The Sweetest Valentines

Around here Valentine's Day is met with less than enthusiasm. For us it's just another day. Oh we enjoy the sentiment and all but all of us think it silly. Actually, we kind of make fun of all the hoopla. My boys turn green at the thought of giving some little girl a heart-y card with things like "Let's get together" written on it even if it IS on a Spiderman background. Rick and I think it's ridiculous to spend $7 on a card or $40 on flowers when we need milk and we're out of peanut butter. Morgan wrote an editorial about the over-the-top celebrations of the day last year. I mean really, who in their right minds would have a 36" mylar balloon that plays music delivered to their 3rd grader at school? Is the balloon riding the bus home too?

So we kind of do our own thing around here: The boys chose inspirational Valentines to give out at the homeschool group Valentine party. The one they gave me says: Giving thanks for you. Ephesians 1:16. On the inside it says, "You're a blessing, teacher!" It's going to become a book mark for my Bible. Rick put the Safeway ad on the fridge and circled the picture of the dozen roses and told me, "Here are your flowers. These will last longer. By the way your bottom is getting smaller. Keep up the good work, baby." Then he patted my "smaller" bottom and told me he loved me. And Morgan's Valentine didn't come in the way of a card, or balloons, or even a newspaper insert. She's a teenager; hers came in the way of a text message on my cell phone:
"Thank you so much for being such a great mommy all nineteen and a half-ish years of my life...i know i am who i am cuz of you and dad and all the rest of the family...I'm glad i am strong enough to be alone, emotional enough to know I'm missing something, stable enough to know it won't last, and independent enough to be OK til it does end...you're a great mom! I love you! And am so proud of you and your life!"

Okay...my husband and kids are just precious. Will somebody pass me a tissue?