Valentines Day

Well, for those of you who know me, know I am a sucker for the holidays.... any holiday. From the time Leslie was almost 1 year old we have been celebrating Valentines Day the same way each year. I glue conversational hearts to the outside of our glasses and we drink red or pink Koolaid out of them. I make spaghetti and meatballs (like Lady and the Tramp) for our meal and we usually eat by candle light as a family.

Here is a picture of how our table looked last year.....

and the year before that......

This is how our table looked THIS year......

Our table was a Rokenbok world and there wasn't room for even a candle.

Soooooooo, this is how we ate our Valentines Day dinner of 2010.

I must say I was proud of myself because several years ago this would not have worked. We would have HAD to take down the Rokenbok in order to have our "traditional" dinner. Traditions are only as special as the people you share them with and I would eat a Valentines dinner anywhere with these special people. :)

I remember certain holidays where I have had complete melt downs due to things not turning out as I had planned them in my mind. One year I rushed and rushed to get ready for Thanksgiving dinner at my grandmothers house when Leslie was a baby.... you know how hard it is to get ready with a baby who inevitably vomits or poops themselves 12 times before you get out the door.

We were nearly late and I was a nervous wreck.... I felt everything needed to be PERFECT and I had all these grand ideas in my head of some kind of Thomas Kinkade holiday. We pulled into the driveway late... I rushed out of the car carrying my green bean casserole and dropped it in the middle of the driveway. Green beans, mushrooms soup and glass splattered all over the driveway and all over me. I burst into tears, ran into my grandmothers house and sat on her bed for nearly 30 minutes crying while my mom calmed me down. I then came to dinner with very red eyes and everyone staring at me like I was an idiot... which I was.

I feel God has a great sense of humor..... I think he was looking down on me that day and was thinking to himself " this young lady has no clue how blessed she is... she is missing out on the entire meaning of this day. Have some busted up green bean casserole.... relax and enjoy your family."

He probably didn't REALLY think that... but I think it would be funny if he had. Either way I learned a valuable lesson.

Greg and the kids have tolerated me dressing everyone up like dolls for Easter, coloring eggs, making Christmas cookies and even coloring our mashed potatoes green for St. Patricks Day. I must say we did none of the above this past year and surprisingly enough our holidays were still just as wonderful. (St. Patricks Day is coming up though)

Here is a picture of a cupcake my dad made for me. He brought us all over cupcakes with our faces on them... super cute.

I am blessed with many wonderful valentines .... AND we had a wonderful Valentines Day dinner.... tv trays and all. Hope yours was too.