Sunday Snapshot {odes to love}

Valentine's Day is a big deal around here. Well, let me re-phrase that. It's a big deal to me around here. I take full advantage of the numerous opportunities to share my love for my Gang in all kinds of ways. While they all good natured-ly put on a show of tolerating my smushy surprise hugginess and my gooshy proclamations of love, I have a sneaking suspicion some of them might actually look forward to it. If nothing else, they'll have great memories of Momma makin' a fool of herself. All in the name of love. And around The Gang's house, there are lots of little odes to love to remember each year!

 Come to either of my doors

and you'll be greeted with love!

Love is in the air

out in the front of the house...

...and as you pull in the drive.

For some unknown reason,

these particular little expressions of the holiday

seem to irk my older kids.

Not that I care.

And the little ones love them.

Little hand-made expressions of love

are starting to appear around here

courtesy of some of the Gang members...

who shall remain nameless to protect them

from the good-natured taunting of the older sibs.

and I'm not the only one

tossin' around the sweet nothin's.

Look at all the loot from the grandparents!

Do me a favor? Don't decry the commercialism of the day. Don't get all cynical and grumpy about the cultural hyper-focus on the romance. Instead? Take a moment to hug someone whom you don't ordinarily hug. Share a little chocolate treat with the postman. Or the UPS guy. Just because. Find a creative way to spread some real love around today. We all need a little more love and a little less cynicism these days. You never know the hurt someone is carrying. And cheesey as it might be, Valentine's Day is a fun and easy way to touch that hurt with kindness.

Now. Consider yourself hugged.