It wasn’t the red roses – the epitome of Valentine gifts. Nor was it the strawberries minus the chocolate – still inside their grocery store container. When normal couples think of fancy dinner plans, teddy bears, and chocolate, we’re the kind of couple that keeps things simple. Sushi, a little gaming, a little couch potatoing. On the weekend.  Precious time together? Check! Done and done.

And then, IT happens. In the middle of a busy Monday afternoon, I hear a car pull up. In walks Jeremy with a handful of roses and a carton of fresh strawberries. What?! “WHY are you here in the middle of a weekday?!” All he does is smile and say, “Happy Valentine’s Day.” He knows I like flowers – whatever kind they are. He knows I love strawberries and fresh ones are the best. He knows my chocolate allergy makes me super sad on days like today. But what he doesn’t know – what I keep to myself as I smile back at him is this: Jeremy taking off a busy Monday afternoon – just so we can spend the rest of the day together, eating leftovers and watching Anthony Bourdain episodes on the Travel Channel – that is by far the best Valentine’s Day gift he could ever give me.

May love find surprising ways to touch your life this year. Happy Valentine’s Day!

xoxoxo ~ Heather

Fear less, hope more,
Whine less, breathe more,
Talk less, say more,
Hate less, love more,
And all good things are yours.

(Swedish Proverb)

I came across this poem over the holiday and it really struck a chord with me. Far too often, I find myself stuck in my daily routine. Going about life and not really living it. Because it’s easy. Because I forget what’s most important. That’s why I love finding things that knock me off of auto-pilot and tell me how it is – plain and simple. Heather - fear less, hope more. Talk less, say more. And maybe a little less whining too while you’re at it.

Here’s my gift to you today: a poem, an image inspired by it words, and a little reminder to pause, forgo the auto-life and enjoy living more.

Happy Wednesday!

~Heather

From what we can tell, Chewie is a year old and is a Maltese/Poodle mix (or Malt-a-poo). Our friends found him wandering around their neighborhood. With his thick woolly fur all soaked, matted, and muddy, he was one sad little wookie. So they scooped him up and named him Chewie!

Although they couldn’t keep him, we were happy to adopt the little guy. He visited the day before his surgery so he could get used to his new surroundings. And after some exploring and sniffs, we were Chewie approved!

I’m so glad he’s not camera shy. In fact, he’s camera curious. Whenever I take a picture, he cocks his head to the side at the shutter click. I think I’ve found my new favorite model ^_^

I really love how this image makes me feel. When I see him up close like this – with his big brown eyes staring at me and his woolly fur sticking out everywhere, I just giggle and smile. And I hug him. E-collar and all.

Only five days together and I already can’t imagine him not here. In the words of Ty Pennington, ‘Welcome Home, Chewie. Welcome Home’.

~Heather

He’s in the rolling over stage and managed to perfect sitting up on his own over the holiday. I’m betting he’ll be crawling by Christmas!

We also got to celebrate an early birthday with Owen’s big brother, Caleb. I last took his newborn pictures. Boy has he grown!

Caleb loves puppies. So for his birthday, his mom made these awesome cupcakes inspired by Blue’s Clues!

And what better gift to go along with puppy cupcakes than a real”istic” walking, barking puppy dog.

Since we’re talking puppies, I need to introduce the original dog who captured Caleb’s heart – Puppy.

Puppy shake!

Jessica wanted some pictures of the new family all together. So we headed outside for some fun in the sun!

The time I spent with everyone last week really made me appreciate family. It’s something I’ve noticed the more time passes. That even though sitting down and catching up, playing with the kids, and eating a meal together under one roof may not seem that big of a deal – it is. And when I came home after a long week of being together, I missed it more than I thought I would. I don’t remember everything we did but I remember being happy. And of course, I have the photographs I took that show how happy we all were.

I hope you enjoy your time with your family and friends this holiday season. It’s definitely something to be thankful for!

~Heather