In the name of Valentine's Day, there were gigantic snowflakes last night. It was so beautiful. In the name of Valentine's Day, Katelyn used the two minute window of opportunity this morning to break into Brother's Valentine box, rip open the giant chocolate sucker selected for his beloved teacher, and take frantic bites until it was about half gone. Total shock reigned for about three minutes afterward. K.J., Olivia, Mommy -- we were all at a loss for words. Just stared.
I love this Lovers Holiday. Even when I was young and didn't have a romantic Valentine, I still loved walking around my classroom to slip each individual Valentine into the right box, then I loved knowing I was loved by my family, then I loved Singles Awareness Day.
But today, as discussed in Family Home Evening last night, the Family B celebrates LOVE in all its many colors and opportunities.
Here are my Valentine's (please imagine them on pink and white cards with little hearts all over them):
Dear Parents,
Thanks for always making me feel special. I think you are special! I feel so blessed I was sent into your home. I think it was the Lord's way of giving me a fighting chance. I will be thankful forever for that safety net placement -- I think He must have known I'd need a little extra somethin' that the two of you could give better then anyone else. Thanks for loving each other and letting me see that love -- yours is a great love story and one for the ages. It could and possibly should be written in a book, but it is your story to tell. Thanks for serving each other and giving so much of your love, time, resources, and nurturing to my brothers and me. We were and are lucky kids! Thanks for good advice and for listening (and very patient) ears. Thank you for being open with your feelings so we were never afraid of our own, for guiding us through bad tempers and broken hearts and other ailments, and for teaching us faith, responsibility, and to love others more then ourselves. You did a great job.
My childhood was idyllic -- magical, happy, safe. What greater gift could a parent give to their child?
I know that the only gift I can give back to you is to honor the good things you have taught me, to be true to the faith that my parents have cherished, and to try every day to become the woman you would have me be. I promise to do my best. You have instilled in me the comfort that my best is good enough.
I love you! So much! Happy Valentine's Day!
Love,
Rie.
Dear K.J.,
Happy Valentine's Day! You are one of my very favorite Valentine's. I am so glad you are my son! You make every day a brighter place for me and have always filled my days with sunshine since our very first moment together. You are a very unique person -- you have so many gifts! I don't know one other person as kind as you are. Your great kindness is a gift you carried with you into this life, and I'm so thankful for it! Every one around you loves you because of your big heart. You are the ideal boy to lead your sisters -- by love and example. You are a talented artist, a fabulous builder of legos and other structures, and a great dancer. You are so fun to be around. I love you with all of my heart! I feel so glad that I am your Mom! Dad is so glad to be your Dad! I hope you will take the opportunity to share the love you feel this Valentine's Day. Love is a happy feeling!
I love you,
Mom.
Dear Olivia,
Happy Valentine's Day to a very special girl! You are such a magical person, Olivia. Daddy and I feel so lucky you came to our home and we get to be the parents of a real life princess! You brighten the day of everyone around you. Your cheerful personality and happy freckle-face smile is irresistible! You have more old men and strangers comment on your beauty and angel kisses then you know what to do with, and I know the best secret of all -- you are even more beautiful on the inside! Inside your heart of gold and your clever mind. I love spending every day with you. You make every day fun and every day an adventure. Watching you enjoy your childhood is such a happy thing. I love your bright imagination and your recent obsession with letters and spelling. You are so smart! You are such a joy to me, and you are the apple of your Dad's eye. I love you, I love you, I love you!
Your Friend,
Mama-Sita.
Dear Kate the Great,
I love you! Happy Day of Love! This Valentine's Day rolls around during the great transition in your life from Babyhood to Toddlerhood. It is so fun to watch you grow and change and figure things out -- your personality is out there loud and proud, and you crack us up. You are a fireball! You are making yourself known, and that is a happy thing. I will always miss that tiny, sweet little baby -- you truly were an angel baby and a great joy in that tiny bundle. But Daddy and I are so excited to see this sweet little girl appear before our very eyes. A little girl we love so much! A sweet little girl completely, thoroughly obsessed with shoes.
I love you, Katee Jill. You make me happy!
Your BFF,
Ma-MA!
Dear Mariah,
Happy Singles Awarenes Day! We love you, and that is much better then a boy -- they are partially disgusting, anyway. They are. They really are. It is pretty neat to watch you journey into womanhood. It's an exciting time in your life, and we are glad to be a part of it. We love to see you grow in faith and goodness! I love you, Mariah! The Double B and the kids do, too. We are glad you are a part of our family. You have a heart that is so big -- a childlike heart -- and that is a gift of great worth. That heart that gives you your ability to love and forgive and accept will be such a blessing in your life. Remember that you are in charge -- your life is what you make of it! And yours will be a great one! We love you. Be glad you have us instead of a disgusting and hassle-filled boyfriend! We're a lot better, anyway. Happy Singles Awareness Day!
Love,
Marie.
Dear Husband,
You are my favorite person in all the world. I would rather spend my time with you then do anything else. Isn't that a good thing? When we got married I was absolutely, insanely, wildly in love with you. To me you were the perfect specimen. On our tenth Valentine's together, I am happy to say that I love you even more. That wild crazy love has turned into something much better -- a love, friendship, and companionship worth writing home about. Thanks for working so hard with me to make us work. Thanks for making me a priority in your life. Thanks for thinking my "specialness" is cute and workable, and for loving my strengths and not being mean to my weaknesses. I think you know that your hug is my favorite place to be. You make me laugh. You are a great person, I like you and I like who you are. I can't help the things I say in public -- I say them because they are true. I do love you that much. I am so proud that someone like you could love me back. One of the great miracles of my life.
I have so much faith in you, and I love knowing you have so much faith in me.
Thanks for being my buddy.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Your #1 Fan,
Your Wife.
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