tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63329848913749856552024-02-19T01:44:22.333-06:00The Prairie Hen's NestLife, love and chicken lipsRaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10185244992121474252noreply@blogger.comBlogger27613tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332984891374985655.post-21172046335597453712013-04-04T20:54:00.001-05:002013-04-04T20:54:18.402-05:00Flying the Coop!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear Ones,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have moved! You can find me now over at <a href="http://joyfinderspath.blogspot.com/">my new blog-home Joyfinders Path</a>... I hope you will follow along. There will be a giveaway very soon with extra opportunity for followers from over here! So join in the fun, I promise it'll be good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ha! I feel like I'm leaving a trail of sugary bread crumbs...</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All my love,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Raimie Lu</span>Raimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10185244992121474252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332984891374985655.post-25329902666859211342013-03-03T22:52:00.003-06:002013-03-03T22:52:53.200-06:00Sunday's Child<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear Friends</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I was growing up my mother would recite a little nursery ditty that went something like this:</span></div>
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<dd style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Monday's child is fair of face</i></span></dd><dd style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Tuesday's child is full of grace,</i></span></dd><dd style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Wednesday's child is full of woe,</i></span></dd><dd style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Thursday's child has far to go,</i></span></dd><dd style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Friday's child is loving and giving,</i></span></dd><dd style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Saturday's child works hard for a living,</i></span></dd><dd style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day </i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is bonny and blithe and good and gay.</span></i></dd><dd style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"></dd><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was something enchanting to my little heart in the idea of knowing something of one's character according to the day of the week of one's birth. Of course, it was really just for fun... but I liked it and I'm pretty sure this had nothing to do with knowing I was 'Monday's child'. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">[hee-hee]</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In fact, I think I thought I was born on a Wednesday.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Baby Joseph was born on a Sunday.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">He is such a blessing to his family and all that love him.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Time will tell if he is also bonny and good.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">But my honorary-auntie heart says of course he will be!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We went over to see him the next day and took him a birth-day cake. It was a celebration of life. A celebration of family. And a celebration of his sweet, tiny self.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUoOyou0OMrkTgygZ5s55eyHPTNhluHYom3TGmtfWVsmNdD5UyWjRM8CKvK3Q5pTGIJuXg2-AFbzLjwaayYxvJluQ8rXzJKOxetAWc4hPl9B8iLXuaSxoIjY1_vXNJNkYWwQPZP7Cb6Cf/s1600/02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUoOyou0OMrkTgygZ5s55eyHPTNhluHYom3TGmtfWVsmNdD5UyWjRM8CKvK3Q5pTGIJuXg2-AFbzLjwaayYxvJluQ8rXzJKOxetAWc4hPl9B8iLXuaSxoIjY1_vXNJNkYWwQPZP7Cb6Cf/s1600/02.jpg" /></span></a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It felt so right to celebrate.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">But there too was the feeling of missing his precious older sister who he will never meet in this life. Rebecca would have loved him. She would have spoke with her special little brand of red-haired vigor about the 'audacity' of </span><i style="line-height: 19.1875px;">another little brother</i><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">But she would have loved him like no other.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcwaQeEn7eXosXblj3lZ2KqULsd4yey8Ljov0PrM4PjB4vYC_weJUjrEVSE89Z8MXwq3nqwjeQBHREj2mOoLQtrrkyP8R_VxHSLzNYge2GnTOs0GTUiSr4CXMdVTEPTjt0lOjxS2KwU_T/s1600/03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcwaQeEn7eXosXblj3lZ2KqULsd4yey8Ljov0PrM4PjB4vYC_weJUjrEVSE89Z8MXwq3nqwjeQBHREj2mOoLQtrrkyP8R_VxHSLzNYge2GnTOs0GTUiSr4CXMdVTEPTjt0lOjxS2KwU_T/s1600/03.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPGR9EU3o8JPfiAyh1o-WEgE3RRWEbQo09FgJcyzo1oq7Ep6lBd0hoVp_-5mOlmQ5nVZr-T3TjIEeCOCXYszKOGOUmLNVmRSRwzOolKymPvKFGCYT1ERkQTBOJwBegZ8wsNOsOSl9bfA2i/s1600/04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPGR9EU3o8JPfiAyh1o-WEgE3RRWEbQo09FgJcyzo1oq7Ep6lBd0hoVp_-5mOlmQ5nVZr-T3TjIEeCOCXYszKOGOUmLNVmRSRwzOolKymPvKFGCYT1ERkQTBOJwBegZ8wsNOsOSl9bfA2i/s1600/04.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">We definitely love him.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">We can't get enough of watching him sleep or admiring his little feet.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDz-23-m0INaEtS4sUOmF_3BkQ2fuwcps9d4QSNNVwvog3_fAUEFxKenXhwTTeAMji0Hz6Hwo99mNqRkXlHvpIAvKKzOPQz1j0Nz7YfUCOyR3hwdChDOD14a386TrFOpfKXMkPjcmD6_AN/s1600/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDz-23-m0INaEtS4sUOmF_3BkQ2fuwcps9d4QSNNVwvog3_fAUEFxKenXhwTTeAMji0Hz6Hwo99mNqRkXlHvpIAvKKzOPQz1j0Nz7YfUCOyR3hwdChDOD14a386TrFOpfKXMkPjcmD6_AN/s1600/01.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jacob and Julia came to see us last weekend so we got to be together for his first Sunday fellowship meeting.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">It seemed so fitting to be focused on a precious son on a Sunday.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrJ5_u6qOEAMZooMu-uv5WsUEPlbZmjmDoTDi-tiFtGaD0reqS4paXScnvh6VKDGYuR_niRxJjybdVemxSsEIKkXwIj8qWK7We85EIq4BDG4LXEbHqzm6B27avM4Q6hAgm3QzJBlyWey2/s1600/06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrJ5_u6qOEAMZooMu-uv5WsUEPlbZmjmDoTDi-tiFtGaD0reqS4paXScnvh6VKDGYuR_niRxJjybdVemxSsEIKkXwIj8qWK7We85EIq4BDG4LXEbHqzm6B27avM4Q6hAgm3QzJBlyWey2/s1600/06.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"><i>Dear Joseph,</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"><i>May these feet carry you in the light of love and skip you blithely through many a mud puddle. May they lead you to Heavenly joy and march you in games of buried treasure. May each of your Sundays be a reason to give thanks and a time of soul-rest long after you have learned to sit still. May the sun shine bright on your bonny head and goodness of God be a beacon to you forever.</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"><i>Love,</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"><i>Auntie Raimie</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"><i>***</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Can you tell we have baby on the brain around </span>here?</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our baby is due on a Friday.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Loving and giving</i> sounds good to me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Love,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sharing the Joy NE</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">P.S. If you are curious about the day of the week to which you belong, you can visit<a href="http://www.dayoftheweek.org/"> this website</a>, type in your birthdate (yes, the year too - but no-one is looking, promise) and it will tell you what day of the week that was.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Do you think the poem was right about you? or were you 'adopted' from another day?</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I tried it on on my parents, husband, siblings and, I confess, my own children.... because let's face it, half the time I can't remember yesterday's date, let alone what day I was having contractions 7 years ago! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I do remember the contractions.</span></div>
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Raimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10185244992121474252noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332984891374985655.post-65310126538007291892013-02-28T19:18:00.000-06:002013-02-28T19:18:13.861-06:00Stretching Love Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupzAep3zppwOYZjhvRonRZJ2eNyrEy6ID6t6g9-yOUKvidATzh9PUxlKuEMwYUElQTeRytrTSVVnZg8DFH6vgY9iIGa18njwkFggUA_xgGudmggv-54YdoXAbkzoPTde_N2FwtoxhL83S/s1600/03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupzAep3zppwOYZjhvRonRZJ2eNyrEy6ID6t6g9-yOUKvidATzh9PUxlKuEMwYUElQTeRytrTSVVnZg8DFH6vgY9iIGa18njwkFggUA_xgGudmggv-54YdoXAbkzoPTde_N2FwtoxhL83S/s1600/03.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear Friends,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking at the calender I am realizing today is the last day of February. Looking around our living space I get a little sad about taking down the last signs of Valentine's Day. Looking in my heart I feel the need to stretch love-day into love-month and then into love-year and then LOVE-LIFE.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are few snaps of our February celebrations:</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ladies' Tea</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We kicked things off the beginning of February with a fantastic annual Valentine-making tea party event hosted by one of my dear aunties. The food is fancy (and mostly pink), the conversation is girly, giggly and delicious and we all get a head start on making some hand-crafted cards. This is a much better plan than scrambling the night before... Which never happens to me! (hahahaha) Yeah, right.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbtSnuyJh8KyZKqQKIwFgW5wi_TS974gE3QT2CtyyslauQrRJ_5QMGMo6WC5Adhynsx71Nq-AnvmIJWLrONAHB1rSoa-skltOCKw6CpaU0OEx3B-BCvjax7m9MzmRVcOEt1J6OTJTWBtg/s1600/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbtSnuyJh8KyZKqQKIwFgW5wi_TS974gE3QT2CtyyslauQrRJ_5QMGMo6WC5Adhynsx71Nq-AnvmIJWLrONAHB1rSoa-skltOCKw6CpaU0OEx3B-BCvjax7m9MzmRVcOEt1J6OTJTWBtg/s1600/01.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Deck the Halls</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have not always managed to get anything pink, red, or heart-covered put out around the house before Valentine's day because it always feels like we are just done with Christmas and New Years and then *boom* it's February. But things worked out this year and I was in the mood to jazz things up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nothing really fancy - a package of doilies left over from last year tied or clipped here and there, a pink ruler with a doily attached, Target dollar-aisle bakers twine that was too cute to put away, a stack of love themed books earmarked to read this month, and a clothes-pinned photo garland featuring our girl <a href="http://rememberingrebecca.blogspot.com/">Rebecca. </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The garland is my favorite and I am not ready to take it down. I had spent some time before her funeral finding photos for the memory board that would there. As I found each one, I printed it because they were all so precious and I couldn't bear to simply email them off to the people putting the board together and close the file. I wanted them all hanging up around me, right then. When January was over I couldn't put them away so they became this pretty garland. A celebration of Rebecca definitely goes along with a celebration of love.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcr4Mqg7BSMyO7fYl1y0HaZ2f0Jj9X7Qhna0O-cZpNxTbkJCyM-foFsb2rP0A5xxWCJ5bWT3Om4p4hnbCLtRaccrncQqx_lIoVuAe7F1nM9zxTQDc41qmLUAXWV1j9fumOziBRmIVEUf2W/s1600/02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcr4Mqg7BSMyO7fYl1y0HaZ2f0Jj9X7Qhna0O-cZpNxTbkJCyM-foFsb2rP0A5xxWCJ5bWT3Om4p4hnbCLtRaccrncQqx_lIoVuAe7F1nM9zxTQDc41qmLUAXWV1j9fumOziBRmIVEUf2W/s1600/02.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kid Love:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This love day thing takes some preparation and forethought, I tell ya! Sending treats to school for 2 parties, Making valentines for 3 classes and 3 teachers, A MOPS group craft, cute lunches to compensate for all the allergen-filled treats the older two couldn't eat... It sounds like a lot, but I loved it all. The sweet looks and thank-you's from my munchkins made it worth it. Which goes to show that no amount of preparation and forethought can truly prepare you for the blessings (and craziness) of motherhood.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbS6d7kQgLRRI-G8hLTIYdJ2V0yV5QRAzqcTG5xXD_Eq4Tb01hJjW4JvoNpgwx-k232zye1Aa5zJG9WZRM6CDf4QEveUVfaM5cp0Fzg3rWq5V0QYEVakXHX4iPXo9GzAV-NMPs0zhLSRr/s1600/07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbS6d7kQgLRRI-G8hLTIYdJ2V0yV5QRAzqcTG5xXD_Eq4Tb01hJjW4JvoNpgwx-k232zye1Aa5zJG9WZRM6CDf4QEveUVfaM5cp0Fzg3rWq5V0QYEVakXHX4iPXo9GzAV-NMPs0zhLSRr/s1600/07.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Flower-pot Valentines for MOPS, a happy preschooler with his love-day loot, 2 love potions, 2 chocolates and 2 love notes from mom for lunch boxes (I cringe when I think of them getting too old for all these - maybe not the chocolates), Picture-riddle valentines with cocoa packets for classmates, A hearty heart-y lunch (strawberries, clementine, hamburger, red pepper, cherry tomatoes and ketchup), classy crafts and stripey washi tape (obsessed), cutesy teacher packages tied up with string ('these are a few of my favorite things'), and class-act strawberries dipped in chocolate and ready to party.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Girly-girl</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She deserves her own category here. The girl is a Valentine's Day rock star! Other the the fundamental design steps, she made all her own and most of her brothers' class Valentines. She fretted over whether asking all the <i>boys</i> in her class to 'Be my Valentine' was a proper thing to do. She had her clothes picked out a month in advance (hanging in the closet with a sign tied to the hanger that said 'Were on Valentams Day'). She even had opinions on which coat, gloves and hat were best (pink, mismatched on purpose, flower pinned on). But her trophy was her Valentine mailbox for which I only take credit for in the helping of safely cutting the box and the wrangling of wrapping paper in the hard to manage spots.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBaJVd3Hf1lpCuUw8bRrYHcc8aGnuARYqjo2BF-ZaaxgiPRG7Sp9eZpPp8gACJZ_bYHWeu8ULzplGSos2O3VoAGYHijJVwqkdBhbrNOIC-Xniz4jm2NpYxwM3g6lLs7aA93V3aLdiBlf-/s1600/04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBaJVd3Hf1lpCuUw8bRrYHcc8aGnuARYqjo2BF-ZaaxgiPRG7Sp9eZpPp8gACJZ_bYHWeu8ULzplGSos2O3VoAGYHijJVwqkdBhbrNOIC-Xniz4jm2NpYxwM3g6lLs7aA93V3aLdiBlf-/s1600/04.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I watched her help T-boy bungle all his stuff out of the car and watched her feet march those pink and red heart socks into school with her load of goodies. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought, "<i>By George, I think she has got this!</i>" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe next year I'll just sit back and let her handle it all! [grinning]</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spoiled Rotten</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I made out like a bandit on Valentine's Day. My best friend brought me pregnancy-proof and Paleo-friendly treats all wrapped up in vintage linens. She knows me so well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I walked into my mom's room on Valentine's day and saw this 'Love' sign sitting on her trunk and immediately said that I loved it. She laughed and said that was good because it was for me. She knows me pretty well too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> There was darling packages from Nana for the kids along with a book for them to share and a cozy throw rug. The candy was from my little sister. I guess she knows my husband's sweet tooth.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmuSjSrRTu-feW7BhKy55LH6Z4s5spiNyRTUZKz-S4xZ7f1H93od6n2WGDePSRm7zo7QS2V9xpsZNghj20BHfXm7fluZ6aQgzrY4ie4z9xHNyAoMvboh-UWvk2lGk8u03nM1DZZeQEnLXa/s1600/06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmuSjSrRTu-feW7BhKy55LH6Z4s5spiNyRTUZKz-S4xZ7f1H93od6n2WGDePSRm7zo7QS2V9xpsZNghj20BHfXm7fluZ6aQgzrY4ie4z9xHNyAoMvboh-UWvk2lGk8u03nM1DZZeQEnLXa/s1600/06.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Girls Vs. Boys</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a concise view of the difference between boys and girls. The first is a valentine drawn by one of Bee's friends and was found in her backpack. It is all cupids and flowers and birds and bunnies. The second came from Tboy's backpack and was drawn by him. His has birds too... but that girl duck has a <i>chain-saw and a broken heart</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I rest my case.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All in all, February reminded me of how lucky I am. Lucky to be loved and to feel love. Lucky for every experience that stretches me to love more. Lucky for a month of hearts, sparkles, cuddles, stories and laughs Lucky for our fair share of tears and normalcy to round it out. Lucky to carry this happiness with me the rest of the year and to aim for the rest of my life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe love and luck are a lot about looking. Looking at what you have with thankfulness. Looking for what you <i>can</i> do with willingness. Looking at people with kindness. Looking inside yourself with honesty. Looking ahead with faith.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And maybe it is about smiling at what you see.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Love,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sappy Smiles in NE</span></div>
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Raimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10185244992121474252noreply@blogger.com3