Valentine’s Day Week

We had a lot going on last week, so here are the highlights.  The girls had their last swim lesson (posted this last week).  Ellie had her last story time; she took heart cookies for a Valentine’s party.  Madison had her preschool Valentine’s party; she came home with a stash of cards and candy!  It was fun to see her trying to read all the names on the Valentine’s cards; sometimes she even knew which kid gave a card because of what it was.  It is amazing they pick up on each other’s interests at such a young age. 
Jeremy won the husband of the year award with showers of gifts this year.  He had a Valentine’s card for me early commemorating our 10 years of Valentine’s days together.  He bought me a dozen red roses another night.  We went out on a lunch date on Wednesday.  My parents surprised us by taking the girls for the night on Thursday.  So, we went out to Oak Grove Eatery in Wooster.  The food, while pricier than our usual meals out, was delicious!!  It was also nice to just sit and talk and not feel rushed to get home.  Jeremy was flexible enough to meet me there even though he had been gone – driving the countryside – for work since early morning.  (I would have just wanted to get home, I think; so, thanks, Jeremy, for sacrificing your time for me.) 

Then, on Valentine’s Day we had a family night with a fancy dinner.  We decorated with hearts the girls had made.  We got out the fancy dishes and place mats.  I made red themed food. 
 
The girls picked out our clothes for our fancy meal.  They did a great job, don’t you think?

    

I made a white velvet cake with buttercream frosting.  The girls put on the candy hearts and picked the words and design. 

It was a nice night as a family.
On Thursday, the girls and I volunteered at MCC Connections for the first time.  We hope to be able to do this about once a month.  (As a side note, I think this is their slow time donation-wise, so if you are stuck inside, clean out your stuff, and donate it!) 

Madison worked on sorting crayons – crayola and off brand.

Ellie and I worked on testing pens – working and not working.  Ellie had fun throwing the bad ones away.


The girls are doing a great job with their Bible memory verses.  I am amazed with how well little minds memorize and soak things in.  Last week for the letter B, they learned, “Be thankful in all things.” I Thessalonians 5:18.  This week for C, they are learning, “A cheerful is good medicine” Proverbs 17:22.  We decided we would just hang them up in our stairway, so we could remember them and see the alphabet all year long! 
In other news, our renters moved out of the townhouse.  We are working on getting it cleaned, painted, and carpeted to sell it.  It gets listed in March, so if you know anyone wanting an affordable 2 bedroom townhouse in Columbus, let us know.  It is in a great location near Easton and Polaris, about a 1/2 mi from the bike trail, and overlooks a ravine to Alum Creek.  Really, I loved the place while we were there.  Because of the lack of yard, it would not be my favorite spot for kids, but there are sidewalks, parks, and it is a quiet cul-de-sac; in the end, it would work. 
Hope everyone is staying warm in these frigid temps.  Have a great weekend.