Valentines Day (Day 4 Paleo)



 In honor of Valentines Day, the following is excerpts of one of my favorite love letters of all time.  Let it be known, I am a hopeless romantic. 

"My very dear Sarah:
The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days -- perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write you again, I feel impelled to write lines that may fall under your eye when I shall be no more.
Sarah, my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me to you with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break.
The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them so long.
 If I do not return, my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper your name.
If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the garish day and in the darkest night -- always, always.
Sullivan"

-Major Sullivan Ballou, July 14, 1861.

My husband and I do not normally "celebrate" Valentines Day, because we just aren't compelled to.  He brings me flowers throughout the year on random days, for no reason other than he knows how much I love fresh flowers.  I make three meals a day for him that taste great and are not boring for no reason at all, except that I know how good, homecooked food, soothes his soul (and to keep him healthy!).  We try to live out love for each other in daily life.  (Of course we often fail miserably, but we just get up, move on and keep trying!) 
Yesterday, my babies both declared that they would be staying home with mommy and not going to school that morning.  Honestly, that was completely okay with me.  We cuddled by the fire, drank coffee, rocked and watched cartoons and had a lazy morning.  Then we met our Valentine Daddy for lunch!  What a fun treat for us all.  We ate at Cracker Barrell.  I got a  grilled rainbow trout, sweet potato with honey, and green beans.  C. Daddy had the same :>) 
After naps I ended up getting in the mood to acknowledge Valentines after all.  My boy valentine and I went outside and fed the birds, and I picked pretty pink flowers and put them in vases around the house, and after the girl woke up, we all walked over to Whole Foods to get some wine for C. Daddy and I to enjoy after bedtime.  Then I put on make up and ironed my hair.  Watch out!
I was totally surprised at 7 p.m. to hear the UPS man at the door.  I opened it to find a dozen long stemed red roses from my sweet Daddy shipped to me from across the country.  What a lucky girl I am to have him as my daddy!! 

Two of my valentines, with the flowers from my Daddy. 
Thankfully, these are faces that we see pretty regularly.  They make my heart smile.

Dinner was leftovers for the kids and daddy.  I was in a weird mood and decided to have a fruit salad.  I chopped up oranges and apples, added sunflower seeds and slivered almonds, and put some Berry Vinagrette on it.  Delicious!  I will admit that as the boy and I were feeding the birds today, the bird food closely resembled what I have been topping my salads with lately.  Thats really weird.  C. Daddy suggested I just start buying bird food.  It would save us money, he suggested.
After bedtime, the daddy and I enjoyed some red wine and overdue conversation.  We have discovered that your marriage changes drastically once you've welcomed children into the family, and you have to put a lot more effort into it than you did when it was just the two of you.  Which also means that our time alone is more cherished and precious to us now than it was before children :>)  I am so thankful for all the love in my life!  

I hope today that no matter what your relationship status is, that you know the One true Love, who saves us from the messes we've made of ourselves. 

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. - 1 John 4:10