Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Celebrating Love

There is only one day each year when the entire world celebrates in unison the beauty of love. What a great day this is. Here is what I learned today.

According to legend, Valentin's Day originated in the medieval Era when the catholic Saint Valentine, a priest at the time, refused the Roman Emperor's law ordering young men to remain single. The priest Valentine secretly performed marriages, but was found out and thrown into prison.

The night before he was executed, he wrote the very first 'valentine' giving it to a young women believed to be his love. The note read, "from your valentine," and thus began the celebration of love.

Happiness in Marriage-
Marriage can be more an exultant ecstasy than the human mind can conceive. This is within the reach of every couple, every person." ~President Spencer W. Kimball

Dating in Marriage-
"Keep your courtship alive, make time to do things together- just the two of you. As important as it is to be with the children as a family, you need regular weekly time alone together. Scheduling it will let your children know that you feel that your marriage is so important that you need to nurture it. That takes commitment, planning, and scheduling." ~Elder Joe J. Christensen

On Love
"The best thing that a father can do for his children is to love their mother." ~Elder Russell M. Nelson

"Nurture and cultivate your marriage. Guard it and work to keep it solid and beautiful." ~President Gordon B. Hinckley.

"True love hopes and prays for an endless continuation of association with the loved one. To those who are sealed to each other for all existence, love is ever warm, more hopeful, believing, courageous, happiness and the making of it have no end." ~Elder John A. Widtsoe

"Perfect love is perfectly patient." ~Elder Neil A. Maxwell.

Forgiveness
"One man has said. "Love in not blind- it see's more, not less. But because it sees more, it is willing to see less" ~President Gordon B. Hinckley quoting Julius Gordon

Intimacy
"Tenderness and respect- never selfishness- must be the guiding principles in the intimate relationship between husband and wife." ~President Howard W Hunter

For the Divorced
"Some marriages do bend and some will break, but we must not, because of this, lose faith in marriage nor become afraid of it... Not even if you have been through the unhappiness of a divorce and are surrounded with pieces of a marriage that has fallen apart" ~Elder Boyd K. Packer

For the single-
"One good yardstick as to whether a person might be the right one for you is this: in her/his presence, do you think your noblest thoughts, do you aspire to your finest deeds, do you wish you were better than you are?" ~President Ezra Taft Benson

"Soal mates are fiction and an illusion...it is certain that almost any good man and any good women can have happiness and a successful marriage" ~President Spencer W. Kimball


Here are a few fun idea's that I have for you
and your sweetheart.

* Give them a book of love, create a book made from a journal, notebook, etc. fill it with memories of the two of you, pictures of your life together, reasons why you love them, a love letter, and anything else romantic you can think of.

* Cards are way fun to get but instead of collecting cards- start your own notebook of letters. Just buy a special notebook that you can have specifically for this. one that can be kept for years to come. Write in it on holidays or for any special occasion- or whenever you fell like it- surprise him/her and they will love it!

* Read old love notes you wrote to each other from when you were first dating or married.

* On your way home from an evening's activities, pull over at a quiet spot, turn the radio on a bit louder and have a romantic dance for two!

* Find a photo booth or get a camera and take some silly/romantic pictures together.

* Reenact your first date, going to the same places and doing the same things.

* Time- is so important. Just give them your TIME!!

traditions are so fun. what are some of the things you do to celebrate your love?
Have a fun weekend!!!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

the birds have taken over

so imagine my face, Hannah's face and little Ty's face all smashed up against our front window looking at what was right in front of us. We were speachless. they were EVERYWHERE! on every tree on every limb- on every roof.
I wish I had a better camera- this does it no justice.
Then out of nowhere....they started flying towards us. a couple 100 almost hit our window but for some odd reason managed to not. thank goodness or that would have been real scary! Look close at the big one at the top- It was inches from our faces.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

so graceful

So life has been interesting. This is what happens when your not careful on the stairs. I thought I was at the bottom and had one more to go and fell on it hard. I thought I broke it. I'm still wondering if I did something more than a sprain. It happened three weeks ago and still hurts bad. Yes this is a picture of me with my foot in an ice bucket. Yes I did it! I don't think I'll be doing that again- only crazy people keep their feet in Ice cold water!