Life Long Valentine

I want to be one of those girls that says "Valentine's Day is over rated!"

I actually tried to say that... I didn't make it...

I love it. Everything about it. I love the colors. I love the hearts. I love the smiles. I love the cheesy cards. I love the flowers. I love the chocolate. I love the kisses. I love the extra special reason to celebrate those that you love.

Someone in our small group told us that her mom always made Valentine's Day a family day. Each child was shown how much they were loved by their parents. Because of this she doesnt see Valentine's just as a reason to celebrate Romantic love, but rather a special day to show everyone that we love them. This is something I'm saving for when we have kids. I want my kids to know this kind of love everyday, but I want to take that one day out of the year to shower them in special love.

The hubs and I did want to do something special this year. We decided to make a trip to Tulsa and hang out. This started with going to one of my favorite places... SAMS! I love that place. There is enough space to casually move about with out bumping carts. There are things everywhere. This is good for an ADD person, Or what I can SOS... Shiny Object Syndrome.There are not only things but their are BIG things, their are BRIGHT things... and they are ALL OVER THE PLACE. I love it. It makes me happy. OH and while we shopped the Hubs got the tires on his 4Runner rotated. Now how is that for great?

After Sam's we headed to Maccaroni  Grill where we split a yummy Shrimpy Chickeny Creamy thing and lots of bread! It was yummy, and our waiter was fantastic and really fun.

Then we headed to Barns & Nobles! My favorite!! We wondered around, read books and laughed. I found this childcare's book about how babies are made... I do believe it taught me something. It was VERY anatomically correct and the pictures were quite vivid. I would almost suggest this book other than a small paragraph at the beginning that says "There are two types of love, heterosexual and homosexual. Heterosexual is when a man and a woman love each other. Heterosexual is when two women or two men love each other. Both types of love are acceptable and right. We have no way of deciding how we will love. It is just how we are created." WHAT THE @#$%???? If you know me then you know I do this strange thing when I pick up a new book or magazine. I start flipping at the back then work my way to the front. This is how I skim. Then I know if it is something I'm interested in or the things I want to make sure and read. Its just what I do. I thought this book was kinda interesting and would be a good resource to have in 30 years when I'm having to teach my kids about the "birds and the bees". (Ironically this book was narrated by a bird and a bee... get it?? BAHHAHAH) But when I got to the part at the beginning... I went from being amused to being FURIOUS!! Now I'm worried about the crap that my kids will be hearing in the future... the world just isnt the same as it was 20 years ago... pretty sad. OH well... We did end up buying a book. Its called Stuff Christians Like by Jon Acuff. We laughed so hard at some of the things in there but one of my favorites was that it is ok for a Christian to watch a R rated movie if it has violence or gore but if it shows skin - we wait for the censored version to come out on TBS. This is our new coffee table book. We love it. It lightens any mood. And if you speak the love language of sarcasm ... then this book will warm your soul.

After Barns & Nobles we went to QT to fill up with gas and have a coffee treat. About half way home we realized it was about 10:30 pm. And we were drinking mass amounts of coffee... folks... I'm a sleeper! I love to sleep. I need to sleep. One of the first lesson's my hubs learned about me in the beginning of our marriage is that I need sleep and I'm a happier person when I get sleep and he is a happier person when I'm a happier person. Therefore... he does everything he can to make sure that I get the right amount of sleep... if not more. We were both still wide awake at 2am Sunday morning. I should have gotten up and done laundry and cleaned the house. I don't know when I finally went to sleep but I do know that my alarm went off at 7:45 to get ready for early big church and I snoozed approximately 5 1/2 times. And then I remembered my hubs hats when I snooze. However, I don't think it bothered him... he was still sleeping when I fell on the floor in my last snooze attempt.

Sunday our pastor talked about having a "good enough" marriage opposed to a "excellent" marriage. I'm still struggling with that idea of "good enough" and not "excellent". I'll post the notes soon. It helps explain it a little bit more. I just always wanted to have the "picture perfect marriage"... and I don't guess that is possible. But anyways... someone said that it is "freeing" for it to be ok to have a "good enough" marriage. But I don't know that I want a "good enough" marriage... I want an EXCELLENT marriage. Then they suggested that maybe our pastor used poor terminology. That maybe he shouldn't have used the term "good enough" but rather... a healthy marriage, or a Christ honoring marriage... something like that. Anyways... there are very few sermons that I walk away from wondering if I really believe them... this was just one of them. I'll be spending more time in thought and prayer about this for sure.

Sunday night our Small Group leaders along with their daughter (who use to be a chef) hosted a Valentine's Day dinner for all of us couples in the small group. It was amazing. There was delicious wine, scrumptious food and a dessert that could only come from someone that REALLY knows how to cook. The conversation was great and uplifting. We laughed about things from our favorite cartoons, theme songs to memories that we all had. It was wonderful.

We went home after that and I proceeded to pass out! Poor Hubs didnt... I hate that for him. I wish everyone was blessed with the sleeping ability that I have. I can sleep though most storms, noises and sicknesses. I can even sleep though cops breaking into my house, waking me up, talking to me, and making sure I take them out. Ask me about that story someday... its a classic!!

Well I guess I better get... Here are some pictures that we have taken in the past few days... the pictures that make my heart go pitter patter.

my little love

this big boy LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVES his sister!

Catchin some rays

what a STUD!

I made this sign for Andrew for Valentine's day. It weighs 1.5 million pounds. It took both my arms to carry it... it is also, nearly as long as our entertainment center.

My 2nd Valentine's Day craft. Its a yarn wreath with felt hearts... cute. Needs some work. But it was fun.

Our Valentine's day dinner with our small group. And for the record, those are not suspenders, they are bread sticks. I know you were worried.

A sweet friend shared a verse with me today: 

Romans 12:9-12

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

I will end my mushy gushy Valentine's day post by saying that I love my husband more today than I did 8 months ago ( a week prior to us getting married). He is amazing and has loved me through lots of junk. I haven't always been the kindest to him, yet, he has refused to show me anything but endless love. 
Sweet heart - Thank you for picking ME to be your forever Valentine. I love you!!