Love Day!!!

For years and years, Valentines Day meant I had to help kids address a billion Iron Man/Barbie/Care Bear cards for their 33 friends in their classes. It also meant having to be heart broken when for the special day, my (ex)spouse would bring me a card and some turtle wax and a bucket...as a gift...to wash my own car. Or we'd go to dinner (Burger King) and I'd get a good hearty talking to about how I should exercise.  So much love abounding. So much.

Now it is something different.

Now it's about REAL LOVE.

Yesterday started out with Harper and Lola and I (Lola just makes messes, but whatever) making 6 dozen french vanilla cupcakes. We lined the muffin pan with pretty wrappers and spooned in the delicious batter and I'd hate to tell you (especially those of you who actually GOT some of these cupcakes) how many times I'd catch Harper or Lola dipping their little fingers right into the batter. Whoops!

When the other kids got home, we frosted and sprinkled them and took them around to friends and neighbors and family who lived close.

Mike came home to us and I'd been planning to give him his gift at dinner, but the kids were too excited to wait, so we gave it to him as he came in the door. Harper was pulling his hair out with anticipation. He's been keeping the secret of what it was for 3 weeks. Kinda tough for a 4 year old!

Anyway, he opened it, loved it, thanked us all and I got lots of smooches right there in the kitchen! Oh and we got him this:

 He broke his 9 months ago, and it's his BFF, so of course, he got a new one. Lucky boy!  It's the newest one with the HD video camera. I can't wait to see what he does with it. He's a creator.


We then went to dinner at Spark and had the Valentine's 5 Course Dinner. (click!) Holy moly it was good. Mike and I don't do big Christmases for each other, as a matter of fact, for the last 3 years we haven't gotten each other anything really. With us giving all of our kids big Christmas day's (whether they're with us or not. Some of them went to their dad's house, but we always, regardless, do Christmas for them) we don't always have any money left so we typically do big Valentines Day and then big anniversary stuff in September. It breaks it up, we celebrate in a big way every 6 months...and that works for us.

Can I tell you how much I love my husband?  He is the most tender hearted, generous, sweet, smart, loving, sexy, affectionate man I could ever want. I am the luckiest girl in the world because I get to spend my life with him. He's the best father out there, and he teaches all of our kids, every one of them, how to be good human beings. They're learning how to be a patient spouse, how to be a good constant provider, how to work hard even if you don't like the job you're doing. He's one of the most amazing men I know and he joins a list of men in my life who I admire. (my dad, my brother, my brother in law...)  These boys of mine will be better husbands because of his example, and my girls will seek out nothing but the best for themselves and their future because they know it's possible to have a man as good as he is.

I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection. Sigmond Freud


(I borrowed that from my friend Magsters, thanks sweetpea!)

Be thankful for love. Be grateful for every tender moment you get to spend with your family. I find I'm more thankful on Valentine's Day than I am on Thanksgiving because Valentine's Day reminds me of how much love I have in my life.

My 6 kids, they are constantly with me. How many people can say that their teenagers want to spend their days and weekends with them all the time? How many people in the world don't have a partner who understands them, who is on their level intellectually? Really friends, look at your life and be thankful for all of the love you have around you!  ♥

And now, a song that always makes me think about Michael, my babe.  Cheesy I know...but c'mon, it's VALENTINE'S DAY FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!!!

by my bff Luther Vandross, RIP :(