love & history

Hello, bloggy friends!

Valentines Day is awesome! It's such a happy holiday! I love that there is a day dedicated to showing your affection to those you love, and not just you significant other (even though that's probably one you want to focus on a little extra. HA!)! Valentines is just like one big, national reminder to smile and little brighter and hug a little tighter. Not to mention that it is, historically, an enormous celebration of love growing in adversity, which I think is beautiful. Being a history teacher's daughter, I'm inclined to tell you the story, even if it's mostly ledgend. But don't worry, its an abridged version for your blog reading pleasure!

The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl--possibly his jailor's daughter--who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed "From your Valentine," an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and--most importantly--romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France.

*long, girly sigh* And that is how Valentines Day came to be. Not a day to make up for 364 days of slacking, but to remind us not to take our relationships and freedom to love for granted. I can't wait to love the crap out of everyone I see tomorrow! Happy early Valentines, friend! I hope your day is filled with warmth and affection!

*image from sodahead 
**history from the most reliable souce ever

W.W.D.S.

What Would Disney Say?

"If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all!"

What a wise little bunny that Thumper is! Disney movies are choc-full of inspiring words and this one has been weighing on my mind a lot lately.
It seems like everywhere you go someone is angry with someone else and is wasting time and energy to drag their name through the mud. Whatever happened to just being nice? Or, when that doesn't work, keeping our mouths shut?

I fail at this daily, like to the extent that it's embarrassing to admit. When I see or hear something that makes me want to lash out in anger-- an urge that I often give in to-- I try to remember sweet Thumper's little words. There are some things (people included) that just fire me up and I could go on and on for days about how much I don't care for them, but I know it isn't helping the situation. I exhaust myself by focusing so much of my being into disliking whatever it is! It makes me look way more pathetic than the thing causing my reaction. Sometimes my knee-jerk reaction is to say something degrading without even thinking about it. That's terrible! Who likes a grouchy complainer who is constantly downing other people? I don't! Not only is it petty, but it isn't how God wants His people to feel about one another.

Ephesians 4:29 tells us, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

So, not only are we not supposed to slander one another, but grace each other with encouragement! Easier said than done. Isn't everything? My prayer this week is that God will help me to become the kind of person who doesn't talk badly about others and only offers up pleasant things. Compliments, words of affirmation, and support. And when those fail me, the strength to say nothing at all!


Ps. Totally didn't realize how sad Bambi is until watching it the other day! I sobbed through most of it.

*Bambi pic from here

the big 2-0! woot woot!

Today my sweet hubby has moved into his TWENTIES!

That's right. Today Tommy has turned 20! He's a real life grown up now, you guys! How exciting! I feel so privilaged to be able to spend this milestone birthday with him and I hope that he'll let me stick around for many, many more. I think he will though because I'm the world champion of snuggling.

I had something totally rad planned but since we collectively had to spend $800 on text books (Yeah, we both bought all used and it makes me sick every time I think about it.) it fell through. So, we decided to just hang out and be lazy all weekend. That's Tommy's absolute favorite thing! If it were up to him we would be hermits and the only people who would ever visit would be food delivery guys.
I could resist getting him out for at least a little while though. We went to Cheesecake Factory Saturday for lunch and nearly bust a gut! Oh, it was so soooo good! Fried mac-in-cheese heaven. Then we came home and took the most glorious nap in the history of all naps!

For his actually birthday I got him a few little gifts. Instead of getting him another card (he had already gotten a pretty sweet Jim Halpert talking card from someone special) I made him a message in a bottle.

I bought the little bottle at Michael's, rolled the letter around a pencil, and dropped it inside! It was really hard to squeeze it in that little bottle and even harder to get it out but he loved it :)

Tommy is my best friend and I can hardly believe he chooses to spend his every day with me. I can't imagine a more thoughtful, understanding, kind, funny, snuggly, HANDSOME man than the one God blessed me with. Happy birthday, Sunshine! I love you.