Happy Valentine's Day Traditions!

May you recognize and feel the love of those 

who love you dearly and so completely....

Even when they may not recognize your love language

or when what they have to offer does not feel like love to you...

Open your heart to Heaven, and let HIS love in...

You are loved and are deserving of love.

My Father would come home from work in the evening on Valentines Day

a little later than usual. And he would come in the back
door instead of the front door!
Before he arrived however, there would be a very loud banging on
the front door and we would run to the door to see who it could be!

We always found a bag of Valentine goodies, chocolates, conversation hearts,
cherry flavored candies in the shape of a heart or a cupid with an arrow,
and sometimes red licorice...I loved red licorice...

There was always something special for our Mother in it,
a small heart shaped box of chocolates and a pretty card that
was obviously for someone special.

Always attached was a card revealing who the bestower
of this annual Valentine Gift was....
The Valentine Bandit!!!!

No one ever found out WHO this bandit was...at least no one
ever caught him in the act!
The amazing thing was that even when I was at college, 650 miles away,
I still received something special from
The Valentine Bandit!
(of course, I did live within 15 miles of an older sibling)

After my father passed away, 21 years ago in just a week or so,
as adult children, we still "Bandited" our
Mother on Valentines Day.
Sometimes she had many bandits, we should
have thought to take turns!

My hubby always has purchased children's valentines for our children and 

signed them himself, with  no promptings from me. 

Most years they also received a box of conversation hearts with his valentine.

From him I always receive a funny card and a "mushy" card, he is SO CUTE!!!

This year, he has been gone for a few days and won't be home until tonight. 

But the day after he left, our youngest, Daughter*4, came from her room with 

a handful of Dove Chocolates. She asked me if I had put them in her bed,...

"No," I said and started to smile...."Those would be from your Father!" 

I had no idea he planned that! 

I climbed into bed alone that night, in the dark, and realized I had 

forgotten to take my nightly pill. 

When I came back to the bed and turned on my nightlight, 

I saw a glimmer of shiny blue under the covers....

So, I threw back the covers and there I found at least two dozen 

Dove Chocolates in our bed! I laughed and my heart warmed as I

thought of the many fun ways he expresses his love. 

Each morning and night I have come cross another dove chocolate in our bed...

it's like he planned for them to be scattered and found randomly while he was away...

that way I would think of him often and miss him...which I have. 

He told me that he had a bag hidden in our bedroom for Daughter*4 

and I to open up this morning. Daughter*4 is gone to The State Wrestling 

match tonight and tomorrow and so I get to do Valentine's Dinner with 

my Mom-in-law and neice...and it will be a fun candle light dinner for us girls. 

Even if Hubby and I have not celebrated Valentines Day in the same house today, 

we have celebrated the love we share as a family, as a couple, 

and as friends in our hearts...and for that kind of relationship
I will always be grateful!

Hope your Day has been as Happy as Mine!

Heart hugs to you all!

PS The picture up top is of the Valentine I made and gave to Daughter*4 today before she left on her trip. When she realized yesterday that I was going to be alone this evening, she felt bad... and I appreciate that!!  ; ) Of course, this is a picmonkey'd picture...I am going to have to practice to see if I can get this look on the REAL thing! This small picture is the real thing, with just the watermark added...LOL
XOXOX