Valentine's Day is coming soon!

We started out Valentine's week (as a lot of you know who are LUCKY enough - hee, hee - to be in my email address book already know) with an FHE about how much Heavenly Father and Jesus love us. We talked about all the blessings they've given us and how it's all b/c of their love for us and desire for us to be happy.

Then we had my favorite Red pop from Rite Aid (I have no idea why I love it so much, but I could seriously take a bath in the stuff!), steak, baked taters and green beans with bacon and 'shrooms (some of our family's favorite foods).

And I have to note, again, how much my testimony and love of having a Family Night each week has grown and been reaffirmed this week as something that is SOOOOOO important. I can't think of another night recently when I have felt LESS spiritual and more prone to drowning my kids and/or myself than this past Monday. Usually I could point to a few specific events, but this time it was just a culmination of a lot of little things like not listening and being inconsiderate to one another. I would like to say that I did great at not being a hag - I didn't yell or scold or get mean - but we did have a lot of "I'm disappointed" and time outs. By the time Rick got home I was such a ball of nerves that the last thing I felt like doing was talking about anything spiritual - least of all Love. But we have been promised so much is we do our best to be consistent and do it anyway.

“Regular participation in family home evening will develop increased personal worth, family unity, love for our fellowmen, and trust in our Father in heaven. It is our promise that great blessings will come to all who conscientiously plan and hold weekly family home evenings.”

Who doesn't want that, right? So I gave the lesson, sang some songs, played a matching game about the blessings we have. And you know what? The difference when we finished was like night and day. When you talk about gospel principles you have the Spirit attend you and touch your heart. What an awesome thing! Most times the hard thing is the right thing and you'll be blessed so much more abundantly than the effort you might extend. It was so nice to regain that family unity and love that we had chased away earlier.

Allrighty...
In our continuing LOVE fest this week we'll be having Marlboro Man sandwiches (for Rick and anyone else who would like to give it a try)from the Pioneer Woman Cooks blog tonight. . .

along with the makings for sub sandwiches. (For the ones for whom this doesn't seem like heaven on a bun). Ashlyn is one I'm betting will head for the subs fixings. We recently bought a sub home from our overnight date and, I tell you, I have never heard a girl gush like she did. She was full of "Can we eat this every day?" "This is fabulous" "I love this special sandwich". It was adorable. So, since we aim to please here (at least until #3 comes and I don't have the energy to remember my name) we'll include this in our LOVE fest week too.

I am going to assemble little goodie bags/buckets for Rick and the kids and my visiting teaching gals today - and hopefully deliver them tonight before the snow falls. Why do we need a snowstorm for Valentine's Day? I just don't get it. Oh well, with temps up to 60 today we are melting quite a bit of snow so I guess we need to replenish our stock. :) We just can't have bare ground! It would go against all that Colorado stands for!

We'll be making Pretzel Turtles and Hugs this year again because they are so kid friendly and tasty! I don't want to have to buy anthing special so this year we will be using what we have - pretzels with caramel Kisses (that I already have so I don't have to buy Rolos) and either walnuts or M&Ms on top. Hopefully I can get this done this afternoon so we can have a fun "kids and mommy" time. I don't think we'll be doing sugar cookies this year (which seems a shame since I have all these cute cookie cutters) but who knows! Maybe I can justify it if I give them all away. I just don't like having all the sweets in the house to much on and I don't like the example it sets for the kids.

We are also giving Rick the last of his Valentine's blocks tomorrow! So far he says he "loves" them (as he was instructed - good man) but that they look funny in his cubicle b/c they are "girly" colors. Well, I told him he wouldn't a man to be giving him Valentine's blocks - he's getting them from his wife, so girly colors are what he's going to get! :) I know he does like them though - b/c he sees how thrilled and smiley the kids and I are to give them to him. Sometimes the value of the gift is seen in the giver you know? It may not be your favorite but it's given with so much love and adoration you can't help but see it in that light, feel that love, and be happy. So yay for pastel hearts and loveable husbands!

Also tomorrow we'll be having our annual Heart Pizza (our little Papa Murphy's knockoff), more Red pop (yeah, I know, but I CRAVE it!), and salad. I have red melamine (sp?) plates, heart-decorated tumblers, heart-shaped serving dish, and little heart-shaped mini cake pans all ready to go! I haven't decided what's going to be for dessert - maybe brownies? I think that the baby should be introduced to chocolate cavity cake - mmmmm.

We'll also go through our LOVE fest envelopes (did you check them out at meckmom.com?) and reading our Valentine's. What a fun holiday! I'm so grateful for the opportunity to celebrate LOVE!!!