Be my valentine.....

Happy Valentine's Day! It's usually just like any other day around here. Richard did surprise me with a beautiful card though that totally describes where we are right now in our marriage. I love it and I love him! He offered to get Kyra from school and take her out to eat, so that's where he is right now. He even got her a card. He's a great daddy!

I really wanted to highlight the way I feel about my 4 loves that I look forward to waking up to every single day. I hope that it gives you a little peek into why I'm so proud to be a wife and a mommy right now.

Richard- Where do I begin? Richard came into my life at a time where I had just about given up on love and he never left. I was very persistent with him and always was there for him "as a friend". Nothing more. Then one night, I told myself that I needed to forget about him and move on and lo and behold that's when the phone rang. I was in shock. Who knew? I still remember all of the crazy times that we shared together early on and cannot believe that we were so stupid. But you do crazy things for love, right? I can't believe that we've known each other for 11 years now and have been married for almost 8 of those! WOW! We fit together really well and we enjoy the smallest and goofiest things. I really don't think either one of us could be married to anyone else because there's no way that they'd put up with all of our crap! LOL! I've seen just about every aspect of him.....anger, excitement, sadness, grief, happiness. Through it all, I love him more and more every day even if he is a total pain in the ass sometimes. We have had some speed bumps along the way, but we always came out better and stronger. The love that he has for me and the girls just amazes me. He is such a "hands-on" daddy and cherishes every moment with his family. I love him more than words can say.

Kyra- She is the most sensitive and caring 4 year old that I've ever met and I'm not just saying that because she's my own. I mean it. I honestly do not know where she comes up with half of the stuff that she does. She's amazing. Yesterday, she told me that she misses her Granny (says this numerous times per week) and wishes that she could send a Valentine up to Heaven for her. Then she was concerned and asked if God plans a Valentine's Day for all of those in Heaven. This morning on the way to school, she told me that she missed her "Whales" class (her class last year). She also made a Valentine card for Maeve this morning and wrote all of our names on it. She's always going out of her way to make others happy. I see her getting into a profession like teaching where you always have to give of yourself and make a difference in the lives of others. She still comes and sits on my lap when Maeve isn't around and says, "Mommy, you're the best mommy. I love you." My heart just melts. My favorite time with her is bedtime. We brush teeth and potty and then I read a book to her. Then we say prayers. If you read previous blogs, you'll see that Kyra likes to pray for some pretty weird things. But, it's sweet and I softly chuckle. We hug and kiss and then she goes to sleep. She doesn't want to fall asleep in her bed, so when Richard is here, we carry her to her room after she falls asleep. When Richard works, she sleeps with me the entire night. She really thinks that's a treat! Kyra is so passionate and caring toward Mia and Maeve too. They are her best friends. She wants Mia in the bed with her at night when she falls asleep. She sweet talks to Maeve all of the time and shares her toys with her. I love seeing the two of them play together. It's the greatest reward any mother could want. I love the way Kyra thinks that her Papoo (my dad) hung the moon! My Kyra has made me a better mommy and I adore her. I love her big brown eyes. They are so expressive and full of joy and love. I still call her my "Kika" and she hates it. But, she's my baby and always will be!

Maeve- Maeve has been with me for the shortest amount of time, but I cannot believe how much my heart has grown over the last 9 1/2 months. I can't imagine my life without my "little bear". I was much more relaxed when she was born and wanted to give nursing a go. We struggled with many issues at first, but we made it through the rough times and now I really love our nursing relationship. I'm not ready to stop just yet and neither is she. I love the way she looks up at me when she nurses and strokes my face. I love the way she gives me a warm smile when she wakes up and kicks her leg and flails her arms in excitement. I love the way that she "talks" to the water in the tub. I love the way that she fusses when she wants her daddy to pick her up. I love her gorgeous blue eyes. I still have to pinch myself because I cannot believe that I have a child with blue eyes. I love the way she screeches in delight when she is greeted by Kyra. I love the way she studies my face when I'm doing something that she's totally interested in. That serious look is priceless. I love the way she sucks on her two middle fingers when she wants to go to sleep. It's adorable. I cannot wait to see how her little personality develops and I cannot wait to hear what she's interested in. I look forward to watching my baby grow up. Just when I thought that my heart couldn't get bigger after having Kyra, it just doubled with more love after I had Maeve.

Mia- Mia is like one of my children. I've never thought of her as "just a dog". She plays with all of us. She sleeps with Richard and I. She doesn't speak, but she melts all of our hearts. She greets us when we walk in the door. She sits on our laps and looks at us with those cute doggy eyes. She barks when strangers come to the door to protect us. She loves to find the tiniest of spaces to crawl into and cuddle up. She adores blankets and laundry just out of the dryer. She loves the heating pad and the electric blanket. She's the laziest of dogs, but the most loving. I never had a dog before Mia, and totally wish that I would have. BUT, I'm glad that Mia came into my life as my 1st dog. I really couldn't have asked for a better one. We are going to expand our family with another dog in a few years. I cannot wait. I hope that Mia isn't too jealous. :)

I hope that you've gotten a better idea of why I love my family so much. They mean the world to me. Without them, I am nothing.

Love to all! *smooch*