Why I Love Valentine's Day (and Why You Should Give it a Chance)

I wrote a post once about Mother's Day. (You can read it here.) I think I'm going to write a similar one about Valentine's Day. Right now. With photos of all my Valentine decorations!

I hear this every year:

"I hate Valentine's Day!"

"Valentine's Day is so stupid because people have to express love to their significant other."

"Valentine's Day was created by card and flower companies and is such a waste of time."

"I don't have a significant other, so Valentine's Day is just awful and pointless."

I understand why people say these things, and I understand why people feel this way. I get it. I do. I've been single on Valentine's Day before. I've felt put out and put upon when I've had to find valentines for my kids to give away at school.  I know the pain of watching other people receive cards and flowers while I made plans with girlfriends to be bitter, instead. I know.

But those were very brief moments in my life because I have chosen, almost always, to embrace a day of love. I love Valentine's Day! I love it. So much.

Why?

Simply because it is an opportunity for a Romantic like me who loves Love and loves expressing love and not to be seen as a dolt for loving love and expressing love. (Plus, I can usually convince my husband to watch a romantic movie with me, too!)

It's also one of the easiest holidays to celebrate! Aside from helping my kids get valentines ready (simple ones --I'm never down with the extravagant), there's not much prep. I buy a lovely card and treats for my husband. He gets me flowers and we have a nice dinner. Decorations are simple (and take minutes to put up and take down) and there's no big lead-up to it like Christmas nor a big let-down when it's over. I love this!

It's just a simple holiday in which we can celebrate love.

I LOVE love. Adore it.

So, for those of you who constantly say the things I quoted at the beginning of the post, here's some advice:

You don't have to like Valentine's Day. That's fine. You can even hate it! But please keep it to yourself (or your FB status) when you have decided to be all bitter and angry and hate-filled on a day that is supposed to celebrate love. Please don't ruin it for those who are sincere in expressing love on this day. In fact, try really hard to say something nice to someone and voila! You'll have celebrated Valentine's Day without hating it.

You don't have to express your love to your significant other on this day. You don't. In fact, I'm betting that if both of you agree it's stupid, then you can hate V-day together and be happy! You never have to do anything, you know. And if you feel like you have to do something for your significant other, than I am very sorry. You should show love because you want to, not because you feel you have to. Valentine's Day is a great time to show that love because the whole of society has set it up to be easy. But if you don't want to? If it offends you? Then that's fine. Don't do it. The end.

If you think Valentine's Day was set up by card and flower companies, then you are obviously ignorant. (Go here to find out how it started.)

If you think it's a waste of time, then don't do anything with it. Free country and all that jazz. Just don't tell me that it's a waste of my time. Because it's not! It's time well spent, in my opinion.

You don't have to have a significant other to celebrate Valentine's Day! Seriously, that is the biggest excuse I've heard and although I understand it, I don't buy it. I excitedly get my children a little Valentine surprise each year, and they love it! You don't have a significant other? Well, then give valentines to your co-workers. Your friends. Your family. Your neighbors. Bake up some heart-shaped cookies and give them to homeless people. This is a day of LOVE. It's not requisite that it should be romantic love.

(Strawberry plants and chocolates for my sensational six)

"But you're married, of course you can say that."
It's true, I can. I do have romantic love on Valentine's Day. I'm grateful for it, too, because I adore my husband. But why focus on what you don't have, dear reader? Focus on what you do have. You have love in your life. You have family and friendship. Focus on that. After all, charity, the pure love of Christ, is for everyone, not just romance. In fact, it's more than romance. True love is for everyone.

(Two pink roses given to me by my two amazing daughters.)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, dear reader! I hope you have a great day filled with love. And remember:

“A bell's not a bell 'til you ring it  

A song's not a song 'til you sing it 

Love in your heart wasn't put there to stay 

Love isn't love 'til you give it away!” 

~Oscar Hammerstein II

Give me your stories, people--It's my first give-a-way!

Masterpiece Classic: P&P
The Pride and Prejudice movie on Sunday night was perfect. That's because I already think the A&E Colin Firth version is perfect. The only part in the entire series that I dislike is the same thing they do in all versions of P&P; they downplay the fact that Charlotte Lucas (Collins) wants Lizzie to marry Col. Fitzwilliam. I think there's some jealousy there on Darcy's part, and it would be nice if they could play that out a little bit. But alas, it's a small portion in the book, and so I can understand why they always leave it out. Ho, hum. Oh, and I apologize for talking about parts of the series that haven't occurred yet --but I feel I'm fairly safe since the majority of my readership has seen it. Right? And if you haven't? Holy cow, people, why are you reading this!? Get out and watch it!

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VALENTINE'S DAY STORIES

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. As a teen, I actually liked Valentine's Day, especially if I had a boyfriend during it. Which happened...once? Twice? Okay, not often, but I remember those days fondly because dang! I got good stuff! I think the best Valentine's Day I had in high school was the first time I had a boyfriend (I will not divluge how young I was, but just know that I was young. Probably a Freshman. And 14. But I'm not going to tell you, okay?). Here's what happened:

We had 5 hours/periods in the day. On my way to 1st period, he gave me a card with a sweet original poem. I thought it was nice, but lame because I had gotten him at least THREE presents, and how could he just do this, the cheap guy?! (Remember, I was young). Then in 2nd period, I got a decorated folder with a whole bunch of individual valentine's in it (those kind that you pass out in 2nd grade, right?) Each one was numbered, and he had written me a letter in sequential order. It was obvious that it took a lot of time, and my young mind could still appreciate the effort. I then started to feel bad about my previous feelings. Then in 3rd hour (I think I'm remembering this correctly; I could have these things out of order), I got a cute stuffed dalmation puppy. I can't remember what happened at lunchtime --I think I gave him my gifts (a stuffed animal, card, and a skeleton key --it was the "key to my heart". Aren't I a romantic?).
Okay, you still with me? In 4th hour, I believe he gave me carnations in a vase. Then 5th hour was a bag of hershey kisses. When I got home from school, he had come by and left a plate of cookies and a red rose on my bed. Aww! However, my parents were not happy. They hated the idea that I even had a boyfriend, let alone one that would give me so much stuff. But then their concern grew when the next day, he gave me another rose. My birthday is exactly 13 days after Valentine's Day (or is it 12?), and he was going to give me a rose everyday, fudge the math, and my birthday gift would have been 14 roses. Of course, my parents couldn't handle the idea that their daughter would get such attention (they were very protective!), and so they asked me to tell him to stop. Which he did. Because he was respectful like that. To be honest, though, it wasn't that my parents didn't like my boyfriend --they just didn't like my age.

Anywhosers, it was a fabulous day and I'll never forget it. The attention and love shown to me was very nice, which I think is the point of Valentine's Day. When you're single. And have money. But then you get married and holy cow, the day isn't as big as, say your wedding anniversary. Which is good, because the wedding anniversary should always trump V-day.

Ironically, I can't really remember any rotten Valentine's days, although I'm sure I wallowed in many. Perhaps I've repressed them; which is fine for me.

Now, I want to hear your stories about the BEST or the WORST Valentine's Days you've ever had. Dig deep and give me the joy or the hate. If you have more than one story, lay it on me! I'm hoping for stories of romance and love, pain and regret. I want it all, people!

What do you get if you do it? Well, for the very first time, Happy Meets Crazy is having a give-a-way! That's right, people, I've decided to enter the world of giving away free stuff so lots of people will leave me comments. Because I'm sociable like that. Or a lemming. You can decide. The prize? A specialized made DVD of any of the Jane Austen Classics movies we've been discussing thus far. Copied directly from our TiVo, and commercial free! Whoo! I may even throw in a couple of surprises.

Please leave me your stories by Sunday, February 17, 2008 by 10PM. I'll use that random website and choose a winner. Or two. Depending on how many people leave comments. Heck, if there's only two, then I guess you'll both win!

Happy Valentine's Day, and Happy Writing!

I Heart Valentine's Day! And Love!

I love Valentine's Day.

And I've written about it, a lot! 

Here's the post where I make the argument that Valentine's Day doesn't have to be horrendous. 

Here are some posts that share romantic photos and quotes:

one

two

three

Here is a poem I wrote for Brandon last year on Valentine's Day:

Refocus

It is an easy thing to overlook true love.
Our eyes are searching for events and objects
Found in movies,
Novels,
And journals bursting with dreams.

We glance above the hazy reality.
Our hearts do not notice the consistent presence
Of loyalty,
Friendship,
And dishes again scrubbed clean.

 ~Cheryl S.S. Feb 14, 2017

And lastly, here's a romantic song for you to read/listen to (I sang this to Brandon at our wedding luncheon. He actually accompanied me while I sang it!). I have never found an amazing recording of this song; it's hard to find anything. But this one is pretty good because his voice is so nice, and it doesn't feel pretentious...

"In a Simple Way I Love You" from I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking it on the Road

In a simple way I love you
That’s all that I can do
I’ll make music while you sing your song
I understand what you’re going through

In a simple way I love you
When you’re reaching out to me
I will be there when you need a friend
I’ll help you be what you want to be

I hear your voice sing out
Just let it go
I’ll give you room to breathe
And room to grow

In a simple way I love you
I’m here to see you through
I’ll make music while you sing your song
While you do what you have to do

I’ll be beside you rain or shine
Love has many faces
And one of them is mine

Contest Stuff, RS Activity, and Martyrdom

*You have until Friday to enter my Love Story contest! I know I didn't put a date limitation on it, but now I have. Friday. Friday. Friday.

*I've decided to add another prize --for the person who can correctly name every picture on my Valentine's Day post. Most of them are from movies; two are paintings. If you can get even close, I'll count it! Just don't go googling them and finding the answers --that's called CHEATING, dear reader. And we don't cheat on amazing blogging contests! Just make sure you put your answers in the Valentine's Post --NOT this one. Okay? Okay.

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*Last night was our RS activity. It was combined with the YW in the ward, and we held an "Un-Talented Talent Show" and I have to tell you, it was FUN. We had people showcase things from reading a children's story, translating a letter from Italian to English (go Judi!), participating in a shoelace tying race, showing Zumba, signing (sign language), singing, and scooter-riding. The best performance, of course, were the two laurels who didn't text, giggle, or talk for one whole minute. Too funny! Display tables showed quilts, card-making, crafts, paintings, origami, canning, blogging, and I even showcased a few of my poems (gulp!). And then I did something I rarely do: I sang. I did it "Billy Joel/Elton John" style --I accompanied myself. But it wasn't jazzy --it was Enya, dear reader. I sang some Enya! The surprise was this: I decided one hour before the event to do it (I had never sung it before), I wasn't as nervous as I thought I'd be, and I actually did okay! Here's what I sang:

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I am the worst kind of self-inflicted martyrs.

Martyrs are cool, though. Truly, in theory, and in reality, martyrs are the bomb. Paul, Joan of Arc, Thomas Moore, Joseph Smith Jr, etc. Martyrs should be celebrated with joy as well as the sorrow because their sacrifice only proves truth. Truly.

My martyr problems, however, are selfish and riddled with self-doubt, depression, and obsession.

Let's look at the latest example, shall we? Valentine's Day. I had spent the entire week before plotting and planning --I heart attacked Brandon's office while he was away at school, I put massive forethought into his gifts, I left him little Valentine's around the house, and... that's about it. But I don't go all out every year like this --for some reason I was feeling romantic. Which, now I realize, means that I want something romantic in return. Because obviously, that's what true love is, right? Doing something for someone you want for yourself? Right?

Sigh.

Anyway, Brandon got me this gorgeous necklace from San Francisco and gave it to me Sunday night when he returned. It was beautiful, I loved it, but I was put out. All day on V-day I was thinking about how he gave me my gift the day before and it wasn't really a surprise (it's my go-to gift now. Although I absolutely LOVE my go-to gifts, because let's be honest, they are beautiful, he's finally "got" my style, and it's sweet he would take the time to find something. Truly. I do love them!). So, I fumed in silence all day Monday thinking, "Oh, Brandon doesn't really love me! I'll get roses from the gas station on the way home from work and I'll have to pretend I'm okay with the fact that the romance is severely dead and look what I did for him! and he doesn't feel he has to try anymore, blah, blah, sob, sob, woe is me."

So. He comes home. He brings food for the kids, and he proceeds to make me Thai food and dim sum. Then he goes back out and brings in the biggest bouquet of roses and lilies I have ever seen. And then after dinner he goes back out to the car and gets the Magleby's chocolate cake. Then he shows me the movie he rented for the kids to watch downstairs and the movie he's rented for us to watch upstairs. He got Tinkerbell for the kids and Eclipse for us. And you have to know, dear reader, I haven't seen Eclipse yet, and it's Twilight, for heaven's sake, and so the fact that he rented it and was going to WATCH it with me equates true, true, true love! (Side note: I liked Eclipse better than the other two movies. And I like that my guilty pleasure is some Twilight. I think most of us would agree that it's our guilty pleasure. Note how I did not say obsession. I need to buy the soundtracks for New Moon and Eclipse now.)

Now, how did I feel after these events took place? Lousy. Grateful, but lousy. I realized that:

A. I had been completely unfair to judge his feelings for me based on a holiday.

B. I had been completely unfair to judge him before the day was even over.

C. I have a serious martyr complex and I need to GET. OVER. IT.

The worst and best of this problem is that I'm usually "suffering" in silence. Unless I call you to complain. But usually, I just murmur and gripe and moan and think unkind thoughts. The result tends to be the same: I feel stupid.

Luckily, my husband forgives easily. And laughs and loves me just the way I am.

Are you a self-inflicted martyr?

Time is Elusive

I was reading through my blog last week with the kids, showing them pictures from when they were little, watching the videos I had taken of them being just adorable, and I noticed something. I used to be really funny! This blog was full of angst, humor, observations, spirituality, friendship, and... well, everything. I was witty, even when I wasn't always smart. I was smart, even when I wasn't always kind. I was kind, even when I wasn't always witty. Anyway, it's interesting to me how the "death of blogs" has really transpired over time, and how even my writing reflects this. I'm also older and bit less confident because I realize the eternal truth we all eventually realize, which is called, "I honestly don't know nearly as much as thought I did."

I hope it doesn't mean I've become more cynical, though. I've always been able to see the humor in a lot of things and I don't want to lose that! Maybe I should tell a joke.... umm, maybe not... Ooh! My house right now is a joke! Ha! Haha! Sigh...

Anyway, here's what's been going on lately:

*Had our first snowfall! It lasted one evening and was gone before noon the next day. It's bitterly cold, but not cold enough for sticking-to-the-ground snow. And after two days of cold rain (and I mean cold and pouring), it's nice to have sunshine. Cold sunshine, but sunshine, nonetheless!

*Removed a tick from the cat last night (that was creepy). We felt horrible because we've been great at the tick repellent on him this last summer, but got lazy about it as it's been colder. The tick was on his head (poor kitty) and alive and huge (because it was full), and I think I got all of it. Brandon held him down while I pulled it out. Btw --cats don't like to be held down while you rip things out of their heads! In case that wasn't an obvious conclusion.

*The last few weeks have been really stressful for me. I had some anxiety attacks this past weekend, but I'm doing much better today. We are just so busy with everything --and even then, it's not much. Maybe it feels like more because everything is so far away? Or maybe it really is a lot? The truth is, I can't even remember everything we do because I have to focus day-to-day. And my pregnant brain (i.e. memory) is getting worse.

*I've been working on getting Christmas finished. Started? Middle-ized. I've purchased things and I've planned the homemade things (just gotta figure out when to make everything when I only have #6 with me. Or after the kids go to bed...). This year we will not be sending Christmas cards (I usually send nearly 400 every year!), because I've decided to wait until after the baby and send something in March. Baby announcement/Easter cards? Plus, we have not had family pictures taken this year (odd for me, I know). I also think that will be better --we'll take them next summer/fall after baby girl is with us and make sure not to skip cards for Christmas 2015. Not doing the cards will save me some stress and I can focus on the gifts for family/friends, too. I'm actually really excited about it because I'm organized this year! Here's our Christmas card from last year --sorry it's so blurry. I believe in simplicity, so it's always pretty this simple (with a small paper with the highlights of our year). Costco is the man!

*We're having some friends over for Thanksgiving! We thought about traveling for it (and had some invitations), but with Brandon's work schedule and all the church things we need to do, we decided that hosting it and inviting some local friends to come would be a better option. I'm looking forward to it! I can't believe it's next week already. Holy cow!

*I've been doing the Gratitude month on Facebook. That means each day I've been listing what I'm grateful for. Here are the first 18 things:
Day 1: Autumn (the colors, the falling leaves, the pumpkin desserts, the smells, the crisp air --everything about it!)
Day 2: Rain ("Some people feel the rain — others just get wet." ~Roger Miller)
Day 3: Chocolate. Halloween chocolate. Children's Halloween chocolate!
Day 4: The freedom I have, as a woman, to vote!
 Day 5: I'm grateful for rubbermaid bins that have now transformed my basement and will forever and ever protect all of my decorations (I'm still trying to figure out why I waited 15 years to transfer everything from boxes to bins).
Day 6: I'm thankful for Relief Society! It doesn't matter where I go or where I live in the entire world --I'm a part of a worldwide women's organization that exists simply to learn, to serve others, and to follow Christ.
Day 7: Today I am grateful for the beautiful soul growing inside of my womb. She is the result of weak and hesitating faith, which was then followed by intense prayer and gratitude. Every time I hear her heart beat and feel her move around, I am grateful for her existence. When people ask me how many kids I have, I now say "seven!" without much thought.
Day 8: Today I'm grateful for (#1). I am grateful God gave us her first, because she is so kind, so forgiving, and so wonderful to raise. I've seen her do remarkably difficult things and overcome so many of her own fears. She teaches me so much!
Day 9: Today I am grateful for music! The time I took to practice since childhood, the hours spent learning how music works, the magnificent men and women who have created it, the opportunities I have to continuously use it in my life... Music is a gift, and I'm so grateful it's a part of me and my life!
Day 10: Today I'm grateful for being a SAHM. I could list the myriad of reasons as to why, but today, it's simply because my 10 year old got sick (fever) and I didn't have to cancel anything or work around things in order to be here to take care of him because I'm already here. I'm grateful I have the choice; I'm grateful I can do it, even when I'm not great at it!
Day 11: it was the Veterans!
Day 12: yesterday I was profoundly grateful for Costco, for my energy to do some winter prep bulk shopping at Costco, for my kids who helped me haul the stuff to various correct places around the house, that we had the money to shop, that we have food so easily accessible, that I have a refrigerator and freezer to store food, that we have electricity running through a house so that we may store food safely. Basically, I'm grateful for the ease I have in which to feed my family. It's incredible!
Day 13: Okay, we have wood, a generator, food storage (building it up, still), water, camping gear, winter clothes, and lots of blankets. Be gentle with us, PA, even though I can now say: "bring it on!" (Update: made this my gratitude of the day because I'm grateful we're prepared!)
Day 14: today I'm grateful for my 11 yr old daughter! She is feisty and brave, and has a self-confidence that I have always wanted. She is brilliant and very helpful and we (along with her sister) have the best conversations. She understands wit, sarcasm, puns, and literary humor! I sure love her.
Day 15: Saturday, I was grateful for friends. I have been blessed to meet some pretty incredible people in my life, and I'm grateful for every single one!
Day 16: Yesterday, I was thankful for my 10 year old son. He has an auditory disorder, some anxiety with change, and difficulty expressing himself --but that boy has the kindest heart and works hard through his challenges. He is a wonderful big brother and has many talents, and he's a hard worker. Yesterday, as I watched him in the Sacrament Meeting Primary Program, I cried, thinking about how much he has overcome to simply be able to speak so clearly to an audience, to sing willingly, and to participate. I'm so grateful for him!
Day 17: Today, I am so thankful for my 7 year old son. He is one of the smartest kids I've ever met. He is funny and full of energy; loves to run, read, and play with his friends and brothers. He is always so kind to his younger brothers and I am often blown away by his understanding of the gospel! He is passionate about things and sometimes we can really argue, but I love him and I'm grateful he's my son!
Day 18: Today I'm grateful for the Book of Mormon! We just finished reading it this morning as a family (again) and will start it again in January (we're going to read the Four Gospels in the New Testament in anticipation for Christmas). Every time I read the BoM, I learn something new. I'm so grateful we have it! So grateful those prophets took the time to record such an incredible history, amazing experiences, and testimonies of Jesus Christ. Here's one of the verses we read today:
 "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God." (Moroni 10:32) ‪#‎sharegoodness‬

*I'm almost 28 weeks along, now. I still get the, "when are you due?!?!" questions because I'm large. Instead of being offended, I just ignore it. I say, "Valentine's Day," which is true, but mostly because it's a simple answer and I don't have to dwell on it. If people push the subject ("but you look so big!") I just ignore it and change the subject. I've decided I can't stop the rude people, but I don't have to reply to the rude people. AND HOLY COW --my belly is not public property. Why do people think they can touch my belly just because there's a baby in it? I've really appreciated the people who have asked first (usually women who understand) because then I don't mind (and, ironically, it's only my good friends who actually ask, who I wouldn't mind touching my belly, you know?). Just because I'm pregnant does not mean my body is suddenly public property --sure, it's a public interest, and the majority of people will agree that pregnant women deserve respect and awe because they have life growing inside of them! --but they are still individuals with the right to bodily privacy. *rant over*

*I "get" to go take that stupid glucose test this week. It makes me mad. Mad that I didn't ask if I could forgo it, mad that I have fallen back into the old western-medicinal way of prenatal care and childbirth. I'm angry and frustrated because I swore I would never go back to a hospital if I could help it. Mad because I'm not having this baby at home. Mad that I'm feeling so... mad about it. I have a good doctor and it's a good hospital, but I'm going back to something that (for me) was not as wonderful as what I've now experienced. And this is most likely our last baby (I said that with #6, though, so don't hold me to it! I could be totally wrong about that), and so the thought that I'm not doing home birth when I could/wanted to makes me so... sad. Tired. Defeated. I know, dear reader, you're going to ask, "Then why are you doing it!?" It's so complicated. So complicated. And it has almost everything to do with that evil, awful, stupid thing called money. Women in Utah! Be grateful that home birth is not only supported there, but pretty inexpensive! *another rant over*

*Can you believe that it's almost 2015? 2015. 2015???!!!?!? Will I continue to be shocked by the passage of time? Will I always look at the calendar and just wonder, "where did it go?" and wonder why I seem to watch it slip before my very eyes --without doing much? Sunday was the Primary Program in our Sacrament Meeting and we had four kids in it. It's #2's last year, and #3's second to last year. #5 was singing just about as exuberantly as #3 used to sing, and it made me pause for a minute --when did #3 grow up? When did #5 take his place? #4 will be turning 8 years old in February and a few days after his birthday, #2 will be turning 12 years old. How did this happen? How do our babies, dear reader, who grew in our wombs, who nursed at our breasts, who held our hands, who relied on us for every part of their existence --how did they grow up so quickly? How have they turned into these amazing individuals with their own thoughts, ideas, opinions, talents, dreams, and goals? It goes by so quickly. They are here, inside of me, then near me, then next to me, then further on, and then... they are gone. I'm not ready. I'm glad #1 is only 13. I'm glad she has five more years before she leaves. I'm glad I have more time... this slippery, elusive time...

My Weekend and Stuff and I Kind of Wrote This Really Fast

What a crazy winter this has been.

I can't even remember when the kids have had school and when they haven't, I don't remember when the power was out or when it was supposed to be out, and I can't remember what flippin' month it even is! Just kidding, I know it's February.

Usually I adore February, with all the birthdays (mine, two of my kids, a niece, hopefully my soon-to-be-new niece), Valentine's Day, Presidents' Day (okay, I just like the day off the kids have), and it's all full of love and gifts and surprises and yay!

But this winter has been brutal! It's making February feel less awesome. But I will not give into the sadness!

It's gorgeous today. The sun is shining brightly on my face and the snow is shimmering like diamonds. Wet diamonds. Wet diamonds that are melting. Wet diamonds that are melting into water that then rushes headlong into... whatever. And it's lovely.

Here's a rundown of the last few days or so:

Friday (Vday):
*Kids had no school.
*I helped serve dozens of missionaries lunch at a zone conference thingy. I met several missionaries and I was able to, in the course of dishing up their chilli, find missionaries from my hometown, and other connections, too. So cool!
*On the way to the missionary lunch, I got stuck in my driveway, I stopped at a stop sign and all of the snow on top of my van fell onto my windshield; I had to throw on my hazard lights and get out to scrape it off. Then I came to a place where people were stopping and waiting and taking turns to drive around a large branch that had fallen in the road. As I approached it, I thought, "You morons!" and I parked the van, turned on the hazards, got out, picked up the stinking branch, and threw it to the side of the road. Was I seriously the only person who thought to do this!? Crazy people!

*Friday night, Brandon and I had a lovely dinner at an Indian restaurant, came home to watch some Dr. Who, and then promptly fell asleep. Nothing says romance than falling asleep while watching Dr. Who together!

Saturday:
*I hosted two birthday parties for the kids.
#4 had a party with 6 boys from school/church. Brandon got them some paper minecraft shape things (like paper dolls. But minecraft) and we had a pinata and pizza. 90 minutes of fun!
#2 had a Studio C party that included watching Studio C sketches and then playing all kinds of improv and other party games. Cupcakes, candy, and FUN!

*That night, Brandon had to drive some Young Men to a Valentine's dance in Delaware, and I stayed home with the kids to clean up and sigh with relief at the conclusion of the parties.

Sunday:
*I taught Relief Society! I was a sub, but it was a lot of fun. It was a tough subject, because it was on family and marriage --and we have a lot of single women in our ward. I wanted to be sensitive to them, but still teach doctrine.
Just before my lesson, the RS president read the news release from the First Presidency about how Mormon ecclesiastical leaders cannot perform gay marriages, and how they cannot be performed in Mormon churches (or receptions, or ring ceremonies, or whatever).

I was then very, very nervous about my lesson.

But the Spirit was so strong throughout the lesson, the Spirit was there to teach truth, and even though there was some hard doctrine, I felt so much peace with what we discussed and with what was taught. There was one moment when I couldn't even begin to tell you what I said because what I was saying wasn't me. Does that make sense?

I'm so grateful for the Holy Ghost! I'm so grateful for prophets! So grateful for eternal families!

*After church, we picked up one of our friend's from the train station in Philly --she was Brandon's classmate at Wharton, and she was in NYC for work and decided to pop on down to visit us. It was so fun! We brought her to our house for dinner and the evening and it was a wonderful to have her in our home. She's expecting her first child, so we talked about natural childbirth and #2 introduced her to Studio C (of course). Such a great time! I love all the friends we made during Brandon's MBA days. Friends for life.

Monday:
*#5 had preschool, even though it was a "holiday." The big kids stayed home and he went to preschool! I helped three other moms with the Valentine's Day party, too (we did it yesterday because they didn't have school on Vday due to snow). It was so much fun to be in his school --the kids are just adorable and so well behaved. And even thought I was wrong about the number of children (there were 12 and not 10) and thereby didn't have enough for the snacks, the other mothers helped me figure out how to stretch and it worked out just fine. But it was not the impression I had wanted to make when meeting these nice mothers. Sigh, sigh, and oh, well.
*The big kids (oldest 5) and Brandon went sledding in the afternoon and #6 helped me make hot chocolate from scratch while they were gone. We were hoping to go to Valley Forge, but the snow has closed down a lot of it, plus the fun things they had planned were in the morning and #5 had preschool, so...
*We fed the Sister Missionaries dinner, which is ALWAYS a great time!

Today:
*Went to an appointment with #2's gifted teacher, her regular teacher, and the principal to discuss her needs and the gifted program. It went very well.
*Called a psychiatrist and set up an appointment. Called a family doctor and set up an appointment. Huzzah for finally getting it done! Huzzah for the Health Advocate company that helped me find them! Huzzah for no more stress on that score!

How was your weekend? Any fun Valentine gifts or dates or whatever? Fun President's Day excitement?

Stormy Weather and Birthdays

It's been stormy here. (In many ways, but I'll focus on tangible things.)

Monday was a snow day (lots of snow).
Tuesday was a late start day (due to snow).
Wednesday was a snow day (due to icy rain).
Thursday was a snow day (due to the damages of the icy rain, including no power, falling trees/branches, blocked roads, and... that's about it).
Friday was a late start day (due to lack of electricity and blocked roads).

We had no power Wednesday from about 7:30AM until 3PM... I think. I don't rightly remember when the power came back on. We kept warm with two fireplaces going (hooray for wood!) and ate what we could (note to self: macaroni and cheese doesn't work with cold water. Yuck!). Brandon was able to get to work, so he shopped for us on the way home and that was a huge blessing. When the power came back on, we celebrated by flushing all the toilets and baking cookies. (We have a septic grinder pump that then pushes all our water waste to the sewer line. Without electricity, it won't work. When it doesn't work, it clogs up. When it clogs up, the yard starts to sink in. Therefore, when we don't have electricity, we don't flush the toilets. Fun!)

The kids were so grateful for school on Friday! We all were. Even #5 got to go to preschool for the first time all week, and he was pretty excited. Here's a funny video Brandon took of him explaining how he felt about missing school on Wednesday morning:

Our superintendent had to make the call and we are making up for all our snow days by losing 2 days of spring break and going 1 extra day in June. We are also losing a lot of half days, as well. I guess we moved to PA during one of the worst winters they have ever seen. People are complaining about the make-up days and I think they're just silly. What do they expect? We've had SEVEN snow days with more expected in the future. Our kids are supposed to be in school for 180 days (state rules). I have no problem with the make up days and I don't understand why our children's safety is annoying to people, considering how dangerous our roads become (and that all our schools had no electricity for two days).

It's actually snowing right now, although lightly. More storms are expected tomorrow night, and I'm praying that it's simply small ones. So many people still don't have power and I feel very grateful we got ours back on as quickly as we did. It's not fun having no electricity! We rely on it so much for everything. I don't think I could do it long term. At least not in a cold place. Brrr!

["Welcome to winter in New England, Cheryl!"]

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Today is #4's seventh birthday!! Such a cute boy! I wrote a post last year about his awesomeness and included lots of pictures. Go read it if you feel so inclined. Here are a few photos from today:

Minecraft cake (sort of. More or less.)

(Embarrassed when the waitresses started singing to him. He loved it, though!)

(Fun birthday lunch with just mom and dad)

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I haven't found a psychiatrist, yet. I have homework for my SIL, though, and I have to call some and have an appointment by Tuesday or Wednesday and report back to her. I'm looking. I'll find one.

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This week:
*#2's 11th birthday on the 11th.
*Valentine's Day!
*Two birthday parties on Saturday for #4 and #2. Normally we wouldn't let them have friend parties because they had one last year (we do it on even birthday years, and they are both odd years (7 and 11) this year), but we decided that it's okay to have them in order to make more friends. Praying that people come!

Hello, There. I've Got Nothing.

My favorite Valentine's Day quote ever:

I don’t understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine’s Day. When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon. ~Author unknown
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Yesterday I gave a talk in Church. And I want to share some of it with you. Because I don't think a lot of you realized we were inches away from moving to California next month.
That was what this post was all about.
But anyway, here's the paragraph where I talked about it (oh, and my topic was Feeling the Spirit of the Lord Through the Scriptures):

As many of you know, Brandon just accepted a new job last month here in Provo. However, what many of you may not know is that he was also offered a job in California. For the last three and a half weeks, Brandon and I had the monumental task of deciding what to do with our small family. Do we stay? Do we move? Which job is better? Which place is better? Where does the Lord want us? How will it affect our future? How will it affect Brandon’s employment future? How will it change or improve our financial situation? These questions plagued us as we made spreadsheets with the pro’s and con’s, visited the Temple, prayed together, and searched the scriptures. I was fearful of either answer. I wasn’t sure if I could handle another move. I wasn’t sure if I could handle NOT moving. I was lost and confused, as I knew my husband was. But I found solace in the scriptures as I came across Psalms 56, verses 3-6; 11, and 13. (READ VERSES) Another verse that helped my perspective was again in D&C section 6, this time verse 7 (READ VERSE). Although neither of these verses gave me the “answers” to the questions we were asking of God, they did give me peace. I felt the Lord’s Love envelop me as I read these words. I had been seeking a specific answer, but what I got instead was comfort and peace. I hadn’t realized I needed that even more.
Oh, and by the way, we are staying here in Provo. Just in case you were wondering.
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Hey, hey! Tomorrow is weigh-in day! Get yourselves ready, dear reader. I'm gonna blow your mind with the results of my inability to lose weight. And then we will start again. A re-committing, if you will. We shall be victorious!

That last line was for you, Bythelbs. I think that song rocks, too.

No Title. Just Read It.

The kids don't have school today. I didn't know this until yesterday, when #2 reminded me. It's Teacher Quality Day. Why they chose today and not next Friday, thus giving the kids a four-day weekend, is beyond me. What is the point of today?
Blah.
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#2 decided on a Love Birthday Party for her friends. Basically it's just a Valentine's theme. Although her birthday is on the 11th, we've never done the Valentine's theme before, so she was actually very excited with the idea. This has made my job very easy --all the stores are crammed with Valentine's stuff. Hooray!
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The last few days have been pretty productive. I've stayed on top of all kinds of things (the house, the kids, the bills, the blog, the email), and so I feel a lazy day comin' on. That would be today. So...besides a quick trip to Costco (sometime before it closes for the day), I think I may just sit here all day.
You have my permission to do the same.
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Tomorrow we're taking the kids to the Draper Temple Open House. I'm hoping/praying that they will have a great experience (and won't be too loud). I remember going to the Bountiful Temple Open House when I was about 12 (was I 12? 10? Now I can't remember) and thinking it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I know it may be too much to ask that my almost 2 year old have the same experience, but maybe my almost 8 year old will...

Are you doing anything cool this weekend? Have a great one!

Some Romance for this Weekend

Romance is the glamour which turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze. 

~Elinor Glyn

I love romantic love. I've always been an idealist and I see romance as sort of a combination of charity and... magic. There is real love and regard, a selfless thoughtfulness that initiates some of the most beautiful parts of life --combining music, prose, nature, and imagination with true affection, attraction, and chaste desire. It can be whimsical or serious; it can be passionate or sweet.

I'm realistic, though. Sometimes life can be over-romanticized and that can lead to damaged relationships (i.e. unrealistic expectations unmet) or not being responsible in one's life. But as long as reality is grounded, I think romance is a wonderful plus!

In fact, I have an entire Pinterest page called "I Heart Romance" that is dedicated to romantic love, and it sits alongside my "Marriage" page. It's just a page where I save beautiful words and photos of what feels romantic to me. It is the antithesis to pornography because there is nothing that victimizes, exploits, embarrasses, humiliates, or takes advantage of a person --there is nothing that couldn't be seen in the presence of God. True romance, to me, means true charity!

In honor of Valentine's Day, here are a few of the things I've saved that, to me, exemplify the beauty of romantic love. I hope your Valentine's Day this weekend can be filled with love --and maybe a little romance. Enjoy!

Recent Photos

My cousin's wedding (Robert sings with BYU's Vocal Point). Vocal Point performing, Robert singing to Katie, my dad dancing with #2, and Brandon dancing with #1:

 

 

  

My niece with #1:


My awesome Valentine's Day card from my bestie (inside it says: "Hoping this Valentine's Day brings your very own happy ending!" Sigh. Isn't North and South the best?):

My birthday cake and birthday flowers! I HEART daisies: