Valentine's Day 2010

Happy early Valentines Day!

Valentines Day. Those two words bring various thoughts to mind and a smile to my face.

First thought: Sweetie. Yep! We have been a part of each others lives for almost 19 years now, married for almost 16 of that. We have grown up together. We are both so different from the two of us that started dating in 1991. We were such good friends that I never thought we would be married. I even left town to go to school, I figured that would be that. But it wasn't! He came down to school on some of the weekends and for any occasion where I would need a date! One night in 1992, on the campus of Union University he told me that I would marry him in two years. I laughed out loud at him when he said that. ( for those of you who know Sweetie, know that he is/was always such a jokester, that in my defense it took me awhile to take him seriously)
My Valentine at the time was working with the State Forestry. One weekend when I came home he asked me to climb up in one of the observation towers. I did, he got down on one knee and asked me to be a part of his life forever! I said yes, but I had to wait until I got to the bottom again before he gave me the ring. He was so afraid it would be lost forever if it was dropped.
So two years to the day, plus a couple of months(due to planning issues) we were married on April 30, 1994. This year will mark our 16th wedding anniversary! WOW!
He still makes me laugh, is still my best friend, and I have no regrets. We have been through a lot together, both good and bad, and are stronger because of it. God has blessed us with two wonderful boys, that both challenge us and bless us daily!
So, on this Valentines day, I dedicate this to the love of my life! Happy Valentines Day Sweetie. I love you so much! Thanks for investing in me with your friendship and love, for being the leader in our home, and for living such a great example of a Christian husband and father to our boys. You are my rock, and I am forever thankful to God for bringing us together!

Happy Valentines Day Chester!

Chester had just finished eating his lunch when he saw a big red heart on his calendar. Looking closer, he noticed that the very next day was Valentines Day. Chester thought about Valentines Day while he washed his face and paws. A smile lifted his whiskers as he remembered this day last year. Chester and his friend, Dart the bluebird had found a bag of candy hearts. Each heart was a different color and each had a message on them. Together, Chester and Dart gave one to each friend they met that day. What a great day that was!
Chester was happy as he prepared for a nap. Chipmunks take lots of naps. It is one of their favorite things to do. Sometime between brushing his teeth and fluffing his bed of leaves, Chester remembered he wasn’t ready for Valentines Day. He hadn’t seen Dart today, and he didn’t have any candy to give away!
“What will I do?” thought Chester; “and where will I find a valentine gift?’ Chester sat down on the edge of his bed and put his head in his paws so he could think. Soon his left ear began to twitch, then his right ear. He had an idea!
“I will make a special valentine all by myself!” he said aloud. Chester’s excitement grew as he thought about his friends and family and the gifts he would make for them. “Hmmm… there is Mom, Dad, my little brother Boomer, and my best friends Dart and Turtle.” Chester said to himself as he scampered down one of his tunnels.
He ran to the left, then to the right, all the way to the end where he stopped. There it was – Chester’s treasure room! Inside this room Chester’s ‘treasures’ were stacked on little shelves. See, Chester likes to collect things. Almost every time Chester goes out he finds something interesting to bring home. Just last week he found a ribbon under some leaves, a dime, and a shiny gold button over by the lake. On gloomy days Chester liked to come down to his treasure room and just look everything over, and wonder what it was. Thanks to Dart and Turtle he learned what most of them had been used for, but he couldn’t understand why anyone would leave them in the woods.
As Chester looked around his room, he found several things that his friends and family might like to have. Chester got very busy, he cleaned, he scrubbed and he created. Several hours later, the very sleepy chipmunk was finished!
Chester filled his little wagon with his valentine gifts, and pulled it up through the tunnels back to his bedroom. There was a small pink mirror for his Mom, a warm scarf for his Dad, a shiny red toy car for Boomer, and special handmade Valentine cards for Dart and Turtle. As he snuggled under the leaves he thought about all the fun he would have giving his friends and family the valentines he made all by himself! Sweet Dreams Chester!