Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day started off with a little breakfast treat in the kids’ mailboxes, reading our last love scriptures, and Lee’s traditional giant heart-shaped cookie (all he wants for Valentine’s Day and he’s gotten it for the last 17 years). 

Isaac, Grace and I delivered some of their valentines.  They were so excited to give them to their friends.

We also went with our preschool and playgroup friends to deliver the valentines we made earlier in the week to the residents at Hope Village.  My kids look forward to this and it is such a good experience for them to interact and show love to elderly people. 

It’s a great Valentine’s Day activity.  (Thanks to Janeece whose idea it was a few years ago!)

Afterwards we had a heart shaped lunch.  Thankfully Grace didn’t pout through the whole thing…

Later that night we ate our traditional heart shaped pizza from Papa Murphy’s by candlelight.  Oh how I love these guys!

The kids got to eat heart pizookies for dessert.  Yum!

Then Lee and I scooted off to a Valentine’s Day party that Brenna and I planned.  It was supposed to be the weekend before, but we had to postpone it because of all the snow. 

We had a great time with the 20 couples who came.  It was a full house!  We played husband vs. wife minute to win it games which were hilarious to watch.  The last activity was Just Dance.  Lee won that challenge because I didn’t get into the action.  It was pretty fun to watch everybody else do it though!  The best was the group with Lee, Peter, Tom and the bishop.  Hilarious! 

It was such a good day, spent with the people I love most.

Preschool Valentine’s Day Party

Isaac and Grace were so excited for their preschool Valentine’s Day party.  They couldn’t wait to pass out their valentines!  When the kids got to our house they decorated little bags to hold their valentines.

Then we started right in on some conversation heart math.  They sorted, counted and graphed their box of hearts in several different ways, and practiced writing numbers.

Then we played a musical hearts game that got them active and being silly.  It was fun.

Decorating heart cookies was a favorite activity.  They decorated one for themselves to eat and some to take home to their family.  I was so happy that I had thought to cut out those hearts when we made cookies on Christmas Eve.  They had frozen beautifully and it made for an easy Valentine’s Day treat! 

Next we talked about the love of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  We discussed how we can love others as Jesus loves us.  Then we made valentines to take to Hope Village to give to the residents there. 

Finally the time came to pass out valentines.  It was so cute to watch them carefully put each persons valentine in their bag.  They were all so excited about it!

Cute kids!

After the party Isaac and Grace were all smiles as they showed me their valentines.  It was a fun morning for them!

Love is in the Air!

The most anticipated event at our house in February is decorating our mailboxes.  Grace started asking right after Christmas when we would do it, and even Emma was bugging me about it.  I love that they get so excited about little traditions.

Lee and I cheated and just used the mailboxes we decorated last year (actually, I think mine might be two years old…).

Isaac and Grace would race downstairs every morning to see if the flag on their mailbox was up.  So exciting!  Most days there were just little love notes in their boxes, my favorites being the ones the kids wrote to us and to each other.  Grace was especially good at leaving notes and pictures for us.  Such a fun way to show our love to each other. 

Some days there would be a treat or a small gift. 

In February we also started reading a scripture about love each morning.  I love the questions that get us thinking after we read each scripture, but I’m pretty sure the kids are more excited about the Hershey Kiss they get. 

Isaac and Grace were so excited to make valentines for their friends and cousins this year.  Isaac made these paper airplanes with a piece of gum tucked inside.

Grace made bracelets on her loom to go on her valentines.  Again I had to keep myself from making them for her, I really like doing it!

Love was in the air at our house!