The Surprise 2/15/12

Valentine's Day, for me, ranks right up there with Christmas. I love the color red. And pink. And I love how the three little words - I love you - become something more than what we say naturally when we hang up the phone. It's said with more intention and shown with our actions. We find new ways to show our appreciation for the ones we love.

And it's not about the gift itself - it's the fact that when I'm out fighting the god-awful traffic on my lunch break to break my promise of not spending any cash and buy strawberries and chocolate chips, I'm thinking...this will say "I love you." Or when I'm cutting four by five squares of white cardstock with (very) old scalloped scissors and wondering why on God's green Earth I ever thought they needed to be scalloped in first place, I'm thinking this...now this...will say "I love you. Deeply." And that's all I want him to know - that I love him - even when I'm busy keeping the love tanks of our littles full and our "well" of alone time/deep conversation is running dry.

My "homemade" gift to Jim: fourteen cards with fourteen reasons why we love him (seven from me and seven from Jake) tied to fourteen balloons (Cost $0 - white and red cardstock, heart punch, hole punch, and scalloped scissors all found in my craft closet and left over balloons and helium in the helium tank from Parker's first birthday).

Jake's list consisted of things like, "I love you because you let me buy drinks at school.  I love you because you play basketball with me in my room.  I love you because you help me write my name."

Mine consisted of things like, "I love you because your give our family your time.  I love you because you do everything with us in mind.  I love you because you make me feel secure." 

He loved it! 

And he even forgave me for the broken promise when I made chocolate covered strawberries and brownie a la mode for dessert.

P.S. Please excuse our master bedroom which is still under decorating "construction". I tend to leave things blank (a wall, a tabletop, etc.) until I find the perfect piece of artwork or accessories to fill the space. I like to be able to imagine what something will look like before I buy it first, and that's easier for me to do if there's not a "temporary something" in its place.