l.o.v.e.

My sister and I have a very special talent we developed after years of repeated Parent Trap viewings (Lindsay Lohan version, not Hayley Mills version, sadly). We do a fantastic version of Nat King Cole's "L-O-V-E"...you know, "L...is for the way you look at me...O...is for the only one I see..." Anyway, we enjoy busting it out at any appropriate (or inappropriate) occasion. It's awesome. And that is what the title of this blog reminded me of. But this was a weekend of love, so it's appropriate.

I've never been a huge Valentine's day celebrant. I'm not in the anti-V-day crowd...I guess I'm just a moderate. Granted, 90% or so of my Valentine's days I've had no Valentine (I didn't actually calculate that, just a ballpark guesstimate)...but I do enjoy pink and red and candy and flowers as much as the next girl, so it wasn't ever a holiday that I found insulting or anything. I am a big fan of all kinds of love, not just the Hollywood romance type. And my life hasn't been short on love. So anyway.

Matt and I like to celebrate love all the time, not just on Hallmark-endorsed days. But in the spirit of consumerism, we did partake in a few traditional Valentine'sey things. We ate at my favorite pasta place, Mirko, on Friday night. It's a locally owned restaurant and they make their pasta fresh...it's divine. Just FYI...both crowds and prices are much better the day before Valentine's! On Saturday morning Matt had to work so I kept myself entertained by watching Gilmore Girls and doing some light housework. I've been sick all week, so no need to overexert myself with excessive cleaning, right?? Right. :) Matt & I'd decided not to do V-day presents, but I did say that flowers would be completely acceptable if the mood struck him. Anyway, when he came home from work, what was he carrying??












Oh yes that IS an Edible Arrangement!! I was so excited!! In case you're not in the know, Edible Arrangements are beautiful "flower" arrangements made entirely out of FRUIT!!! They're amazing! I have been lusting over their brochures and webpage for the last few months...my dear sweet husband took note of this and delivered me a beautiful, completely healthy (save a few chocolate covered strawberries) Valentine's bouquet. I was so happy. Anyway, it's definitely the tastiest bouquet I've ever received! So that was my fun Valentine's treat. Later that afternoon we went to the movies (cheap seats) with friends. We went with the goal of seeing Marley & Me, but it was all sold out so we ended up seeing Seven Pounds, which I really enjoyed. We finished off the night by making some homemade enchiladas and watching The Office from Thursday night.

Today has been a wonderful day full of friends and family. After church we went to some friends' house where they made delicious homemade pizza for us and some other friends. We had a great time hanging out and chatting about top-secret topics. The girls spent some time trying to justify to the boys the greatness of reading/stalking random peoples' blogs. I'm not sure we got any converts. We all went to the boys' basketball game at 3:00. After a losing season (we won only 2 games out of...not sure...10? 12?) today was the first game of the tournament and we were the second-to-last seed. But guess what...we WON! So that means we have another game Tuesday night. I really enjoy basketball season because it gives Matt a chance for some manly competition and lets me hang out with the other ladies and babies in the bleachers. Post-game, we rushed back home, showered, and met Matt's family for dinner. Today is Matt's younger brother's birthday, so it was cause for celebration. We had a good time hanging out, then hit Kroger before coming back home to tend to our neglected daughter Lola. She forgave us for leaving her alone all day since we came home bearing gifts of bones from Kroger.

Anyway...it's been a good weekend. I'm feeling much better, although my cough isn't completely gone. Matt gets tomorrow off (lucky bankers), but I will be stuck in Professional Learning at school all day. That's a fancy term for "boring meetings". It's a time I like to dedicate to brushing up on my doodling and practicing writing/deciding on my future childrens' names. All the important things.