Happy Belated Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day 2002
A candle lit dinner by a frozen Utah Lake. We bundled up with blankets, exchanged thoughtful presents and ate our Magleby's takeout on the shore.

Valentine's Day 2003
Cold toes and red noses snow boarding at Brighton in Utah. There is something SO romantic about a warm kiss in the snow and a ski resort lit up at night.

Valentine's Day 2004
Frozen fingers holding onto cross country ski poles at Aspen Grove. A weekend retreat.

Valentine's Day 2005
Our first Valentine's in Michigan, we had just moved into a new apartment, I was pregnant, and both Dave and I have no memory whatsoever of what we did for this Valentine's Day but I'm sure it was awesome.

Valentine's Day 2006
Dinner at Red Cedar Grill in quaint Williamston.

Valentine's Day 2007
Cancun, Mexico!!! Sunburned faces, sandy toes and flip flops. No snow this year.
"Hey Jess, you wanna go to Cancun for Valentine's Day?"
"That's next week"
"Yeah, I know."
We ate dinner at the fancy restaurant at our resort in true Mexican romantico fashion...the soup was "loving broth" and we ate salmon topped with glazed rose petals.

Valentine's Day 2008
Sam's Club.
Yes, you read that right, Sam's Club. We dream shopped for couches, priced their seafood and diapers, and ate pizza with smoothies. But we were BY OURSELVES and loved every minute of it.
Dave also made us a fabulous french toast breakfast and we exchanged presents: Beautiful flowers, "I love my Daddy" by Sebastien Braun for Noah, a protein snack stash for Dave at work, and a rattle for Gage (poor kid already owned the rattle, I just wrapped it up with lots of noisy paper just for him).
Noah and I made these cute puzzles for his friends with "Love you to pieces" written on the back. He had so much fun making these manly Valentines.
And as a family we made this heart string and wrote things that we love. Can you guess which one was Noah's suggestion?

Treats from friends, a package from Grandma and Grandpa, supernice babysitters, and more treats made this year's Valentine's Day lovely. Happy belated Valentine's Day.

FiRst tOOth

"I am not a born mother but I do believe that I was born, in part, to be a mother."

Today is a good mommy day. We've kept busy and happy. Fingerpainting, playing with buckets of snow, making tents, racing race cars, eating snow ice cream, wiggling, reading stories, going and going. Noah's giggles and big wondering eyes make it easy today. And I love watching Gage's big cheeks fold into his toothless grin. I LOVE THESE BOYS.

Here are some projects I'm working on little bits at a time on this snow day.

This is going to be a beautiful notebook. I need this notebook dedicated to my scripture study. If I have a pretty place to write down what I'm learning, won't I learn more?
Noah's baby book. And this fabulous apron. Idea from Ms. Vicki at the ever cute Kean's Store in Mason. It's a vinyl print. I'm just cutting it out and sewing ribbon on (and crossing my fingers until its done.)

Yes, today is a good mommy day. Pockets of time to think about stuff like this. Other days are not so easy. I get bugged that my clean laundry is still piled in wicker. I get antsy to "accomplish" something...anything...just to complete a task. I have those days where its like I’m putting my head under water and holding my breath until the clock finally clicks to 7:30pm and I can get these boys in bed and the day is over. We made it. Or I’m gritting my teeth until the clock ticks to 2:00pm and they’ll take a nap. Finally I can relax my jaw, use the bathroom by myself or make a phone call.

On those frowny days I need some inspiration. One of my projects right now is putting together my Inspiration Board. I want words, pictures, quotes, memories, motivation, encouragement, enthusiasm, purpose, reminders right there on my wall for me to breathe in when I need it. So here it is with a fresh coat of paint, one of my favorite baby Noah pictures and my Lovely Lindsay inspired thumb tacks ready for some inspiration.....

So, my friends, what keeps you going?? What inspires you?

Send me your inspiration.

I need it.