Valentine's Day

Boy have they changed over the years! 

I remember like it was yesterday, being in the 'thick of it' with homemade cards for school parties, pink heart dresses, and little girls that just loved the feeling of Valentine's Day. 

Wow... I just dropped a whole lotta photos but there's a whole bunch of love there too! I'm so grateful for those memories... every single one of them (and so grateful for all of those pictures to remember that love!) 

This year Anna is in her own 'thick of it' as a study abroad student in Beijing, China. We mailed a package over a month ago and it just didn't get there in time -- that's okay, she's 20 now and I'm sure can feel that love from us with out that box of love we sent her. 

 

We had our own little Valentine's Day 'party' at home just the three of us (missing Anna). Since we had a snowstorm and no school on February 13th I decided we'd enjoy it a bunch more since we were all home. And I had the time to set it all up the way I wanted and bake bake bake a new recipe I'd been wanting to try. (amazing) 

So here is a peek at our Valentine's Day here in snowy Connecticut: 

And here is a peek back at some of my favorite posts here on this blog

Love Day

Love the Family Photos in this one

Start to finish, I remember this delightful one 

Heart pancakes, that kissing picture, all of it! 

They wore a corsage to church 

The dresses, the Valentine boxes, the cards, the joy... it's all good. But each year it was just a day. What I know they remember is the love all year long, day in and day out. The serving, the tucking into bed, the baths, the billion meals, the playtime, the no tech time, the patience, the praying mama leaning into God's grace to mother well... they don't need to remember those things, they were the air they breathed, and it has shaped who they are today. 

Happy Valentine's Day my precious little family. I am so very blessed to be your mama. You are joy and I love you so much! 

Solisti News

All those years ago my little viola player just learning. Just five years old. 

She was adorable. 

After eleven years and a big dream - lots of orchestras - more concerts than I could count - a lesson every single week from professional players -- and dedication she opened her email ... 

I was recording it at the same time (that's the glare you see in the pictures) 

And it said, "congratulations you have been accepted to play in the Giovani Solisti orchestra.

So very happy for her. It feels like just yesterday that she was playing "twinkle". I've been to every single lesson since she was five so this felt like a joy for me as well! 

The best part was telling her sister the next morning -- all the way from Beijing China. 

Anna was over the moon happy for her. 

Still walking on cloud nine over here! 

We took her out to dinner to celebrate --