Love Day- 2014

 

What is most important almost always involves the people around us.

                                                                                                                                    Thomas S. Monson

Michael, Mary Kate, Jonathan and Jeffrey…these 4 people have my heart completely. They are the axis around which my most of my world turns.

I met Mike on February 3rd, 1995. On that day, 19 years ago, my life changed forever. Now that young man with the bad hair cut, in the long-sleeve white t-shirt and faded blue jeans is my husband, the center of my world. In the 18 years we’ve been married we’ve been blessed to add three more glorious humans to our family.

This might be a little too personal to share on a blog, but in my patriarchal blessing I was promised that I would be blessed with a family. That I would stand in the midst of that lovely family with my companion and praise the Lord for the fulfillments and joys that the Lord has seen fit to open to me. 

If there is anything that has come to fruition in my life it is that promise. I am so incredibly grateful to my Heavenly Father for those fulfillments and joys…and mostly for that companion of mine…

…He’s been my favorite Valentine for 19 years.

The three beautiful humans we’ve added to our family, holding their traditional Valentine bags filled with love notes.

 
Many words of love in those bags.

Jonathan LOVED this picture that MK drew of the two of them together.

You can also see Jonathan’s new Valentine’s Day watch on his left wrist. Mike picked out water-proof watches, and the boys are through the roof about the fact that they will now be able to shower and swim in their watches, just like Dad does.

MK says Jeffrey is as sweet as candy and I completely agree. Maybe it’s because candy is all he ever eats?

I’m so mad that I wasn’t filming when MK opened her Valentine’s Day gift. It’s kinda ridiculous how excited teenagers get about cell phones. Don’t worry grandparents, we’ve rendered this particular smart-phone “dumb” with no internet access what-so-ever. She was just happy that Mike had previously downloaded Flappy Birds before it went off the market, and to have a phone with screen texting instead of a slide out keyboard. We’re just happy to have something to threaten her with if she doesn’t behave. Teenagers will do anything to keep their phones! These devices have certainly changed the whole parenting game forever more.

Mike surprised me with a totally unexpected Valentine’s gift. It might not seem all that romantic, but I go for the practical sort of gifts anyway. He bought me a beautiful pots and pans set. It was so shiny! Our last set we got 14 years ago when we moved out of my grandma’s basement into our first offical apartment. It’s seen better days and is leaving black residue all over my white flat-top stove. I’ve been contemplating a new set for a long time, but just couldn’t get around to it. This one is perfect.

A shiny new pan set deserve a kiss.

It was a good Valentine’s Day. That night Mike and I had a lovely dinner with some old friends and Mary Kate had her first party at our house where she invited actual boys! The house nearly shook to the ground with all the noise, but I was impressed with the politeness and confidence of the friends she invited. Jonathan and Jeffrey were just fascinated with the whole thing and asked permission to sit and watch the teenagers having a party. They couldn’t stop staring. Later they asked me if I was going to let them have a party when they are teenagers.

I don’t even want to think about that right now.