We celebrated our annual version of Valentine's Day this past weekend. These pictures make me smile. From the home depot stickers that Atticus used on his surprise valentines for everyone, to Phinny's big smile and sparkly blue eyes, to Milayla's excitement that she got to eat her chocolate before breakfast and just all the love that spilled over into this day.
The kids began the day by running into our room with excitement that you would think was for Christmas. Actually, a few days earlier when the kids woke up to our kitchen decorated in all the hearts that we wrote for each other Atticus proclaimed it was a surprise as lovely as Christmas. Atticus had made some surprise valentines for us. And he and Milayla had made one together that was a proposal for Milayla to sleep on the top bunk. Very cute and very tempting to give in to their plea but Milayla is just a tad too young yet. Love notes from my children will never lose their place in my heart. Special beyond words. In fact, I am sure they will only get sweeter with time as our love and bond grows deeper and stands the test of time.
From our bedroom it was off to find the first puzzle piece to place on our heart. The kids saw their valentine buckets brimming with love notes. So we took our buckets to the heart filled kitchen to enjoy a waffle breakfast together as our first task of the day.
The tasks continued on from there. We made cookies, delivered cookies, heart attacked our neighbours and a couple sisters from church that we admire. Delivered flowers. Made pizza. Picked out a selection of fruit for fruit salad. And cuddled up for a family movie night.
The kids loved getting to draw on the table at breakfast (I had put paper over the table the night before). And (Jason and) I loved hearing the children read all the love notes on the kitchen walls during the week leading up to the day. My heart seriously spills over with joy about it all. When we wrote the hearts for a family home evening I had suggested that we all write one for each person in our family, but everyone just kept going and going. We would have kept going, of that I am sure, had the time not begun getting late.
It was just a happy day and I am so grateful for all these smiling faces. I loved it all and I get the feeling that everyone else was pretty happy with it all as well. At bed time the kids gushed that they loved the whole day because we spent it together as a family. Now that is a wonderful sentiment from my children to end the day on.
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| Milayla opening her valentine from Atticus |
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| Note to everyone from Atticus |
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| Atticus works really hard to sound out words and I love reading his notes |
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| That face. Heart melting. |
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| Pyjamas - yes! |
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| Valentine buckets filled, table ready for waffles, wall covered in hearts (all 4 walls had hearts on them, more than what you see) - ready! |
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| looks like he may keep those blue eyes. |
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| this is what our basement looks like - awesome, right? we decorated our neighbours basement door to keep the cookies out of the -35 temperatures. |
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| the river on a chilly day. It was breathtaking when we came upon it. the iphone picture just really doesn't do it justice. Beauty in winter is God's mercy, I'm sure. That, and warm homes and clothing and good people to spend the time with. Really, life is just full of God's mercy - that's a topic for another day though. |
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| excited to make her own pizza |
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| no movies for this little guy yet, so he gets to play with Me and Jason (trading off) in the background during family movies. I don't think he minds with a smile like that. |
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| Atticus likes to take pictures for us. Take one. |
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| take two |
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| Yep, we do love to be a family. |
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