Over the Backyard Fence

Valentine's Day ~ It's always been one of my favorite holidays. It's such a bright, fun celebration to have in the middle of winter. All the red and pink hearts on a backdrop of snowy days. This year, Dan and I opted to forgo exchanging cards and instead went out for coffee the day before. We went to the new French bakery in town and sipped on coffee and ate fresh croissants. I'm not sure why we went on Tuesday, it just worked out that way. I like to decorate the house with all my Valentine knickknacks, send Valentines to the grandkids and my girlfriends, and bake cookies or cupcakes. On the actual day, I pulled some Italian stuffed shells from the freezer (because what says amore like Italian food?) and just then my niece Brandi texted, asking could she join us for dinner. Of course, I said yes, and an hour or so later she came through the door carrying a big bouquet of flowers and a bottle of bubbly. She was so excited, she'd performed her first surgery going solo that afternoon!! So, of course we celebrated and toasted the milestone event. 

Prayer Hearts ~ Years ago, when my children were very young, an older mom friend told me about something her mother/tots group did when her kids were young. They cut out little hearts and wrote their children's names on each one as a reminder to pray for them daily. At this point, my friend's children were grown, and she still had those hearts tucked in her Bible. I loved the idea, so I made up one for each of my children and one for Dan. Through the years, as our family has grown, I've added more hearts. I try to remember each day, as I hold them in my hands, to pray for each one. I just added one for little Thea 💗.