Lovely Day

The arrival of Valentine's Day at our house found the words of 1 Corinthians 13 being given and received, put on and worn, worked out and through and all around thoroughly enjoyed.

Unbeknownst  Behind my husband's back, i jump-started the holiday by sneaking a candy bouquet into his car, which he was not to discover until he made it from Omaha to Lincoln for work; and would therefore deliver his own gift.  This living in one city and working in another definitely has its challenges when it comes to making sure one's husband's desk at work has something special for holidays and birthdays without trading one's arm in order for a professional delivery person to make the drop.

Sorry, no picture of that.

But i DO have a picture of what my Sweetheart sent to me (via UPS) ....

The lovely day continued, dotted with all the usual-alities of life but with all of the sparkles added there by the acts of love given and received throughout the day.

With children in the house, it takes a different sort of creativity and a completely different approach to celebrating such a lovey holiday .... so we enjoyed dinner together!

It's amazing how adding a bouquet, sprinkled rose petals, a fancy lace tablecloth and fine crystal glasses can make just about any dinner feel special and extra-ordinary.  (plastic placemats for the kids -- not sure Grandma's tablecloth can take much scrubbing --  and plastic glasses for the kids, too -- those 'ol Waterford crystal glasses are heavy!)

Then, to really spice up the night, the four of us went to....

to buy....

to bathe in layers of prayer and warm, PotteryBarn-like colors the walls of this place:

as we do our part to see a move be made to:

The night's grand finale was my Sweetie & i eating M&M's and watching:

So, all in all, it was truly a Lovely Day.  And throughout its moments, rays and sparkles and daily duties all intermixed like the primary colors of a painter's palate to produce a new color of remembering the Great Love God has gifted to our family and the many, many blessings that are inside that gift.

Thank You, God, for BEING love.
For GIVING love. 

For a lovely day.

I love YOU!

She's In Love

The Life-Love Game continues; and like the part i played at our Candy Land game last night, I am watching my little girl skip on ahead in pure joy, ecstatic love and solid confidence!

Since the revelation to her that Jesus loves her more than Momma or Daddy do (which is aLOT), the little girl at our house has beamed at me over her lunch plate, "Jesus loves me more than you or Daddy do?"  Her little mouth has turned up in the hugest smile at the dinner table, "Jesus loves me more than you do!"

The love blooming in her face, the confidence resonating in her voice bring so much more abounding joy and soothing peace to me than any of her familial love declarations! And to hear the "Jesus songs" she's begun to "compose" fills my maternal love bank even more than the day she took her first step.

I'm so glad to see her ...

so in love.