I'll spend a little less time making sure my kids have the perfect Valentine for their classmates, and a little more time making sure they have the perfect Valentine for their family.  Cause this was way better. 


Plus, I selfishly want more pipe cleaner jewelry.


That evening, we spent four hours reading our love story aloud to the kids.  The first part of the story written and read by me, the second part written and read by Brian.  Four hours.  That's a lot of love.


McKenzie considers it the greatest novel of her time. 
And that's enough for me.

17 comments:

  1. Amazing pictures! There IS beauty all around when there is love at home. Sure miss you guys!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have now had this song in my head all. day. long. Thank you for that... ;)

      Delete
  2. Lindsay you are so beautiful! You remind me so much of your mom in that second picture. In glad that your love story continues with your amazing family. I love you all!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Love you, too, Jennie! Sometimes I'll see my mom in my photos too. It always makes me happy.

      Delete
  3. Oh this is just so beautiful. Makes me wish I could go back in time and do this part better, and it makes me so happy for you to have had this moment. Isn't it funny how someone else's beautiful moment can just fill your own heart??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah... too bad we have to have all the not-so-great moments in order to really prize the great ones, right?

      Delete
  4. Way to go. Isn't life so much better when we keep it simple? And, really, I am laughing about your side bar tidbits and how Carson was sad that he "never" gets to clean. Kids crack me up!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't that funny? I just cocked my head after he finished with that sentence and said, "Hmmm... I'll just let you think about that for a little while..."

      Delete
  5. Replies
    1. You're talking about my hair again, aren't you? ;)

      Delete
    2. How did you guess? :)

      Delete
  6. Love the valentines and love the pics! Such a beautiful family you have, and what's even better, you know how beautiful they are and that love shines through. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Suzanne. Sometimes it's super easy to see how beautiful they are. And other times... well... during those times I just keep reminding myself over and over and over and eventually I start to see it again!

      Delete
  7. I love this! And I think you need to blog that love story. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha! I thought about it for about a split second before realizing that it took us four hours just to read it out loud! It's looooooooooooooong. Beautiful, though. I had written half of the story over the first couple years of our marriage, but then life (kids) got me and I never finished it and forgot all about it. Brian found it two years ago on my hard drive and spent the next few months secretly finishing the story. He then printed the whole thing, bound it, and gave it to me for my birthday. Best present ever. Ever. Ever. :)

      Delete
  8. So beautiful. The love story thing is AMAZING! Are you homeschooling this year?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am... it's been such a fun thing! Lots of work, for sure, but fun. :)

      Delete