Thursday, February 14, 2013

Valentine's Day

Our Valentine's Days, with Vienne, over the years...

(Vienne's first Valentine's Day - not the best picture of her.  9 mo.)

(xoxoxo those yummy baby chub rolls)

(Vienne's 2nd V Day, at 21 months, playing with Valentine stickers she received in the mail from Grammy and Grandpa.  I am so annoyingly trying to get her to say "pretty"...us moms can be such pests sometimes, can't we?!)

(Vienne's 3rd V Day, at over 2 1/2 yrs. old.  From the following pics, it looks like we really went all out for this Valentine's day.  Vienne and I really enjoyed doing crafts together...baking together.  Here she is making some Valentine's paintings.  We drew the hearts, together, with a black crayon and she is painting over it with water colors)


(Vienne's framed work - this was the corner, above her play kitchen, where I rotated in her current art work.  I used to be an art teacher, for those who didn't know so I have tons of materials and ideas.)

(same Valentine's ~ we baked cookies with Grammy.  They are picking out Valentine appropriate cookie cutters)


(taste!)

(such a focused helper...I always loved how patient and calm she was to sit on the counter and bake)

(more tasting!)


(roll the dough!)




(cute chocolate cookies)

(yummy rewards fresh from the oven)

(how gorgeous is she?)

(I could never stop staring at her....it's no wonder we have so many pictures and videos.)




(lacing a homemade Valentine card for Daddy)


(this is Wendy.  I made her for Vienne for Valentine's Day that year, 2011.  My first crocheted doll...she was very loved)


(opening Wendy)

(friends)

(Vienne's 4th V Day - I had a very newborn little Ivy, so it was a pretty laid back Valentine's Day.  We did manage to make this little Valentine for Daddy, though, using our thumb prints.  hehe)


(My oh-so-thoughtful and loving Husband had this most amazing and beautiful bouquet delivered to me that day.  I remember it being the most extraordinary bouquet I had ever seen...mostly because of what the florist used as the base...see in the next pic)

(the stemmed vase was nestled into a hole in this rough cut slice of a log, while wire that was beaded with gems, was wrapped all over it, then lichen and moss were glued and nestled into the crevices.  Beautiful, raw, and natural with a small touch of glam...so my style.  It was stunning.)



(this is my first Valentine's Day, in 4 years, without my Vienne - and many loved ones remembered.  Look at all the flowers I received today.  I have felt the love.  Thank you, Everyone.  I love you All.
The tall middle one is from Mark and he is coming home early to make me a gourmet meal, as he loves to do.)

(and I just HAD to share this special little treasure.  One of my best friends, Lacey, stopped by this morning with her boys to deliver this Valentine to me.  It brings me to tears.  Her son, Caleb, made Valentines like this for all the kids in his Kindergarten class.  Such effort and detail.  And, he made ours blue and green!)

(do you see the triceratops he drew for us??!!  Oh my heart...
I love you Caleb!)



I hope you are able to enjoy your Valentine's Day.  Please, take the opportunities to enjoy it with your children.  Pull out the crafts, get in the kitchen and bake with them...enjoy it and make a memory.  You will never regret it and they will never forget it.

6 comments:

  1. So...I watch the video of her with the stickers we sent her. I LOVE that video. And yes...you are totally annoying trying to get her to say what you want her to...but don't we do that? Yes, we do. She was so freakin' engrossed with those stickers! I LOVE THAT! Stickers. That's all it took to fill...what...45 minutes of her time? Something about that video gives me so much joy. Then when it's done, the site brings up other videos. So, I watched the one of her pushing her wooden train around the track...shoving a chip in her mouth as she made a pass at the North end...her voice, her face. It just brought me back to those many Tuesday-moments in your car, driving here and there, she and I talking as you drove...and I would say such things to you as... "she's so beautiful, I can't breathe". And she was. She ALWAYS took my breath away. Oh, my goodness...she stole my very breath. She did and does. I watch these videos and I keep looking at the time...1 minute 45 seconds...90 seconds...and I don't want them to ever end. And I weep.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OH man, I know. I am so annoying! Mark and I watched it last night together and were laughing at it. Good grief..give it up, Jenny!

      She IS so beautiful, Mama. I know. I can't breathe.

      Delete
  2. I was thinking about you yesterday. You V always celebrated holidays to the fullest. Beautiful pictures of a beautiful girl. Love to you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, we had so much fun together. I miss my little friend so much...and canNOT wait til Ivy is old enough. love you.

      Delete
  3. You are the mom I aspire to be. I know the feeling exactly you talk about of just staring at our little ones. I'm glad you have so many pictures of Vienne. Seeing her makes my heart soar with love as a mom, and I never even knew her! I'm so sorry for your loss and the ache for her you must feel.

    ReplyDelete