Valentines

Let me first start out by saying, last Monday (Brooks' first day on this nice rotation) we laid down in bed and I mentioned I still needed to get the kids' Valentine's stuff. Then he said, "Oh yea, Valentines Day is THIS WEEK!!!" It crept up on us because he has been going into work at 4am and home btw 7-10pm (usually closer to 9.) straight. When he got home, he literally dropped into bed and was asleep within 1 minute. The last days he had off I was in Virginia! He's worked weekends, etc and so finally when this rotation started he just asked for Wednesday, the 13th off......to recover.

He stayed home and fixed the kids' bikes, fixed the broken window, took the boys out to lunch and the girls out for ice cream and then......well......he gave me EXACTLY what I needed.........

a temple trip (in Columbia, SC) w/ my girlfriends. (aren't they cute?)

(excuse my tired look, I could give excuses of that day, but let's just go with "I have 7 kids" okay?)

We left at 4pm and got back at midnight. We laughed, cried, ate Jason's Deli take-out (a tradition, mind you) and had the best time.

It was the spiritual refocus that I needed. I always come back re-charged in wanting to be a better mom, wife and person in general. I haven't been able to sneak away to the temple since September!(maybe that's why I had been slipping in all those areas!!!!)

I told Brooks that was the best Valentine's gift ever.

He plays Mr. Mom so well.

So the ACTUAL Valentine's day was full of getting their Valentines gifts from us hidden and poems written. (the poem give clues to where the stash is). My parents used to always do that for us, and I laughed when my two sisters both were busy writing their poems for their kids yesterday afternoon too.

The poems were thrown together fast. But they 1) must rhyme and 2) have to be written at their age level. Which the 2nd kinda suffocates my creative juices a little. I wrote the poems for the older 3 that could read at their levels. Then when I got to the younger 3, I decided I didn't have follow that rule and could write WHATEVER i wanted because they couldn't read anyway! So the only thing that counted was that I got a laugh from Brooks when he had to read it to them. ;)

Aleeya-beeya 

(in my chest of drawers by my bed)

For my princess and my mini-me

you have to figure out where your treats might be.

They are someplace that I tell you NOT to hide

Someplace that you like to hide INSIDE.

Its not in your room or the boys or in the Kellyn's

But someplace that she HAS rolled off and fellyn.

Irisita

(in the oven drawer......obviously)

You like to play princesses and act like a Mommy

You even hoard your toys from Royce like a Commi

You love to play kitchen and you love to bake

Man, this poem is draggin on, HOW LONG MUST THIS TAKE?!?!

So just look where the pans go, it's under oven

Eat your treats, then come give me some lovin.

Royce

(in his shoe closet)

To our little man, who doesn't read, nor talks

Who LOVES to wear shoes, but hates his socks.

You fetch your shoes like a champ and your undies too

I'm raising a GENIUS and you're ONLY two.

You only say one word, it's “Nah”, then you smile

Yah, we're not counting on you talking for a while.

Then to my surprise a babysitter shows up at 7. That sneaky husband of mine.......

We went out for (healthy) yogurt that I smoothered in fruit and boba balls. I felt so rebellious eating after 7 o'clock because that was one of the things that my sister and I were NOT doing all week for one of our healthy goals. I'm such a rebel. Then went walking downtown across this bridge w/ the waterfalls going under it. I loved it. I hadn't been downtown to see this yet! 

It was actually quite romantic. And there were a TON of other couples who must have thought the same thing. The picture is not my picture, by-the-way. If I took one last night there would've been too many couples kissing, cuddling, etc. So before we were grossed out by too much PDA and threw up all of our yogurt, we decided to head on home.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!