Love day.

I don't think Mr. Keller and I have ever been out on a date on Valentine's day and I hope it stays that way forever. We celebrate things quietly and I always feel extra sentimental over how blessed I am to be a mother to sweet boys.

Friday morning, Cupid left love presents for the boys and they spent the day running around the house in their heart socks and with their heart balloons in tow, which naturally, they pretended were kites. I'm always amazed at how much fun they have with a single balloon. It provides great entertainment and joy. I love this.

Danny is in major love with his heart sunglasses, just as I knew he would be. He's been wearing them nonstop ever since.

Mr. Morg was sick yet again with a cold and unfortunately had to miss his Valentine's party. We picked up his Valentine's tote full of sweet valentines from his preschool friends.

Friday afternoon we cooked daddy's favorites: orange chicken and rice, with steamed veggies and his favorite chocolate cake. This has been a "special occasion" tradition ever since we got married, it seems. It's my least favorite thing to cook because it's all done from scratch. Hence the reason it's a special occasion meal. I'm still not a big fan of cooking and probably never will be. I hope my boys don't eventually starve. Especially when they're teenagers.

We pulled from storage our glass heart ornaments and vintage valentines and a strand of white lights. We set the table, poured sparkling cider, lit candles and hid under the table when daddy came through the door after work. Danny broke the silence by tooting (true to form), and ruined the "surprise" moment. No one cared because we were all laughing.

My children.

They played all day with their new dino figurines and before bed, we read the new books they got. Mr. Keller surprised me with a bouquet of white tulips and he wrote me the sweetest letter I've ever received (truly).

We had a very sweet Valentine's day.

 

Word.

Homes, it's the last week in February. Here's what we've been up to...

....After Mr. Keller was sick, he passed it to me. I was walking dead for a few days, but I'm feeling much better. Mom and dad drove up a few weeks ago on a Saturday and relieved us of our parental duties for a few days. It was heavenly. I was so proud of myself, too, for letting *both* boys go. It took some major coaxing and I was anxious for the first little bit, but I really enjoyed such a good break. I tried to finish up a few house projects, went shopping a few times, went to dinner a few times with Mr. Keller, stayed up too late watching Downton Abbey, started a book, took a few naps, went to relief society without a chubby baby in tote and didn't cook a single meal. Not one. A stay-cation, for sure. 

On wednesday, I drove to Boise for the rest of the week. More shopping, more naps, whole wheat waffles, sugar cookies, snuggling, visiting and enjoying the sunshine (it's so much warmer there than here!). One of the days, mom and I had all four kids together and it was a rodeo. My mom thought it was funny how crazy I was getting, since she can totally handle more than I can. But, seriously. Four kids ages four and under. I thought to myself this is totally someone's life. I'm just glad it isn't mine. I would be insane. 

Friday, I stopped by Ashley's to meet and love on new baby Titan. He is so sweet and so dang cute! He has the cutest little nose and the cutest little bum-chin, just like my boys. I'm so proud of how she's surviving postpartum craziness and doing so well. I tell her to hang in there and that the fog eventually lifts. New motherhood is so hard but she's doing great! I love her. 

In the afternoon, we met up with Kricket and went to the new park in Meridian. It was such a pretty day and we almost didn't even need jackets. My mom already has tulip shoots breaking through the ground. Ahhh! 

On Saturday, papa watched the boys all day while my mom and I had a day out. We went shopping some more, to Great Harvest with Kenz and Jackie for lunch, and then later, to dinner at Olive Garden with aunt Terrie, Kenz and Jackie. We were seriously gone for like twelve hours straight. Papa gets an award! 

Sunday, we moved a little slower. We had Jackie and Kenzie over for dinner and then after the boys were in bed, we went to Jackie's to watch the farewell Downton episode together. Man, I swear. RIP, M.C. RIP.

We came home Monday afternoon and I must say I made excellent time for having to make four stops in between Boise and home. Danny slept fifteen minutes and drove me crazy the rest of the way. Needless to say, we were happy to be home and happy to be done driving. I missed my boyfriend a lot. And I was please to find that Valentine's beard was/is still in tact. I was also pleased to see he had survived flying solo, had finished the valentine's Milanos I bought for him, watched fifteen episodes of Big Bang and managed to load and unload the dishwasher all by himself. Impressive.

Now we're settling back in, grocery shopping, rescheduling naptime, unpacking, and doing laundry. Home again, home again, jiggity jig.

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{Buzz, Buzz, and Buzz}

{obsessed with boots lately}

{cotton candy}

{a lunch trip on the craaaazy day}

{frosting cookies}

{shadow}

{new matching jammies}

{Bffs/best buds/twins/papa's sidekick}

If papa was out of sight, even if he was just in the other room, Danny would run around the house yelling "Papa? PAPA?!" He is and always has been in love with his papa.

{the SUN!}

{Twins, I swear}

...beautiful tulips Mr. Keller sent me on Valentine's day...

which, embarrassingly enough, I had just made fun of 1-800 flowers in front of him, the day he put the order in.....to 1-800 flowers, as it turns out. I'm such a brat. And I totally take it back! They were the most gorgeous tulips ever.

  

{cute Kenzie}

{dress-up in the playroom}

And lastly, the fat little face I munch on all the day long. That pudge of skin below his chin? I swear...

jlk.

I kissed Mr. Keller this morning and sent him off to work. I'm missing him extra today. He's been home for five days straight, sick as a dog. Sick, sick, sick. I made him chocolate chip cookies and chip dip. He turned a corner Saturday afternoon, but we all stayed home from church. It was nice to just be home. He's grown a lovely start of beard and since it's February now, (the month of looooove), I asked him not to shave. For me. For my Valentine's Day present. This morning, he came out dressed for work....with whiskers still on his face! No shaving this month!!!! Just for me! Hooray! True love, my dears. True love.

Happy Monday!

Love day.

I followed my boys around with my camera all day yesterday. Because they were excited and sugary and matching. And well, you know, I love them. Quite a bit.  

Here's the rest of our day:

[heart toast and jam / morning lounging in my room]

[my sugar rae]

[playing / playing]

[matching balloons and jackets]

[and dinner]

[handsome / handsome]

[and lastly, Cupid]

Like I said, I could squish him.

L-o-v-e

 {image via flickr}

Whenever I hear someone say how much they hate Valentine's Day, I'm sort of taken back.  As much as this day has become a "Hallmark Holiday", spendy and cliche, it's neither of those to me. It's well loved in my home. And I don't expect much. I love low-key. In fact, I don't think we've ever actually been 'out' on Valentine's Day. Instead, I decorate the dining room, light candles and we have a special dinner at home with chocolate cake and sparkling cider. Frank Sinatra is always playing all day. I wear red. And Mr. Keller gets extra kisses.

I'm fairly easy to please. A $4.00 bunch of red tulips (which I sometimes buy myself with grocery money!), a love letter written on white paper and my choice of a sappy love movie at the end of the night, which will probably be The Notebook this year. Or a few episodes of Downton Abbey, which I am now addicted to.

It's a chance to celebrate my family, my love for them and how special we can make one day out of the year, counting all the reasons why we love each other. Simple and lovely.

I will be spending the evening with the ones I love most - my boyfriends, all three.