Valentine's Day

We had quite the countdown to Valentine's Day going on around here. I was pleasantly surprised at how excited the kids were about it coming. Of course, the decorations, the valentines that the kids and I made and their knowledge of there being a surprise awaiting them certainly helped to fuel the anticipation. 

The day kicked off with a special valentine breakfast with the kiddos (Jason headed off to work eeaarrrly in the morning so he missed breakfast, but he was back shortly there after. I love flex-time. It has been a much needed aspect when we live so far from family.). I had planned to keep everything pretty low-key and to try to focus on the feeling (rather than trying to put together perfectly-pink heart shaped pancakes with dancing cupids on top, or something equally over-the-top for us) and served up some muesli with homemade raspberry milk. It was a hit. And tasty. 

Jason was home shortly after breakfast to help out since I had injured my foot a couple days prior and was supposed to be resting on the couch. The morning was nicely filled out with Valentine coloring sheets, mazes and little games. Nice and easy which made it totally manageable with an injured foot. And we all enjoyed ourselves just the same.

After nap time was when the real celebration began. I had seen an idea for a family celebration over at The Power of Moms that looked perfect (and so easily customizable for every family) and so with a little creative brainstorming we put together our 1st Annual We-Love-to-be-a-Family Day! 

Looks certifiably cheesy, doesn't it? On the outset, it definitely does but don't let that dissuade you. It was perfect. Here is the idea in a nutshell: come up with different activities to do together as a family, hide clues for each activity around the house, find clues, do activities, have fun, make memories. So simple. So easy. So fun. And so very memorable. I hid the hearts while the kids were down for nap and so they were pretty excited to stumble upon a few hidden hearts when they woke up and to see our special banner. 

Our activities were nothing extravagant as we knew doing it on an afternoon would not allow much time to fulfill the activities, but the extravagence certainly did not make a difference. We did things like performing acts of service for another family member (in our case we each cleaned someone elses room), group hugs, taking a valentine and a treat to a neighbour, making (and eating) pancakes together for dinner, learning about the Saviours love (a personal favorite) and opening up our valentine mailboxes while having a few special treats. 

Jason and the kids went to the market and came back with some gorgeous tulips. I can't wait for Spring! And see that Valentine's Day Banner up there? That was Atticus' handiwork. Man, is he proud of it. 

Visiting our neighbour is always lovely so we enjoyed that and you certainly can't go wrong with pancakes for dinner but I think everyone's favorite part of the day was opening up our Valentine Mailboxes. 

The kids really put a lot of work into their valentines and they did such a great job. Atticus was so proud of the message that he came up with for my Valentine and the family pictures that he drew along with them. He is such a thoughtful kid. 

And Milayla was so excited to let everyone know which Valentine was from her. When we would ask who the Valentine was from that we were opening, she would raise her little finger and give us a big, cheeky grin to let us know if it was hers. I love the way her eyes sparkle. She has such an incredible little personality. 

I loved the kids expressions and reactions as they opened up their valentines. Milayla even gave her valentines each a little hug. And Atticus made sure to say 'thank you' for each and every Valentine. 

And once all the Valentines were open, Atticus wanted to try taking a photo of Mommy and Daddy. Not bad for his first go and his little, toddler hands. Not to mention, it's kind of nice to have a picture with both Jason and I in it. 

And with that, a very successful Valentine's Day had come to an end (at least the family part). After the kids were in bed Jason and I enjoyed a little chocolate tasting and some Singing in the Rain. I love that Jason is so patient with me as I sing along to absolutely every song. Life really should be a musical.

I feel pretty lucky to have enjoyed such a great day with the ones that I love. Looking forward to our second annual We-Love-to-be-a-Family Day next year!