Love to Heaven and Back...

Happy Valentine's Day from our house to yours.

We're all about love at our house - every day, all year long.

Luckily, the love between all of us is strong enough to reach Heaven and back.

I miss the days of posing Gavin and Brian for adorable holiday photos.

But I'm happy that, by a Heavenly miracle, Brian now has a new partner for Mommy's pictures.

Today I feel grateful to have a husband who loves me unconditionally.  I feel grateful that I knew a deep and profound love with Gavin - the kind of love that doesn't need any words to prove it's depth.  I feel grateful for Brian - a child who exudes love and happiness every single day.  A little boy who isn't shy to express his love for us or his emotions to us.  And I feel grateful to now have a daughter who pulls the love from every corner of my broken heart... slowly making it whole once again.

Brian worked hard on Valentines for his friends this year.

  They were inspired by his favorite movie (and mine!) - "Frozen!"  Inside the bag he filled fixings in case his friends wanted to build a snowman.  And the photo is of him in the snow ready for a warm hug!  

We had a big surprise for Brian after the Valentine's Day photo shoot.  First, the irresistible pictures...

Brian and Hope exchanged little gifts!  Hope gave Brian a new Pirate bath towel... and a pair of goggles that he can try out in the bathtub!  He thought that was the coolest thing EVER.

And Brian chose two little rattle toys for Hope, including a little ballerina girl all dressed up for Valentine's Day!

And then it was time for us to reveal our big present.  Click the video to see what it is and how Brian reacted!

We're so excited to go to a "Ringling Brothers" circus together for the first time - all of us!  To be honest, it will probably be our last.  Something about wild animals trained to do handstands makes me feel uneasy.  But much like the zoo and the aquarium and... a circus... I feel like kids should experience these things at least once in their lives.

It was actually last Valentine's Day that we took the boys to the Aquarium.  I'll never forget it.  Gavin insisted on walking (assisted by me!) through almost the entire aquarium.  It was incredible.  Just a couple months later, he was gone.  I'm so grateful to have that strong memory of him walking and confident and strong.

And now I'm off to enjoy my Valentine's Day present.  I'm going to get a massage, thanks to Ed!!