Let's start with some pictures shall we. Valentine's Day.
That is Cora's box. Looking at it now, I think I'll let her do her own next year.
This is usually what I have for the kids when they wake up in the morning, but the weather and roads were so bad last night I couldn't go to the store. So they had this when they got home from school. We also had heart shaped pizza and a big heart cookie for desert.
Began today with shoveling. My neighbor shoveled the driveway last night, but then 5 more inches fell on it so I had to do it again this morning. My back patio, however, didn't get shoveled until today and it took multiple times for me to get it this much done. See the different colors in the concrete. Each lift of the shovel was like 20 pounds. There was so much snow!!!
I had some time to think today- as I shoveled the 1 ft. of snow off my driveway-about fun memories I have of Valentine's Days past, and I really want to journal about those tonight. One of the earliest memories of V-Day is from Kindergarten-Mrs. Star's class. I loved that teacher, and she loved us because for V-Day she made us these necklaces made out of some kind of dough that I still have to this day. It hung on a white ribbon and said, "Happy Valentines Day." We made V envelopes out of a big sheet of white paper, and that's what held all of those "Be Mine" love notes from my Kindergarten boyfriends. No joke, I can remember sitting around in a circle looking at my Valentines...searching for Jason's name. I'm not sure when I realized that "Be my Valentine" was just 1 out of 4 sayings on those cards, and not a special one just for me. Disappointment would set in if the card from my elementary school "boyfriend" said something like "You're cool" or "Glad we're friends." Friends!!! We are in love!!! Oh jeez. Needless to say many V-days were wrought with disappointment from grade school through high school. The only people who ever came through for me were members of my family and friends...The only people who should ever really matter then anyways. My dad was always the one to get us flowers or corsages or candy. Well...it always said from Dad, but I'm sure my mom was the one who got it all together.
I always felt special wearing a corsage to middle school. Middle school...where I always wanted someone to send me balloons or a flower, but it never happened. I can't say never. Friends sent me balloons once, but nothing from that guy I was going to marry. Fabian. That was his name. Fabian Pedro. I got glasses in the 6th grade just so I could see him sitting across the room from me (and because I couldn't see the board, but I was able to stare at him all through history class from then on). He never sent me anything or even ever talked to me for that matter. I was such a hopeless loser in middle school...and high school...until I met my husband.
In high school if I was dating anyone around V-Day, I wasn't dating them on V-day. Yes, I was always with those winners who would break up with you before the big day and get back together with you after. When I was in 9th grade (which in FL is high school) I got a note to go to the office where a huge bouquet of roses were waiting. I totally thought they were from some guy I liked. Wrong again. And I'm so thankful they weren't because they were from my big brother, and it means so much more to me now than if they would have been from some stupid idiot guy. At my high school you could send carnations and balloons on v-day and I think one year singing telegrams. The deliverers would come into the room in the middle of class to deliver them. Each period you would wait to see if they would have one for you this time. Little miss "I'm so beautiful every boy likes me" would have 10 already and get 5 more while I would sit there with nothing. It was horrible how it was done and I am still bitter.
By far my most favorite V-day memory was made down in old Mexico with my now husband-then friend. I'm going to have to journal some other time about the whole story, but here it is in a nutshell: I went down to Mexico with 5 LDS guys and two drunk guys when I was in the Army. Of course I was interested in one of the drunk guys, but that soon changed when I spent just 10min with my hubby Mark. On Feb 14, 1998 the group of us went out to eat at a real Mexican restaurant where the drunk guy's dad bought me a rose because I was the only girl there. After that we went and watched an Oscar de la Hoya fight which was really wild in Mexico. I wasn't paying much attention to the fight because at this point Mark and I were flirting non-stop. We all walked along the beach back to our hotel rooms. We came across some hot coals somewhere along the way and Mark and I played hot potato. It was 11 on a Sunday night, and the LDS boys were ready to call it a night, but not the drunk boys and not me. So Mark changed his mind and we went out to a Mexican club where they had bull riding. Mark and I ended up on a life guard stand talking when the perfect opportunity for a first kiss came up. He didn't take it, and regrets it to this day. Something else he regrets about that night is the rose that he gave to his friend and not to me. Yes, my husband bought me a rose, was too embarrassed to give it to me, and gave it to his friend, the drunk guy, who then gave it to me. So even out of high school I still couldn't get a rose from that guy I liked!!! All in all, that V-Day was the best ever, and I'm happy to report it did end with a kiss, and eventually a husband and 4 kids and many, many roses. I'm so thankful for such a wonderful husband who lives and breaths for my happiness and that of our children. He is the best choice I've ever made, and I can't wait to grow old with him. I love you honey and miss you this V-day night!!
I always felt special wearing a corsage to middle school. Middle school...where I always wanted someone to send me balloons or a flower, but it never happened. I can't say never. Friends sent me balloons once, but nothing from that guy I was going to marry. Fabian. That was his name. Fabian Pedro. I got glasses in the 6th grade just so I could see him sitting across the room from me (and because I couldn't see the board, but I was able to stare at him all through history class from then on). He never sent me anything or even ever talked to me for that matter. I was such a hopeless loser in middle school...and high school...until I met my husband.
In high school if I was dating anyone around V-Day, I wasn't dating them on V-day. Yes, I was always with those winners who would break up with you before the big day and get back together with you after. When I was in 9th grade (which in FL is high school) I got a note to go to the office where a huge bouquet of roses were waiting. I totally thought they were from some guy I liked. Wrong again. And I'm so thankful they weren't because they were from my big brother, and it means so much more to me now than if they would have been from some stupid idiot guy. At my high school you could send carnations and balloons on v-day and I think one year singing telegrams. The deliverers would come into the room in the middle of class to deliver them. Each period you would wait to see if they would have one for you this time. Little miss "I'm so beautiful every boy likes me" would have 10 already and get 5 more while I would sit there with nothing. It was horrible how it was done and I am still bitter.
By far my most favorite V-day memory was made down in old Mexico with my now husband-then friend. I'm going to have to journal some other time about the whole story, but here it is in a nutshell: I went down to Mexico with 5 LDS guys and two drunk guys when I was in the Army. Of course I was interested in one of the drunk guys, but that soon changed when I spent just 10min with my hubby Mark. On Feb 14, 1998 the group of us went out to eat at a real Mexican restaurant where the drunk guy's dad bought me a rose because I was the only girl there. After that we went and watched an Oscar de la Hoya fight which was really wild in Mexico. I wasn't paying much attention to the fight because at this point Mark and I were flirting non-stop. We all walked along the beach back to our hotel rooms. We came across some hot coals somewhere along the way and Mark and I played hot potato. It was 11 on a Sunday night, and the LDS boys were ready to call it a night, but not the drunk boys and not me. So Mark changed his mind and we went out to a Mexican club where they had bull riding. Mark and I ended up on a life guard stand talking when the perfect opportunity for a first kiss came up. He didn't take it, and regrets it to this day. Something else he regrets about that night is the rose that he gave to his friend and not to me. Yes, my husband bought me a rose, was too embarrassed to give it to me, and gave it to his friend, the drunk guy, who then gave it to me. So even out of high school I still couldn't get a rose from that guy I liked!!! All in all, that V-Day was the best ever, and I'm happy to report it did end with a kiss, and eventually a husband and 4 kids and many, many roses. I'm so thankful for such a wonderful husband who lives and breaths for my happiness and that of our children. He is the best choice I've ever made, and I can't wait to grow old with him. I love you honey and miss you this V-day night!!
11 comments:
Walter says you are going to be in so much trouble when your kids get a hold of this post when they get older!! What a cute blog! It's always fun to hear valentine's day stories from way back when. I cried every valentine's day because nobody left valentine's on my door, I only got cards in my v-day box at school. What a bummer!
I loved reading your Valentine memories. It sparked many of my own. The story of you and Mark is a wild one! Who else can say that their love story of how they met their hubby includes bull riding, drunk guys, Mexican clubs and lifeguard chairs? I love it!!!
I love the memories. It's funny to remember what it was like every Valentines Day going through the cards to find the one from your crush, just hoping he'll pronounce his love to you!
I want to hear the rest of yours and Mark's story sometime... Before you move! It sounds like an interesting one!
I love your memories of when you were younger - how fun! I love the story about when you first met - your kids must love it too.
Jorie is so cute - I realized that our first and fourth children are the same ages Cora and Callin are both 7, Jorie and Emma are both under 1 .. how old are Garrett and AJ? They must be really close to the same ages as Thomas and Adam - how cool!
Wow, that was awesome. What a great post. I am happy you two found each other as well.
I feel so sad that you spent Valentines without your hubby. But hey, on the plus side, just a few days later you got to go to Build-A-Bear, what more could you ask for. Your love story is so sweet.
Jeni - Thanks for sharing a little piece of your history. I still don't believe that you were a loser in high school. With how gorgeous you are now you had to have been gorgeous then.
I'm glad my rather lame Valentine's Days can bring some smiles to us now! Thanks for the compliment Kamille! But honestly, I never thought too much of myself and settled for less than I deserved often. Thank goodness for the Gospel and a loving Father in Heaven who taught me otherwise...and for a great man I call Husband!!
Your Valentine's memories are great and all, but what I want to comment on is the fact that you-not Garret- knew all the words to the He-man monologue! Very impressive! I knew you were a child of the 80's!
I loved reading this post, never heard that story before about you and Mark - sorry he was here instead of there with you!
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