V-Day

I'm pretty sure Valentines and my girls were made for each other.  Pink, decorating cards, making/decorating/delivering sugar cookies, pink, flowers, chocolate,  tokens of affection from your darling daddy, fancy dinners...oh and pink.  They were in heaven.  It makes me think of my Grandma LaVer.  She was a protector of all things feminine.  I don't know how else to put it, but in her own little way, she always let us girls know that being "girly" was our entitlement.  She took pink personally.  She loved it!  She loved baby dolls and flowers and little dishes and doing our hair.  (I'm actually not sure she loved that last one...but she did it anyway.   We loved it).  Not that she was a "flowery" person- she wasn't- she was just Grandma.  I miss her.  How fitting that she raised a family of four confident, feminine daughters.  They loved their girls.

This is her and Grandpa with newborn Scottie.  (Before I was married I heard Grandma say once that if they'd had a boy, she would have named him Scott:).  I didn't plan on this "Grandma LaVer" detour, but I'm gunna go with it.  We can catch up on V-day in a minute...



Grandma taking care of newborn Mylee.



Jena having a bath in St. George.



Oh she loved babies.  Her and Grandpa both LOVED babies.  I thought that maybe all old people loved babies, but when I started having my own I realized they were just extra special that way.  

Jena in Grandma's porcelain doll basket.

When I was pregnant with Jena before I found out what gender she was, Grandpa had a dream that I was going to have "a little girl with blue eyes and blond curly hair" - "and if it's not curly, you curl it!" Grandma added shaking a finger at me.  I remember calling them from the elevator in the doctor's office to tell them Grandpa was right, and he said "I knew I was!"



I always thought it was a little funny when Grandpa would say, "You remember, I sent her to you" about Jena- being that he wasn't dead when she was born...But, maybe he was on to something.  Jena has the same independent spirit Grandma had.  I had to laugh- Jena and Mylee took swimming lessons during February, and on the last day when the teacher gives you a little slip of paper telling you how your kid is doing, the distinguished looking retired-aged male teacher told me that Jena is  "spastic" in the water!  That girl is a bundle of her own convictions and excitement.  I'm sure from his perspective down in the water, Jena being Jena probably does seem spastic!

Here she is on Mylee's blessing day.  She and Jena were blessed in the same dress I was- Grandma made it.  I can remember on this day overhearing
Grandma tell Mom that she "didn't especially care for the name Mylee".  I had a good chuckle. 

Okay, I think I've had my moment of missing Grandma LaVer.  There is so much more to say in a more personal setting.  We can continue with Valentine's day now.  Thank you Grandma for teaching me to cherish the joys of being a girl.

That Mike, he's a keeper.  He put a lot of thought into incorporating all of our favorites into one tasty meal.  And he (along with those Valentines loving girls) did it all while Scottie and I were away at Scottie's diving class.  Good food, the best company...I hope we can always be this excited about being together. 


I didn't get a picture, but Scottie made a diving board valentine box where the valentines could dive off the board into the pool...he thought it was the coolest thing ever.   We put these cute snow globes together at his class party.  I love being the party mom (insert sarcasm here.)  No, really- it isn't that bad.  I've gotten to know the kids and the parents- and I get to be there for all the fun stuff.  First grade is the best!

Happy belated love day!