Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine's Day.  It also marks the 19th anniversary of my mother's passing.  For the past 19 years, Valentine's Day has been a day of mourning for my family.  Not only did my mother pass away, my step-mother's first husband died a year before my mom on this day.

 

In the past, I really didn't do a lot of "Valentine's Day" activities.  Yes, Collin and I would buy each other a card and he'd sometimes get me a little gift.  But we didn't really celebrate it like some do.  This year I wanted to change that.  A friend from MOPS invited Caden and I over to decorate Valentine's Day cookies on Monday.  I said, "yes," and we went.  Caden had fun, especially licking the icing off the cookies.  I bought Valentine's Day cards for his friends at preschool.  He handed them out yesterday.  Today we are going to a Valentine's Day homeschool party on our side of town.  Since I am interested in homeschooling Caden, I joined a homeschool group on our side of town.  By the way, I never imagined I'd even consider homeschooling until we lived in Germany.  As I'm considering homeschooling verses private school, I want to get to know other families who homeschool.  I've never been able to make any of their meet-ups until today.  There are going to be 27 kids at this party, none of whom either of us have met.  It should be fun.  Tonight Collin and I are going on a date.  We were blessed for find a less expensive babysitter from church.  Her family is also a homeschooling family.  I actually don't know the girl just her parents.  She's 13 and I'm sure Caden will love her.

 

Pictures from the cookie decorating party on Monday:

 

 

 

My mother was such an inspiration to me and many others.  She loved Valentine's Day and made an effort every year to make it special for us.  In fact, the morning of the day she died, 19 years ago, I got up early with her to bake cookies for my teachers.  I never would have dreamed that that morning would have been my last morning with her.  She was a wonderful Christian woman who constantly thought of others and I hope to carry on her legacy.  She would not want me to not celebrate a holiday because she's not here to celebrate it with us.  After having Caden I have realized even more how important it is to make family traditions and do fun things on different holidays.  I will never forget my mother's love and friendship.  I miss her everyday and wish she was still here with us.

 

The Bible passage that described my mother best and was spoken at her funeral was 1 Corinthians 13. I hope I live in such a way, that this is the same passage my family and friends remember me as being.

1 Corinthians 13 (NIV)

 

13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Caden had fun at the Valentine's Day party.  It was neat meeting other homeschoolers in the area.  I loved the house the party was at.  They had 4 cows and I think a few other animals, two dogs at least.  Caden was excited to see the cows.  The kids were all sweet.  Here's a picture from the Valentine's Day party of all the kids.

 

Caden's loot from the party. He also got a lot at preschool the other day.