High Five for Friday (2.19.16)

1. As per usual, this month's holiday of love lasted a lot longer than 24 hours and included little gifts from Love Bug (she leaves inexpensive love-themed gifts for the kids to find during the first 13 days of February), two classroom parties, baking and decorating heart-shaped cookies, donuts for breakfast, a movie date with friends, and the kids' traditional treasure hunt to find their Valentine's Day present.

Treasure hunts involve a lot of running at our house.

I just stand in the middle of the house and try to take
pictures as the three of them sprint past me at top speed.

I gave everyone their own small present and gifted
this wooden hanging sign - inscribed with the prayer
we say every night at dinner - to our entire family.

For Valentine's Day Tom gave me (along with a bouquet of tulips, chocolate-covered strawberries, and the boots I picked out for myself last month) the gift of "staying awake for an entire movie". He had to stand up, jog in place, and do push-ups to keep himself alert, but he made it through all 125 minutes of Jurassic World. Best gift ever!

2. Last Sunday - yes, Valentine's Day - my parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. Throughout the years I admittedly I questioned their communication styles, relationship problem solving methods, and parenting choices (who doesn't question all of the adults in their life as they grow from child and adolescent to young adult, spouse, and eventually parent themselves?!), but at the end of the day, my parents found a way to make it work. For 40 years. The support they've shown each other as well as the hard work they both put into creating and sustaining a strong, happy marriage are beautiful examples of what love is all about. Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad!

3. On Presidents' Day - a school holiday - we slept in, worked out at the gym, had lunch with friends on the patio at a favorite restaurant, and went on a tour of one of College Station's more historic and well-known venues. (More on the tour next week.) We needed a low(er)-key Monday to balance out yet another crazy weekend, and thankfully Presidents' Day showed up and delivered.

4. Many of you - more than I expected, quite frankly - completed the survey I posted a couple of weeks ago and I am so grateful for your responses and support. I plan to share a some of the results (anonymously, of course, as your responses were anonymous even to me) in the coming weeks, but for now, please let me extend to you my thanks for sticking by me and helping me make this blog a better space!

If you haven't already taken the survey and would like to do so, you can find it in this post.

5. Happiness Highlights

Hallie is on the right and her sweet friend Emma, giving
the biggest sleep hug ever, is on the left. We went on a
double date to celebrate surviving 50 Men Who Can Cook,
and left our kiddos with a babysitter…much to our surprise,
two of the four actually fell asleep while we were out!

Surviving soccer practice looks a lot different than it once did!

He still likes to snuggle - oh, my heart.

Somehow I think this girl will always love snuggling… (Yes,
these pics are of two different kids. They like to wear matching
pajamas, and to coordinate their pajamas with my pajamas.)

This is what Hallie expects to look
like on her 100th birthday.

I should probably start a series called "Appetizers by Tom".
This is #2 in the series; here's #1. He has a talent.

Happy Friday, friends!

Linking up with High Five for Friday!