More than just a Valentine.

It feels like i have not blogged in forever! Just wanted to reflect on this years valentines day, Deryck and I celebrated it last Friday because he was going to be gone, we had a simple dinner with our two babies and it just had to be a sushi night, because that is something both Deryck and I absolutely LOVE. The kids and I have been in Cedar since Saturday night and Sunday we got to go to stake conference with my parents, Grant was surprisingly good but Evyn was crazier than crazy and liked to run up on the stand, silly girl. I love spending Sundays with my family, we celebrated Valentines day on Sunday so that everyone could be together, my mom made such a cute valentine's day spread and had a little treat basket for each one of us. We enjoyed playing games and decorating cookies. On Monday my mom and the kids and I headed to Parowan to "kick" some valentine's at my Grandparent's house, It was so cute to see my Grandpa love on my kids, and see the joy and surprise on his face when he saw them. We visited with Grandma while Grandpa took the kids to feed the horse and show them where he keeps his bee's, I pushed them on the old tire swing that I used to swing in when I was little and the world just seemed so right and peaceful in that moment. Grandpa showed the kids some of his special treasures that he has kept in a keepsake clear top coffee table in the front room, he shared stories of how he inherited a few of them, and how he found some, he showed us some of his model stock racing cars that were signed by the drivers, I loved listening to him talk about them because you could see the excitement in his face. Then at the end of our visit he told me he had a gift for me, he went back in his room and brought out a cute little box with two little gingerbread men on the front, when I opened the box and saw what it was I almost cried! He had intended to give it to me for Christmas but he hadn't finished making them, it was my very own set of gingerbread house cookie cutters that he had made! I have wanted my own for a very long time and it was very special. After our visit we stopped by the Parowan Dairy Freeze for some traditional hot wings french fries, and a coke and fresh lime. On the way home we stopped in Enoch to kick another valentine at my Aunt Brenda's, it was so good to see them and visit. This valentine's day wasn't about a bouquet of flowers, or a box of chocolates, an ornate greeting card, or expensive fancy gifts, it was about the simplicities in life, and being surrounded by people who love us, and truely feeling our love for them. Happy Valentine's Day!