Happy Birthday Mom!

April 25: Today's my Mom's birthday.  I'm glad I got to talk to her today.  I'm always glad when I can share with her details of a project I'm working on.  She got my pictures of the granny squares I crocheted!  I know I'll never have my Mom's talent of crocheting, but at least it's not completely lost on me.
I miss her.  I wish I could visit her more often, or that she lived a little closer to the west coast.  I know she doesn't have many more birthdays ahead of her, I truly wish she did, but her health isn't the greatest.  As selfish as this sounds, I hope she makes it past my birthday.  I don't want to lost both parents by the time I turn 40. 
I was thinking of my Mom today.  You know, she talks a lot... not necessarily a bad thing, but it's a good thing for her because I don't feel like she comes across many strangers.  At least,  they're not strangers after my Mom's talked with them for a while.  She makes friends easily, she talks to everyone.  I don't think I'm much like her, in that regard, but maybe my husband would say otherwise.  She's very social and I know at this time in the world, it's hard for her not to be social with everyone she's coming across these days. 
A friend checked in on me and wanted to know how I felt about my Mom, her health and her near future.  I told this friend that I've gotten everything I could have ever wanted from my parents.  I know they love me.  I've learned all that I could have, I think.  I know a good amount of my Mom's recipes and if all else fails, as my Mom's always says, "Just make any kine!"
I know I shouldn't be eulogizing her already, I'm just aware that there's not a whole lot of birthdays left on her horizon, as much as I would wish.  Sometimes, I think it's so unfair that I was born so late in life for my parents; they had me in their mid-40's.  I would have loved to have known them at a younger age. 
I'm thankful for all my Mom has taught me, both in word and deed.  I can only hope that I'm the daughter she would have envisioned, the person she hoped that I would have become.  I also hope that she knows how much I love her, after all the grief, all the smartass comments, and grey hairs I gave her.

Mother's Day.

I didn't realize till this morning that the 3 photos I have saved in my jewelry box are of those women who helped get me here. I love this photo of my Mom and I that I recently found.

I wonder what must have been going through my Mom's mind and heart, in this photo.

The second is maternal grandmother, my Tutu.

It's been 14 years since she passed and I wish I could have at least 5 minutes just to hug her and hear her voice again. 

The last photo is my paternal grandmother, Grandma Salote. 

 I never met her in this life and it's hard to remember her voice during our long distance phone calls when I was a kid.

Church was nice, today. As always, my favorite part is when the Primary children sing. At the end of Sacrament meeting, the youth passed out flowers to all the women.

That's always so thoughtful. For the first time ever, we had a brunch for the Relief Society hour. It was so very nice! 

 I'm thankful for the time I've had today to reflect upon those good women in my life who are mothers to me, both genetically, figuratively & through their examples. 

"He Gave Me Space and Let Me Fly"

“He Gave Me Space and Let Me Fly”

Church magazines: Why has your marriage been so happy for so long?

President Hinckley: The basis of a good marriage is mutual respect—respect for one another, a concern for the comfort and well-being of one another. That is the key. If a husband would think less of himself and more of his wife, we’d have happier homes throughout the Church and throughout the world.

Church magazines: Sister Hinckley, you have said that your husband “always let me do my own thing. He never insisted that I do anything his way, or any way, for that matter. From the very beginning he gave me space and let me fly.” ¹ How has he done that?

Sister Hinckley: He never tells me what to do. He just lets me go. He has made me feel like a real person. He has encouraged me to do whatever makes me happy. He doesn’t try to rule or dominate me.

Church magazines: President, you have said: “Some husbands regard it as their prerogative to compel their wives to fit their standards of what they think to be the ideal. It never works.” ²How have you avoided doing this with Sister Hinckley?

President Hinckley: I’ve tried to recognize my wife’s individuality, her personality, her desires, her background, her ambitions. Let her fly. Yes, let her fly! Let her develop her own talents. Let her do things her way. Get out of her way, and marvel at what she does.

---------

I've always loved this article on President & Sister Hinckley. It is from the October 2003 Ensign. I've been thinking about it, a lot, recently. It makes me think of how my sweetheart treats me in the same fashion. I'm lucky, really.  

I can be a restless person. I'm always thinking, my mind is on to the next project or task at hand. I like to march to the beat of my own drum. I don't like to sit still a whole lot. No, I don't have ADD/ADHD. I like things done a certain way, usually my way. [Definitely still a learning process in marriage :) ] Lately, I've been thinking a lot of how to make our place more of our home. Through all of this, I'm lucky to have a good man by my side that lets me be. I think I consider this a blessing just because of how life was for my maternal grandmother (Tutu) and how life can sometimes be for my Mom. I don't know how to describe it exactly, but my maternal grandfather (Kuku) was very dominant. I think it took a toll on my Tutu and left an impression on my Mom. I never wanted to easily give into being a submissive wife. I think I live in an entirely different era as my Mom and Tutu; times are much different now. I feel like I have this wild spirit to speak my mind and do what makes me happy. I am blessed to have a strong partner who encourages my talents and supports my dreams & goals. He listens to me and considers my opinions. I respect him as the head of our family and in turn, he treats me as his equal. He gives me space and lets me fly, to which I am most grateful.

To which I am grateful for...

On our drive back home tonight, I was thinking of all the things I am grateful for.

After so many years of crushes, dates, sappy chick flicks, crying, impatience, praying & hoping, I am so truly grateful to have a good man by my side. He is everything I could have hoped to find in a good partner. I appreciate his patience. God knew I would need a man with an endless supply of love & patience. Levi makes my life more rich and exciting. I am so deeply blessed.

I am thankful that my relationship with my parents has improved, especially with my Mom. It's nice to be able to communicate well.

I'm blessed with a good sister (a.k.a. Ex Sister-in-Law) who loves and cares for my Dad. I'm thankful I can turn to her when it comes to my Dad's medical history and she's willing to assist in anyway possible. It's reassuring to know that I'm not alone in this experience.

Man, am I grateful for Buzz. When I met him and his wife Reed 11 years ago, I didn't know how deep they would be ingrained in my heart. They are two of the best people to come into the life of my family. In fact, they are family! They have done so much for me and every single person in my family. They are the salt of the earth. Tonight, when I called Buzz, who was out to dinner with his family & his brothers' families, he said that he & his brothers would rush right over to help give my Dad a Priesthood blessing. The way they came in and encircled my Dad with love and friendship was truly beautiful. They love my Dad and it was witnessed in the words of the blessing.

I am thankful for my Dad. I don't think I'll ever be able to adequately express how much he and my Mom have done for me.  But my Dad, he's taught me everything I know about service. He's an honest man. There's no BS with him, he's a straight shooter and you'll know exactly where you stand with him. He's definitely one of a kind. Sometimes I see a little bit more of him in me and that makes me all the more grateful.

I am thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who has placed people in my life to buoy me up when the waves of life get to be too much. He has truly blessed me with a circle of angels. 

Saturday Night Blessings

#shortblogpost #longlistofblessings

Motherhood: 10 Things Your Mom Never Told You.

Today, I came across such a beautiful article on Motherhood. I'm not a mother, yet, but it's definitely a role I'm excited, nervous, ecstatic, scared and anxious to experience! Reading this article makes me wish I had read this when I was younger so I could better appreciate my Mom and understand get better

10 Things Your Mom Never Told You

by Natasha Craig

Pregnant.

There it was, clear as day, two blue lines staring back at me from the small pregnancy test I had just purchased.

I double checked...

One line = not pregnant.

Two lines = pregnant.

Yup, I was definitely pregnant.

My heart was pounding.

My head was spinning.

My stomach was churning.

I was nervous, excited, scared and ecstatic all at the same time.

This was actually happening! After years of dreaming, preparing for and anticipating this day, it was finally here. I was going to be a mother.

Little did I know that in nine short months, I would begin the most exhausting, life-changing, heart-wrenching, but indescribably rewarding journey of my life.

In nine months, I would learn the price of motherhood firsthand. I would know exactly what it takes to be a mother. I would gain a whole new understanding of and gratitude for the beautiful woman I call Mom.

I would learn about things mothers experience that their children often know very little about.

Here are 10 things your mom never told you.

1. You made her cry... a lot. She cried when she found out she was pregnant. She cried as she gave birth to you. She cried when she first held you. She cried with happiness. She cried with fear. She cried with worry. She cried because she feels so deeply for you. She felt your pain and your happiness and she shared it with you, whether you realized it or not.

2. She wanted that last piece of pie. But when she saw you look at it with those big eyes and lick your mouth with that tiny tongue, she couldn't eat it. She knew it would make her much happier to see your little tummy be filled than hers.

3. It hurt. When you pulled her hair, it hurt; when you grabbed her with those sharp fingernails that were impossible to cut, it hurt; when you bit her while drinking milk, that hurt, too. You bruised her ribs when you kicked her from her belly; you stretched her stomach out for nine months; you made her body contract in agonizing pain as you entered this world.

4. She was always afraid. From the moment you were conceived, she did all in her power to protect you. She became your mama bear. She was that lady who wanted to say no when the little girl next door asked to hold you, and who cringed when she did, because in her mind no one could keep you as safe as she herself could. Her heart skipped two beats with your first steps. She stayed up late to make sure you got home safe, and woke up early to see you off to school. With every stubbed toe and little stumble, she was close by; she was ready to snatch you up with every bad dream or late night fever. She was there to make sure you were OK.

5. She knows she's not perfect. She is her own worst critic. She knows all her flaws and sometimes hates herself for them. She is hardest on herself when it comes to you, though. She wanted to be the perfect mom, to do nothing wrong -- but because she is human, she made mistakes. She is probably still trying to forgive herself for them. She wishes with her whole heart that she could go back in time and do things differently, but she can't, so be kind to her, and know she did the best she knew how to do.

6. She watched you as you slept. There were nights when she was up 'til 3:00 a.m. praying that you would finally fall asleep. She could hardly keep her eyes open as she sang to you, and she would beg you to "please, please fall asleep." Then, when you finally fell asleep, she would lay you down and all her tiredness would disappear for a short second as she sat by your bedside looking down at your perfect cherub face, experiencing more love than she knew was possible, despite her worn-out arms and aching eyes.

7. She carried you a lot longer than nine months. You needed her to. So she did. She would learn to hold you while she cleaned; she would learn to hold you while she ate; she would even hold you while she slept, because it was the only way she could sometimes. Her arms would get tired, her back would hurt, but she held you still because you wanted to be close to her. She snuggled you, loved you, kissed you and played with you. You felt safe in her arms; you were happy in her arms; you knew you were loved in her arms, so she held you, as often and as long as you needed.

8. It broke her heart every time you cried. There was no sound as sad as your cries, or sight as horrible as the tears streaming down your perfect face. She did all in her power to stop you from crying, and when she couldn't stop your tears, her heart would shatter into a million little pieces.

9. She put you first. She went without food, without showers and without sleep. She always put your needs before her own. She would spend all day meeting your needs, and by the end of the day, she would have no energy left for herself. But the next day, she would wake up and do it all over again, because you meant that much to her.

10. She would do it all again. Being a mom is one of the hardest jobs anyone can do, and it will take you to your very limits sometimes. You cry, you hurt, you try, you fail, you work and you learn. But, you also experience more joy that you thought was possible and feel more love than your heart can contain. Despite all the pain, grief, late nights and early mornings you put your mom through, she would do it all again for you because you are worth it to her. So, next time you see her, tell your mom thank you; let her know that you love her. She can never hear it too many times.

Song of the Heart

Yesterday, in Fast & Testimony Meeting, a brother bore his testimony of the hymn, "I Am a Child of God", that was sung in the General Women's Meeting the evening before.  It was neat learning that Naomi W. Randall, who penned the words to this beautiful hymn, had a daughter in our ward. In Relief Society, we were given the challenge to think of a hymn through out the week, during times of happiness or sadness and anytime in between.  I love the hymns.  I love the hymns, "I Stand All Amazed" and "Have I Done Any Good?", but the one that touched my heart so much last night was, "I Am a Child of God".  

I love this hymn, I always have.  I remember when I was a young girl in Primary, I would cry every time we sang this song. It just made me so sentimental to think that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me. It also made me think of my parents that I loved so much and our home, all of which came from God.  I was probably about 4 or 5, but whenever we would sing it, I would walk over to my Mom (who was a Sr. Primary teacher) sobbing and wanting to be held. Instead, she would turn me right back around and send me back to my class row.  :(  {I think it was just her way of teaching me to grow up and be reverent...at least that's what I'm hoping}  I've always loved this song because I think it's such a simple way to know why we're here on this Earth and where we go after this life.   It's one of the first songs that are taught to Primary children.  How reassuring to know, at such an early age, that you have a Heavenly Father who loves you so much, that he would give you earthly parents to teach you everything you need to know in order to return back to Him.
I'm not gonna lie, I still tear up a bit whenever I sing this hymn.  These days, I like to think that this is the song I'll rock my sweet little babies to, as I put them to sleep.  I want my babies to know that they have a loving Heavenly Father who wants them to be good and learn & do all that they can, so they can return back to Him someday.  What a sweet message of hope and love!

I Am a Child of God

1. I am a child of God,

And he has sent me here,

Has given me an earthly home

With parents kind and dear.

Chorus

Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,

Help me find the way.

Teach me all that I must do

To live with him someday.

2. I am a child of God,

And so my needs are great;

Help me to understand his words

Before it grows too late.

3. I am a child of God.

Rich blessings are in store;

If I but learn to do his will,

I'll live with him once more.

4. I am a child of God.

His promises are sure;

Celestial glory shall be mine

If I can but endure.

Birthday Blessings.

A couple weeks ago, my parents told me that they wanted to take me out to eat for my birthday.  They said to choose a restaurant and we could invite a few people.  Yesterday, we went to eat at one of my most favorite sushi restaurants, in Imperial Beach.  When Levi and I showed up, we were a few minutes late, but my parents, sister, nephew, niece, cousin's family & aunt were already there.  I walked in and they started cheering.  I hugged & kissed everyone then walked over to the seat that had a birthday balloon tied to it.  Next to my seat was a huge gift bag and several other birthday bags on top.

 In the middle of the table was a red & white birthday cake.  Needless to say, I felt so special.  The rest of our party showed up and then we ordered some yummy goodness! Man I love me some sushi, tempura shrimp & veggies!

 I was lucky to sit next to my Dad and get to chat with him.  It's always so good to see my Dad.  Time seems to fly by between each visit and it makes me miss him so much.
After we ate, we did the whole birthday cake schpeal and opened gifts.  Whenever it's my birthday and people are singing "Happy Birthday to You", it's always a lil awkward.  I never know what to do. Most times I just stare at the candles and think of my birthday wish.  Sometimes I just wanna sing along.  It's just an awkward moment...
My Mom got me a Red Velvet Cake.  It was really good!  I really love Red Velvet Cake!  I was touched that she remembered my favorite cake.  So delish!    

 Afterwards, I opened my presents.  I got a soy coconut candle.  I can't wait to burn it! It smells like surf wax, I love it!  Makes me miss the beach even more.

 I also received a shell box with a pretty shell pendant. 

I also received a card with some money from my Aunt K. It was so nice of her.  I was just so touched by everyone's kindness and generosity.  

The gift that touched my heart so deeply, was the big gift bag from my parents. Inside the huge bag was a box that had many different things wrapped up in it.  My parents got me (us) "Chinese plates".,,,Asian themed...whatevers, you get the idea. (I hate having to be so PC sometimes!) Anyways, I was, am, still so touched by their gift.  I wanna cry just looking at the plates, saimin bowls, rice bowls, and soup spoons they gave us.  

I feel like it's a little piece of my family here with me.  My Mom & Dad will never know just how touched I was by everything they did for me.  Even as I type this, I'm crying because I just want to embrace my parents dearly and thank them for making me feel so special on Saturday.  This little birthday party was probably the nicest, kindest, most generous, and thoughtful thing they've done for me.  I can't wait to use the plates & bowls.  
I think I'm also quite sentimental over their generosity is because I miss them.  I wish we lived closer to them because sometimes it's hard not seeing them daily, if not weekly.  I will remember this birthday luncheon for a very long time.  Just all of it, every detail that my parents had a hand in, has touched me so much.  I just want to thank them so much.  It was so tremendously thoughtful and I will remember this for a very, very long time.  

Mother's Day 2014

Yesterday was Mother's Day and I was fortunate enough to spend it with some of my favorite people...

 

I know the last photo isn't the very best of my Mom, but I like it.  I'm glad I was able to get a photo with her, even though she just popped in the last shot without knowing we were doing IncrediBooth photos. 

I've thought a lot about my relationship with my Mom.  The last few years, our relationship has been rocky.  We haven't seen eye to eye on certain topics, but I know deep down inside that she loves me.  I've often gotten frustrated with her because I thought she wasn't the kind of Mom I wanted.  Heaven knows, she's probably thought the same thing about me, as a daughter.  I can only hope that she knows that I've tried to be the very best daughter I knew how to be, because I'm pretty sure that she's tried to be the very best Mom that she knew how to be, for me. 

At the heart of it all, I'm grateful for all that she has ever taught me.  Sometimes, I miss seeing her every day, but not a day goes by when she doesn't cross my mind, because of something she taught me.  Thanks Mom.

Throwback Thursday: Canon!

Man, it's been a while since I've used these gems! Oh the memories that come rushing back from all the wonderful photography shoots that I've had.  I'll always be grateful to my Mom for letting me experiment with her cameras, as a little girl.  I remember my very first photo experience was taking "wedding" photos of my Barbies & Ken.  I recall just how cool it was having a tangible memento of a once in a lifetime moment.  That is what always brings me back to my true love of photography; capturing a split second of time, never to be repeated and always to be appreciated through photography.

 Thanks Mom.
(btw, that's her camera on the right...well, was her camera)

Music in my heart.

Tonight, I somehow stumbled across this video and it's one of my most favorite Tongan hymns.  

It makes me think back to Sunday afternoons I use to spend with my parents, in my childhood home.  I would practice church hymns on my yellow piano, and my Mom would sing along.  Since she's a natural Alto, I would sing Soprano and then we'd switch so I could learn the Alto parts.  Occasionally. my Dad would join us and hum along to the Bass part.  My Dad had such a beautiful Bass voice and I miss hearing him sing, in church.  When my Dad would join my Mom and I, we'd switch over to singing Tongan hymns.  I was always grateful that he would join us and teach me about some of his favorite Tongan hymns.  

Tonight, as I was singing along to video above, my heart and mind found its way back to those cherished Sunday afternoons that we spent together.  I miss Sundays like those.

Life in the last 12 hours, via Instagram.

Meijo Sushi with my sister & the kids...

My new kicks, ready for this weekend!

I taught my 70+ y/o Mom how to text, last week. I'm so proud of her!

Glimpse.

In short, Christmas was good.

I'm so glad I got to see my family and spend it with my sweetheart. 

Man, I was ever so grateful for the taro, sweet potato, kalua pig and potato salad my Mom made.  It warmed my heart so much.

More on Christmas later...

\

These boots were made for.....me!

Dear Santa,

I want these.

It's not a need, but they sure do look pretty.

Love, 

Ehu

I ducked into Payless on Saturday, and came across these lil beauties.  I jokingly told Levi that I wanted to wear cowboy boots to an upcoming wedding we're to attend, since it sounded like there's a theme.  I didn't think I'd actually come across a pair of boots in my size!!! Seriously, I think they're cute! and oh so random for a Poly girl to wear! 

They remind me a lot of the boots I had as a lil girl.  I remember how much I loved those boots, I wore them all the time.  They were such a hassle to put on and most especially to take off!  I remember when I was in first grade, I'd come home and my Mom would have my brother Wayne pull them off my feet.  I'd have to lay down on the floor, and he'd have to tug at them for a while til they finally came off my feet.  I don't think I enjoyed that part so much, but I do recall wearing those boots ALL the time.  

It's funny the lil memories that come flooding back, just by a pair of shoes......or cowboy boots

Memories of Christmas past.

I've been thinking a lot about how joyous and wonderful last Christmas was.  It was heartwarming and full of love.  On Christmas morning, I had everyone I love the most, under one roof.  I truly loved it. 
I loved preparing our lil Christmas tree with handmade ornaments that my Mom & I came up with:

I remember the late nights staying up sewing ornaments together with my Mom.  Sometimes we'd sit in silence, concentrating on the task at hand, and other times we'd have on Hawaiian or Christmas music.  This Christmas, I miss that.  I miss late night sewing sessions with her.  

I miss sewing ornaments for a Christmas tree.  I don't know how to describe the beauty of homemade Christmas ornaments.  I see burlap Christmas ornaments and wish I could make them with her, but I think I'll just wait til next year when I have a sewing machine of my own.  
As I've been reflecting back to last Christmas, it made me miss having all my nephews & niece together.  I wondered how my oldest two nephews would spend their Christmas away from home, living on their own. 
It made me miss them more. 
Then I received the wonderful news that my oldest two nephews would be home for a visit.  That cheered my heart so much! I miss having them all under one roof.  I can't wait to see this again;

 These boys...I love them so much!! Them, along with their sister, are the joy strings of my heart.  
This is just what I need to make this Christmas so much better (than it already is, thanks to Santa Levi---more on that later)

51 years.

 

For years, I had no clue what my Dad was doing in the photo above, til my nephew came home from his mission in the South Pacific.... But that's my Dad, the jokester.  

 

 Happy 51st Anniversary to my parents.  I hope they have a spectacular time celebrating their marriage today!! They teach me a lot about marriage.  I'm grateful that I still get to learn from and be loved by them.  I'm truly grateful that they were married 51 years ago in the Laie LDS temple, so that I can be sealed to them for time and all eternity.   What a beautiful blessing.

Mahalo Mom!

This past weekend was Mothers Day.  It's also the weekend I became more appreciative of all the sewing lessons my Mom gave me, growing up.  I whipped out 3 skirts in under 5 hours and I was pretty dang proud of myself.  While I stayed up from 1am to 6am, early Saturday morning, my Mom would pop her head in just to see how I was doing.  {Little did she know that I had HeMan & SheRa to keep my company! Who knew they still showed that on TV?!?!}  She really liked some of the little touches I had added to some of the skirts.  
On Sunday, at the last minute, I decided to attend my family ward with my parents.  There is nothing I love more than being able to sit next to my Mom at church and singing the hymns alongside of her.  I really enjoy her alto voice, which happens to blend well with my soprano voice.  Usually, by the second verse of the hymn, we switch it up because I want to try singing alto with her, but then she jumps to soprano.  Sometimes I wish she'd just sing alto along with me, but perhaps she leaves me to do it all my own because she thinks I can handle it without her help. It's still such a blessing to sing with her at church.  I love it and cherish those moments.
I know my Mom and I haven't had the best relationship, these last few years, but I couldn't be more grateful for the gift of music and the talent of sewing that she's abundantly blessed my life with.  

Thank you Mom.

Good, Bad & Ugly: Weekend Edition.

Good: Had such an awesome weekend with Levi.  I love nothing more than just spending time with him.  I was able to have a "Ladies Day" with my niece & sister.  Ate at the new Filippi's restaurant here in town.  We also hit up Oasis Ice Cream, because honestly, that's the BEST ice cream here in town! There's just something so lovely about spending time with female relatives. I enjoyed a dinner party at Ame's and it was fun hangin' with the Peebs {some PB ward member friends}.  Plus my Young Womens Volleyball team won BOTH of their games on Saturday! Oh I felt like the proudest Mama ever!  They were excited and I think that was a terrific way to start their Vball season! Can't wait for their next game this coming Saturday.

Bad: I missed going to my ward on Sunday, thus missing Ame's talk.  I was rather disappointed about that.  Then I was even more upset that I was an hour late to the dinner party.  Don't even get me started on the overflowed toilet....FML moment, for sure.

Ugly:  Got into an argument with my Mom, late Saturday night/Sunday morning.  It's just so emotionally and mentally exhausting.  After a late night of arguing and hurtful words that were exchanged, I had no desire to go to church that next morning.  

Valentines Day....

I FINALLY watched Valentines Day and man, that was pretty funny! Mamacita had been telling me about this movie for years, and I wish I watched it sooner!  I also like the movie, I Hate Valentines Day--so dang funny. 
As I've been looking up Valentines ideas on Pinterest, for my niece, I can't help but look forward to Valentines Day!  Growing up, my Dad always made a big deal about it.  He always went to See's Candy to get a box of candy for my Mom and I, and then later my sister when she married into the family.  We'd also receive a bouquet of flowers, along with our chocolates.  I remember one particular Valentines Day, when I was 12, he took us all to Tom Hams Lighthouse restaurant for a lovely dinner. Even though he's blind now,  he still makes sure I buy chocolates and flowers for him, to give to my Mom.  I'm glad he still makes a big deal out of Valentines Day, for her, my sister, niece & I.  That's probably my favorite thing about my Dad. 
But I'm excited for Valentines Day.  I think it's because Christmas was so much fun decorating for and celebrating.  

I think I'll go buy myself some pink roses on Valentines Day.  Every time I see them at Costco, I can't help but want to buy them....but I'm usually on my way to somewhere else and I don't want them to just sit in the car.  Pink roses are my favorite flowers.  I think they're just so pretty and girly, and I love them more than red roses.  I can't wait for Valentines Day.... I just might go buy them sooner than that.  
Oh Valentines Day.....you've already got me twitterpated. 

Eternal Gratitude for Mama McK.

I love this woman SO much! She is the mother heart that I've needed for so long.   We are so similar in many, many ways.  She's adopted me as one of her daughters and I'm truly grateful for the relationship we share.  She loves me to no end, sets me straight when necessary and counsels me in the best way possible.  Even though 867 miles divide us, physically, I carry her in my heart every day.  I think about her often.  I think about her whenever I'm cooking.  Earlier this year, during one of her visits to her son here in town, we went out for Pho and she gave me ceramic tile with a quote from Pres. Hinckley.  In her honor, I placed it in my kitchen.  I cherish all of our times we spent in the kitchen of the Institute building, during her mission.  Many teaching moments went on there, as well as tender moments of listening and counseling.  These days, I enjoy our phone calls and her handmade cards she sends me.  {To be honest with you, she has NOTHING on Hallmark! Her cards are the BEST!}  

I love her dearly and I'm truly grateful for a Heavenly Father who placed her in my life.  I couldn't be more blessed to know her and be loved by her.  My cup runneth o'er...  ♥