Merry Christmas From The Gang!

It's a beautiful chilly Sunday afternoon here at The Gang's Headquarters. Most of the gang is here, sprawled out watching football or Octonauts, coming down off the sugar high that is characteristic of our traditional Cookie Decorating Day. We're waiting for Shaggy and the lovely Miss A to arrive for family pictures and a late dinner together. It's the first quiet, peaceful afternoon we've had together for far too long. 

With the pace we've been keeping and the many "out of the ordinary" additions to the calendar that have come these last ten days, we only just this weekend got around to making holiday treats. Normally, I spread the baking out over three weeks so it works out that I'm replenishing the batches continuously. Like, a slow steady month-long IV drip of butter and sugar. It's glorious! This year, I just couldn't get that routine up and running and The Gang has been letting me know of the lack of holiday treats around here. No one has ever accused me of doing things half-heartedly and in the last 48 hours, LadyBug and I have made 3 double and 1 triple batch of The Gang's favorites. There's Christmas bark, Butter Pecan Turtle bars, German Christmas Cookies (now fully frosted and beautifully decorated) all filling up my cookie bins and my fridge at once. It's glorious! All that was missing were Shaggy's favorite White Chip Orange Craisin Cookies and I could hang up my apron. 

It should have been no surprise to me that by lunch-time today, I was operating in auto-pilot. As in, everything I've made in the last two days has required a lot of brown sugar. A. LOT. Turns out, auto-pilot may just have produced my new favorite cookie of all time!!!! Since they turned out so incredibly tasty and rich, I thought I'd give a present to all of you and share the {BRAND SPANKIN' NEW} recipe!

White Chip Orange Craisin Cookies

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. butter-flavored shortening, softened
          (This is tweak #1 - the original recipe calls for 1 c. butter)

1 1/2 c. dark brown sugar, packed

           (This is where autopilot came in - the original recipe called for white sugar.

            So I set about tweaking the recipe from this "mistake." This TASTY mistake!)

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 tsp. orange extract

           (This is tweak #2 - the original recipe doesn't call for any.)

1 Tbsp. orange zest or dried orange peel

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

2 c. oats

1 c. craisins

1 c. white baking chips

Preheat your oven to 375.

Cream together the butter, shortening, and sugar. When fluffy, add eggs and beat in vanilla and orange extracts.

Slowly add the orange zest, flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Blend till all dry ingredients are incorporated.

Fold in oats, craisins, and white baking chips. Batter will be thick and heavy. And SUPER YUMMY!

Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes until edges are dry but do NOT overbake these goodies.

True confession time: the original recipe on which this one is based is an old W#*ght W@tchers favorite that called for things like "light butter," a sugar/sugar substitute blend, and egg whites. NOT that that particular version ever really got made around here.... because, well, "light butter?" As if. I mean, I might have made it the W#*ght W@tchers way once, a looooong time ago. But never again. Ever. And now? With the change-out from white sugar to lovely dark rich brown sugar? Oh.MY.LANDS. I ain't NEVER goin' back, sister friend. NEVER.

So, there ya have it. Thank you, auto-pilot! You are my new bestie bestie, as Mei Mei says. About everyone. Ha!

Merry Christmas

from The Gang's Momma and her gang!

My Tapestry

See that babe in arms? That's my Uncle Johnny. He passed away yesterday, leaving a legacy of kindness, gentleness, and love of family. He was the last of my grandfather's siblings to pass away, the youngest son in a big, loving, Italian family.

Of course, none of them were perfect, but every single memory I have of these great-uncles and great-aunts is just that: GREAT.

Outbursts of laughter around overloaded tables.

Good-natured teasing and bickering.

Stories of stark but happy childhood.

Bear hugs & kisses until you were gasping for breath.

And yes, food. LOTS and LOTS of food at every single gathering.

OH! THE! FOOD!

Not a bad way to grow up. Not at all.

By now, you all know I'm hopelessly sentimental when it comes to matters of family and legacy. Uncle Johnny's passing has provoked a myriad of memories all rife with emotion today. Anchoring all of those feelings is an overwhelming gratitude, I'm so incredibly grateful for the great big tapestry that both sets of my grandparents' generation wove for me and my generation.

This tapestry has been many things

for many people in our family.

A work of art, giving testament to the family's status and standing in society. A witness, if you will, of that which they have achieved together.

A rich backdrop, giving color, depth, and texture to our collective coming story as new immigrants to this country. Bringing their history to their present.

A thick and stable rug to stand upon, when building a life together. A plush but firm "take your stance" kind of setting point.

A soft landing place, a net of sorts that was wide and secure into which they could fall when hard times rocked them off their feet.

A warm wrap into which they could burrow when life felt cold and brutal.

Today, we mostly think of intricate tapestries as works of art to be hung on a wall. But a true family-woven tapestry wasn't always meant to be just gazed at and admired. Admittedly, we aren't as familiar with the many uses that a hand-woven, artfully crafted tapestry can have in today's world. We don't need one piece to do all those things anymore. We have Wayf@ir for rugs and T@rget for sweaters, right? But if you look back in history, family tapestries had many functions beyond their artisan beauty.

It strikes me that my family tapestry has both beauty and function that is sadly becoming more and more rare in this culture in which we live. I'm proud to declare that I will stay anchored to both families who wove this tapestry before me. I will continue to teach my children well in the art of weaving their rows to grow it strong and beautiful for generations to come.

********************************

Uncle Johnny, say hi to Grandpa Sam for me. Enjoy your reunion and your time to worship Jesus to the strains of heavenly Italian opera with him. You are missed here. All of you.

Happy Birthday, America!

Oh.My.Word. I can hardly believe it's the 4th of July already. At the risk of sounding trite and cliched, seriously: Where did the month of June go?! I have so much to catch up on and will have to do some backing up of events like the end of the school year, Mei Mei's birthday, and all things momentous. I've mentioned before that Mei Mei does NOT tolerate me sitting at my desktop very well and it really hasn't gotten better. When she's awake, I'm hustling to get something done around here and clean up the messes and STUFF she gets into while trying to "hep" me. And when she's asleep, I'm trying to finish all that I started when she's awake. Or I'm crashing in exhaustion myself. This little one is a spunky little busybody and she seriously is never ever still. Even in her sleep, her little toes and fingers are in motion. Which I know because she's spent the last four mornings in bed with me, snuggled in to go back to sleep after waking at o'dark thirty. Oh.MY.WORD! Anyhoo, that's my disclaimer going in... more to come on other big stuff later!

**********************************

This year, the 4th of July is taking on some new meaning for The Gang. It's now forever linked with an important anniversary that we will always mark as a family. Yesterday, our son, known here as Dr. D, enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves. It's been a long time coming, as he's been praying, researching, and meeting with recruiters of various branches of the armed services since January. But truthfully, it's a calling and a path that The Boss and I have seen growing within our boy since he was a very young child. We are very excited and proud of his single-minded focus to figure out what was the best path for his career and at the same time, nervous and concerned about what this choice means for his life. But this has been in his blood a long, long time and we know God has great plans for whatever twists and turns this path will unfold along the way.

Dr. D has an unusually developed sense of honor, justice and loyalty to country and there's no doubt that he's been deeply affected by world events in his 17 years of life, when viewed through those lenses. I so enjoy listening to his heart, full of idealism and pride in what our nation means to him. I love that he gets legitimately upset at those around him who fail to summon proper respect when the Pledge of Allegiance is spoken at school or other events. His pride in our flag, his respect and honor for the men and women who serve the armed services around him, the rapt attention he pays to his grandfather's stories of their own service, all of it speaks of a deep identification and camaraderie that he is now so excited to be a part of. When he arrived home yesterday after the trip out to Ft. Dix for his official enlistment event, he was beaming. We've always known that he is a kid who NEEDS to identify with a cause or a purpose bigger than himself, and it's a point of great pride for us both that he has found his niche. This niche.

And just like that, I've got a new label to add to my own resume.... As a dear friend mentioned to me on FB yesterday, I'm now a military mom. I even get my own bumper sticker for my van that says so!

Here's some pics of our little attempts at home to honor Dr. D since we couldn't be with him for the actual enlistment ceremony. He was surprised that we did all this for him, but really, he should know me better than that by now! This momma does love to celebrate, especially something so amazing for one of my gang!

Here he is, the newest soldier to join the ranks the U.S. Army.

And just because no celebration of America's birthday

would be complete without a picture (or two!) 

of the cutest little new citizen in town, I give you these!

MWAH! Happy Birthday, America!!!!

I love my new country!

"Daddy's Sweetheart"

and an

"American Cutie"

It just doesn't get better than that!

Wordless Wednesday {legacy}

This chair was a gift to my parents

when I was a baby.

I sat and played in it as a little one.

All three of my siblings sat here too.

When I was expecting Shaggy,

my mom passed it on to me.

And now all 6 of my children

have enjoyed rocking in my little chair.

That little chair holds legacy every day.

Obviously Wordless Wednesdays are rarely that.

Wordless, that is. But click over to 5 Minutes

for Mom and join the fun anyway!!!!

Merry Christmas...

From Our Home

To Yours.....

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

a Christmas hymn

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer

Our spirits by Thine advent here;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night

And death's dark shadows put to flight!

O come, Thou Key of David, come,

And open wide our heavenly home;

Make safe the way that leads on high,

And close the path to misery.

The Next Big Step

Well, the day has arrived. Today, Shaggy boards a plane with the other members of the team they have dubbed "Team Thaibodia" for the "Outreach" portion of their YWAM experience.  We F@cetimed with him last night, to chat, say good-bye and pray together as a family for his team and for him. NEVER in all of my life have I been so incredibly grateful for the technology that allows interactions such as this to occur. While I greatly dislike the inability to hug his neck and kiss him as he journeys off, I am so thankful that he got to hear our prayers over him. From Li'l Empress's prayer for safe travels all the way up to Dr. D's prayer for them to be used by God to The Boss's prayer for anointing and power in sharing The Gospel, the time together was sweet and one I will cherish in the many days ahead while we are missing his physical presence here in our home.

If you could, please pray with us for his team. There are 13 young people from YWAM Arvada heading out today to spend a month in Thailand and a month in Cambodia. They are being led by a young gal named Molly. Please pray with us for the following things:

• safe travels in each leg of their journey
• unity, health and physical protection for their team
• spiritual wisdom and discernment in light of all the new experiences they will have
• great opportunities to show the love of Jesus to the teams they are supporting and the work they will be doing themselves
• deepened intimacy and strengthening of their own personal faith journey as they follow the path God has set them each upon

Please also pray for the teams that Shaggy's team is partnering with while in-country. The work these teams are doing include things like campus ministry, ministry to victims of human trafficking and caring for orphaned children. There is much opposition to a lot of what the teams do each day, it's truly a supernatural spiritual battle they must face daily. Pray for strength and clarity in the face of the evil and opposition they face in their mission.

I have an update letter written by Shaggy that I would be happy to email to you if you are interested in what he has experienced and learned thus far. And the team leader will be sending weekly updates that I'd be happy to share with you and your family. Please just email me at the gmail address connected to this blog.

Thanks for praying with us for our boy. We are so proud of him and his passion to follow Jesus' calling on his life. My momma's heart would ask that you also pray for us who are left behind. There were quite a few tears here last night, as it sunk in to the littler kids that their big brother would be flying across the world today. It's a lot to take in and they are doing a great job of supporting him and praying for him. But we all miss him terribly. And all our holiday activities have that little tinge of missing him kind of lingering in the background. Thanks for that, too.

The Crib

Just the other night, I had an awesome light bulb moment: we get to set up our crib again! That crib is so special to The Boss and I. I'm sure many folks feel that way about the furniture they used for their babies. But I'd love to tell you just a bit of what this crib represents for us as a family.

For one thing, this crib represents our very intentional plans to build our family as God led us to build it. When we were newlyweds, making a very meager salary supplemented by my part time job, The Boss and I purposed to tuck $10 a week into a little envelope in our pantry drawer. We marked it "Baby," and never touched it except to add to it. I prayed over it often, asking God to lead us and give us wisdom for the timing and the planning of the family for which we were dreaming. There were times in those early years that I just couldn't understand what we were waiting for. Looking back now, I'm so glad we did wait and use our time together to grow, pray, and build our marriage while we made so many great memories together.

Four years later, when we were waiting for Shaggy to make his appearance, we took our little envelope to the baby furniture store and ordered the crib of my dreams. I had looked around and studied up on cribs by then, quite extensively. I knew exactly what I wanted. I was content to order it when we couldn't find it on the show room floor. I remember that the wait for the shipment to arrive felt sooooo long and suspenseful. The day that the UPS guy hauled the boxes up the stairs of our little 2nd floor Victorian apartment was one of the happiest days of my pregnancy.

As The Boss set about to assemble that crib, NEVER did I dream that there would eventually be SIX Gang members rolling around that crib, gurgling and crying and snuggling in to the warmth of our family.  Never did I dream that our little stockpile would be an investment in SIX babies' futures!!!!!

And that's the other thing. This gift of little Mei Mei, chosen for our family at such a young age means that we are now 6 for 6 in little Gang babies starting their life with us in that crib.  I'm strangely proud of that. In today's throw-away society, I am bringing home a baby girl to sleep in a crib (or not sleep in the crib if the other siblings are any indication of how we do sleeping at these young ages! Ha!) that has stood the test of time, teething and tantrums (how's THAT for alliteration!). But seriously, it's not just the beautiful tradition of using the same crib for all 6 of my babies, which you all know I love.love.love! I also love that our tastes and decorating style has withstood all the crazy trends of the last 19 years. This crib will STILL make for some adorable little girl style in Mei Mei and Li'l Empress's room.

Looking back on simple things like this crib, I'm so grateful and humbled by His Care for us all these years. For His nurture of the dreams He planted in our hearts, even as newlyweds when we were living on very little (So.Very. Little!). We had each other, we had HIM, and we had those dreams. It's so amazing to see how God has honored and poured blessing down on our lives all these years later!

Happy Home Forever Day!!!

I was supposed to publish this yesterday but I forgot..... 

but when you read further, you'll understand why :)

This is another bit of a cross post,

but again, when you read further, you'll understand why :)

Four years ago (yesterday), we touched down in Newark airport with the 5th sweetest gift we had ever been given. Happy Home Forever Day, Li'l Empress!

And I think it's so fitting that (yesterday), we officially accepted the referral of the 6th sweetest little gift God is entrusting to our home. Welcome to the family, Brynna Rose :)

So, as you can imagine, we've been really busy since Monday night doing our "due diligence" researching and educating ourselves on the need of our new daughter. All while praying for wisdom and guidance AND checking the pulse of all the Gang members here in the house for their thoughts and feelings. There's a lot I can (and maybe some day will) say about this journey, but for now, I think that the God moment of saying YES to this sweet little one on the same day that our Little Empress became a US citizen AND joined our whole family's crazy gang is testament enough to how He loves to put the details together for us.

And now, I move to preparing Shaggy for his big adventure. And I guess I should catch up on all the laundry and paperwork that has piled up around my ears while I was crash-coursing on all things medical!

First Day, Round Two

The first day of Kindergarten got off to a great start here at home. She picked her own outfit out, specifically designed to  match the pretty new bow she found at the store last week.

Sigh. I can't believe how grown up she looks!

She did it. While we were waiting, she was hopping up and down in her little canvas Keds, giggling under her breath and chanting her little mantra, "I so excited! I so excited!"  She made it onto the bus, giddy with excitement and joy. Not a tear in sight. And only a teensy momentary hesitation when the bus actually stopped in front of her. A tiny quick look of panic until she saw "Miss Lynne (whom she had met yesterday) beckoning her on and realized Baby BlueEyes was already on his way to the stairs. Just a moment and then she was determined to catch up to BBE. So glad he will be there for her each morning!

"I so excited!"

I swear that back pack is bigger than she is!

Our awesome driver, Miss Lynne,

reminded her to turn around for a picture and a wave!

"Bye Momma! Bye Daddy!"

"Sit down, Li'l Empress!"

:)

We all got so caught up in the fun that there were

almost no tears at all on the part of this quaking Momma and mushy Daddy.

Well, until the bus pulled away, that is.

Then, all bets were off. And Shaggy threw his arm around me and told me I'd be okay. She'd be great. Which made me cry more. Which made Shaggy laugh at his momma. Thank goodness Shaggy was here to lighten the moment...

I'm okay now. Hopefully, she is too. That bus is a really, really noisy place. And she's the only kindergartner for most of the route, because we had to switch placements. I'm really hoping for a great report from both Li'l Empress and Baby BlueEyes at the end of the day.

Poor Daddy, he drove off to work still a little teary.

Sigh.

1st Day, Round One

Ooooh, dreary, cloudy first day of school for The Gang this morning. And sheesh, a wierd vibe to the day, all day, too.

For starters, this is the official first day for everyone BUT kindergartners in our district. So Li'l Empress was a little put out pretty much as soon as she got up, at the idea of everyone else getting to ride the big yellow bus this morning.

Then, we realized that this is the very first time EVER that Dr. D is starting a school year without Shaggy at his side. EVER. So strange to see him head out the door all alone. Stranger still to have Shaggy sitting on the couch with bleary eyes, wishing everyone well and folding his work clothes.

First day of Junior Year for Dr. D

(can you tell he is so.over. this tradition?!)

LadyBug is now an 8th grader!!! 

Baby BlueEyes is in 5th grade this year.

And so very excited to be "the big sibling"

on duty for Li'l Empress! Isn't that cute?

Even stranger, will be tomorrow when it's just me and Shaggy home alone all morning long. For a month of mornings, it'll just be me and my Shaggy. And no, we WON'T be talking about what it will be like when this month is over. Not yet, anyway.

Cuz De Nial ain't just a river in Egypt, my friends. Heh.

Li'l Empress' mood was slightly improved by the "Meet the Teacher" event in her new classroom, later in thes morning. She enjoyed sitting at her new space, checking out the classroom, and coloring the "I'm a New Wildcat" posters for her new teacher.

Round Two is bright and early tomorrow morning, with Li'l Empress FI.NUH.LEEEE! getting to head off to school with Baby BlueEyes on the big yellow bus. We had to have her original placement changed from p.m. to a.m. (that's another whole story that would require its own post!). So I will be driving her home every morning when her session is done. When she found that out this morning, she informed me with a very serious face that she's a big 5 year old now and doesn't really need me to drive her home. That she would be "just fine, Mommy" to ride the big yellow bus home all by herself.

(Yeah. Well, tough cookies, cookie. Take THAT up

with the district if you'd like. And good luck if you do!)

To which I said, in my head, "I'm just fine, Li'l Empress with picking you up every morning at 11:30. It's a very small price to pay to make sure you start your first year off with the best possible advantages. Driving you home every day is the LEAST I can do to make this work for us all!"

Wordless Wednesday {Last days}

In order of the morning's departures

Last day of sophomore year

...of 7th grade

...of senior year

...of fourth grade

...of pre-school

Last day of  high school...

ever...

Pray for me, ya'll..... It's a big day around here.

For more Wordless Wednesday fun,

head over to 5 Minutes for Mom.

Wordless Wednesday {not this time either!}

We snuck away for a quick weekend trip with the kids.

It was mighty cold, but the sun coming up over the lake

was utterly beautiful.

Yes, they are wet.

Yes, they jumped in.

Yes, it was really, really, really cold.

Don't ask.

It was too cold for the fish.

Even with yummy smoked turkey franks as bait. 

These two had the right idea.

Snuggled up and cuddling together all weekend long.

For more Wordless Wednesday fun
that is never really wordless,

head over to 5 Minutes for Mom.

And don't forget, their
Mother's Day event is still going on...

Because It Bears Repeating

I love Valentine's Day.

I said it last year.

And I'm saying it again.

I love the proliferation of hearts and flowers that take over the stores. I love seeing my and my neighbors' flags fluttering across the neighborhood. I love watching the flower trucks zooming past the house on their delivery routes. I love the love songs that the radio stations pull out from the archives, sparking memories as I listen. I love the sappy television commercials (Well, except for that dumb one with the couple looking out the window during a storm where the crack of thunder makes her jump. Ugh. Really? Puhleeze.) and all the Hallmark movies with all the Hallmark ads. I even loved watching the two managers of my local grocery store set up their annual flowers and chocolates display at the entry to the store and listening in on their banter while they worked.  I love it all.

I'm a sap. I know that. And I'm perfectly content with it. I like my sappiness. Frankly, I think that a few more people should give in to their inner sap more often. Instead, far too many folks seem to camp on their cynical, critical, jaded side. And this particular holiday seems to bring out the worst of it.

Oh, yes. I went there. I wasn't gonna do it. But I went there. And here's why.

I KNOW that what we experience as the "day-after-New-Year's" headlong media blitz and retail snow job called Valentine's Day promotion is overdone.  I know it and I don't like it any more than the rest of you.  But I don't buy into the commercialism of it all. I recognize that it's way overdone in the media. The car and jewelry and travel and chocolate ads are bent on selling us stuff we don't need.

(Well, okay, we all need some chocolate. And now that I stop to think about it, I might need a bit of a tropical vacation while I'm staring out at all the dirty snow in my front yard. But I digress....)

I also know we're "supposed" to show love and express love every day of the year. Really. And I do, every day. In countless, often menial and unnoticed ways. I mean, I am not scrubbing toilets and sorting stinky socks cuz I'm getting paid so well, right?

I also know that Hallmark and American Greetings and all the other card companies have been cashing in on the holiday. Yada yada yada. I know all that.

And I still don't care. I love Valentine's Day.

I LOVE VALENTINE'S DAY!

I think everyone needs to stop once in a while and play in the puddles of sappiness a little bit. I think everyone should pause and think about their first love for a moment. It is my firm opinion that everyone should take a stroll down memory lane and remember their favorite Valentine's Day. I think we all need a little mush. I am determined that we all ought to find a moment or two - or, say, a whole day! - to let the sentiments of all the glorious, lavish, crazy, sweet, innocent, and interesting kinds of love wash over us.

Husband and wives should take an extra minute to kiss a little naughty.

Don't worry, it won't kill the kids to see it - after all, it's Valentine's Day!

Parents should hug some extra and kiss the sweet faces

of their babies, no matter the age. And if you have teen boys like I do,

it might be the one day that they LET you be a little mushy

and maybe even be a little mushy back!

Siblings should stop and say "I love you" to each other

and acknowledge that the love they share

is vitally important to keeping a family healthy and growing forward.

Friends ought to take a moment and recognize

that their love is sustaining in good times and in bad.

You see, I come to this strong set of feelings out of a long history. My mom always made Valentine's Day special when we were kids growing up. A fancier than normal meal prepared just for the occasion. A card by our plate. A little box of chocolates or conversation hearts from my dad.  A special, usually decadent dessert to share together. It wasn't over the top. It wasn't sensationalized. It wasn't commercialized. It was a pause in the regular routine of our busy home to acknowledge that the everyday love in our home was to be celebrated. To be cherished.

Later, my dad started a tradition when I went off to college of picking out a Valentine's card and sending it to me with a little something that every college kid loves: cash. And while I really appreciated the moolah, what I really treasured was the card. It was all done by him. (I suspect that ours was like many other families - most of the correspondence was from both of my folks but usually carried out by my mom, so his handwriting on the card took on special significance to me.) And even now, when I get that card in the mail addressed to The Boss and I in my Dad's script, I still feel a little thrill.

When the grandkids came along, he continued the tradition by picking out cute little cards for each one of them and tucking a crisp dollar bill inside. And each year, my kids LOVE the anticipation of seeing his distinctive handwriting on the card, addressed to each of them individually. They smile and delight in their "monies" (as Li'l Empress called it this morning) and they revel in the feeling that Grandpa (and Grandma - he signs it for her, too!) loves them. Even though my two oldest are far past the thrill of a simple dollar bill, they tuck it in their pockets with soft smiles. They GET what that card means. They know that they are loved. 

And THAT, my friends is why I love Valentine's Day. It's a beautiful excuse to pause and appreciate the love you have in your life. It's the perfect reason to stop what you are doing and let the ones around you know in no uncertain terms how you feel about them. Celebrate love today. In whatever form it appears in your life - go and celebrate it simply or lavishly. Just be sure you do it.

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.

Wordless Wednesday (finally, I'm back!)

Every year, my father-in-law carves ornaments for the kids.

Each ornament is a kind of "living history"

documenting the kids' current interests and hobbies.

This year, as with every year,

he totally nailed it for the littles!

Perry The Platypus

will be adorning our tree and surreptitiously

scoping the area for signs of

the evil Dr. Doofenschmirtz.

I feel much safer now.

Big sister Candace will be keeping an eye

on the hijinx of younger brothers Phineas and Ferb.

Just like LadyBug does! 

And! Kai Lan! will make sure that all her

super! duper! friends! are

Super! HAPPY!

(Isn't that reaction by Li'l Empress PRICELESS?!)

For more Wordless Wednesday fun,

head over to 5 Minutes for Mom.

And don't worry, none of the moms keep

it truly wordless every week :)