Happy Valentime's Day!

Yes, that says Valentime's day. That's what Logan says and it's one of those words that I think is too cute to correct just yet.

We're full of love here at the Parker Place today. We are holiday kind of people around here (ok, well I am a holiday lover and I drag my family through it too) and Valentime's Day ranks right up there close to the top of my "favorite holidays list."

Here's some bits and pieces of our holiday this year:

Last year we found these little white mail boxes at Target in the dollar bins (anyone else have a hard time walking away from Target without visiting the dollar section?).  Anyway, starting from February 1st, we left treats in the boxes every night for the boys to discover the next morning. They LOVED it last year so we continued the trend this year and decided to make it tradition. They loved waking up to see that their mailbox flag was up and waiting for them.

This year I left a little note for them each time too, telling them something I love about them.  Lincoln usually looked right past the note and went straight for the chocolate every time, but Logan loved hearing the little words of praise. 

Most days we just put in one simple little chocolate, but there were a couple nights they got a gift, like socks, or a notebook, etc. Today on the big V Day Logan got a small Star Wars Lego set (yes from Target) and Linc-o got new bubbles.  The only thing missing is a cute picture with both of them and their mailboxes. Maybe I'll get that after nap time.

This was Lo's first year to be in school and to get to make Valentines for all his classmates. He was brimming with anticipation to get home and scour all his Valentines he got from his friends. This was always my favorite part of Valentines Day growing up - seeing all the notes that my friends had left in my little decorated shoe box.

Remember that big project that I made reference to here? Well I was hard at work making Ben's early Valentine's Day present...

Ben was gone from Sunday through Saturday last week, so I thought it would give me a good chance to completely clear out our bedroom and finish decorating it and putting it together.  He loves reading and relaxing in the bedroom at night, and our bedroom hasn't exactly been a relaxation station or anything. In fact it's mostly been a toy room, a storage room, a craft room, a fly-tying room, etc. Pretty much a catch-all kind of a space.

It was a project and a half and I got it all done with exception of our new duvet cover. Woohoo!  I'll post a before and after of the bedroom once the duvet is complete - I'm a tiny bit of fabric short (don't you hate that?) so as soon as I can get to the fabric store and finish in a sewing frenzie it will be completely done.  I can't wait!

Logan loves being sneaky so he decided to decorate a cookie for Ben and leave it with a Valentine on his pillow for Ben to find when he gets home from work today.

And what would Valentine's be with out a little bit of mush?

I was watching this video today that my mom sent me and I couldn't help being overcome with emotion and deep appreciation for all that is right in front of me everyday; all that often gets overlooked. I guess it's easy to get overlooked sometimes if you're only knee-high. 

I love my boys so much and I love that I have such a great husband to share them with. I am so, so , so grateful for families. In my opinion, the family unit is pure evidence right there that Heavenly Father loves us. My family keeps me grounded. Ben is definitely my better half that keeps me sane and my boys remind me constantly of how forgiving, happy, selfless and loving I should be. 

I decided to edit the second verse of the song (My Heavenly Father Loves Me) and write my own little version:

He gave me my eyes, that I might see my sweet little beautiful boys,

He gave me my ears that I might hear their calm and their busy noise,

He gave me my life, my mind, my heart, I thank Him reverently, 

For my little family of which I'm a part, yes I know Heavenly Father loves me.

I love that we have a Heavenly Father who freely loves us everyday - there's evidence of His love all around us if we just open our eyes to recognize it. I wish so much that I could love my little family as perfectly as He does.

Happy Valentines Day and I hope you feel a little bit more loved today. 

Now it's time to get ready for my hot dinner date at Carrabbas- Woo!  
Mimi's Cafe has been our Valentine's Day tradition for the past 7 or 8 years, but in order to stay within budget this week, we're breaking tradition to use a gift card. Oh well!