I admit I may have watched five minutes of the game including commercials. I did not even know who was playing. We mainly were celebrating Ryan’s and his mother’s birthday. I was just there for the food and dessert. After Mass we headed to my brother and sister in laws house for family time. The weather was perfect, the kids played in the sun all day and into the cold evening. While the guys watched the game, the kiddos watched a Mickey Mouse movie. Norah is a pro at blowing out candles, so we lit one for her too.
This past week I have been so distracted with weather predictions of cold weather, ice and even snow. Monday we stayed home and tried to get home school work finished before the excitement of the week distracted us. We ended the evening at the park, daddy met up with us for his run and although it had been cloudy all day, the sun decided to show up for our evening ride.
Tuesday we worked in the morning and spend the rest of the day with friends at our Shakespeare in the Park day. Even though we had been to that park before the girls said it was the best day ever. I love our park days with friends and it is a bonus when we learn something new and my sister and nieces tag along. The sun was out and the temperatures were warmer than predicted. The girls were hot and I was not sure if the cold front would show up as predicted.
The next day sure enough the weather turned colder and wetter. We were just in tank tops the day before. Wednesday was our day to run errands for a work event. We saw many friendly faces and met new friends too! We picked lemons from a friends tree for a Friday party and snuck in a little play time at another friends farm. The girls were exhausted from sitting in the car all day but we got most everything finished.
Thursday Ryan and I had an event for his work but also a night out together to listen to a seminar on hormones. It was truly eye opening and very much needed. We haven’t had a date night since Christmas and it the night turned into an early Valentine’s Day celebration. We learned a lot about each other’s needs from a mental and physical standpoint and things to pay attention to regarding what is abnormal to our health. We even made a stop at a restaurant I had been dying to try before we went home. It was late but totally worth it.
Wearing makeup must be documented. 
People attended from as far as Arkansas 
Whiskey Cake 
Proud of my husband
Friday I had planned a Valentine’s day party at a local park. I even rented out the pavilion and bought all the decorations, the weather had been predicting cold and rainy weather all week. It was divine intervention that allowed us to move the party to our church gym last minute. We originally had sixty kids signed up, a few dropped out because of the weather and illness. We decorated boxes, played games and exchanged Valentine’s Day cards and treats. I was completely exhausted from the days before and felt like canceling the party due to the weather and the fact I am almost thirty weeks pregnant. The party was as success and the girls claimed they had the best day ever. Wow two “best day evers” in one week is high praise and watching my girls spend time with friends, make new ones and have an amazing time made all the effort so worth it. I couldn’t have don’t it without my amazing momma friends and my momma helping me.
Box decorating 
Some of the mommas at the party 
Master of Games 
Lemon Dance 
Newspaper musical chairs 
Valentine exchange
Saturday we celebrated a friends birthday while Norah stayed home and napped and Daddy worked on his car. It was nice to enjoy a party that I didn’t need to do any planning for. We crafted, sipped tea, had story time and a piñata. The weather was chilly so we enjoyed a cozy fire while holding babies and chatting with friends. Our hostess is an amazing baker and I tried my hardest to refrain from sweets but they were homemade and so delicious!
It is Sunday evening and I am sitting in my bed watching it snow out my window in Texas, the little flurries are accumulating on the back patio where there is already a white blanket of ice. Temperatures are dropping below freezing which is not common in Houston. The day started off with a usual Sunday breakfast, but with special hearts cut out of the pancakes and fruit lovingly adorning the plate. I gifted the girls a travel sticker books and new colored pencils that they played with while we cooked. We went to Mass and celebrated World Marriage Day and said a special prayer as a married couple with other married couples joined arm in arm around us. We came home and had smoothies and macaroni and cheese for lunch, lit the fire and worked on a puzzle while Norah slept. My sister had invited us for dinner and cooked the most delicious meal of baked shrimp, potatoes, jalapeño poppers and a salad. For dessert she baked gooey brownies served over vanilla ice cream. It was such a treat to enjoy the family and a lovely meal. The drive home was a little scary as the roads were icy and it was only getting colder. Thankfully it is only a ten minute drive and we do not have to get on any major highways or bridges.
I was thinking about our first Valentine’s together, we were not a couple but had decided to watch a movie together after working all night at the restaurant. He got off first and was waiting on me outside with a dozen orange-yellow roses. To this day those are my favorite color roses. I do not think he has ever gifted me flowers since that first Valentine’s eighteen years ago. I have come to realize that it is not his style to spend money, his gifts to us are his time and talents. Ryan made homemade biscuits for us on Saturday, pancakes this morning and right now he is prepping the venison for stew tomorrow. He cooked us steaks for dinner last night as well and popped skillet popcorn for our movie. I scrolled through social media today and saw all the sweet gifts that other ladies received, the flowers, purses, boxes of candy and chocolate. At first I was a bit envious but I realized that I may think i want those things but I really love and appreciate all the time he spends with us and for us. He cooks, cleans the kitchen, spends his Saturday changing out his own breaks and rotors to save money for us. He spends time hanging hooks on the wall of the girls’ room so that they can hang their necklaces. He fixes special jewelry with tiny pliers. His love language is not gifts, receiving or giving, he would much rather me scratch his back and cuddle him than receive anything bought from the store. I use to get so frustrated at his simple ways of showing love but I have come to realize that I am so blessed to have such an amazing love from my forever Valentine. He shows me and our girls his love through all the things he does for us. Around here, everyday is Valentine’s Day.
I have been motivated in staying consistent with my blogging. Since I have not been watching television that much this year, I have been keeping my blog updated and have more time to reflect on the things I want to always remember. The weather in Texas right now is not normal and I want to remember all of it, like the craziness in the stores of customers not just buying last minute Valentine’s dinner but also preparing for hunkering down for a week of freezing temperatures. The texts from my friends about planning to drive to see the snow again like they did when it snowed in Texas just last month! This will be a week we will not soon forget, and I can’t wait to tell you about it next week! I hope you are having a warm Valentine’s Day wherever you are!
Blessings,
Venice
