Happy Valentines Day!

I love celebrating holidays! All of them, they are all my favorites.  I don't know if I've always been a holiday fanatic or if it's just since having kiddos to share these glorious days with and the sweet looks of excitement they get with each and every holiday.  There's just something fun and exciting about seeing each holiday through a child's eyes. 

Earlier in the week me and the boys made some Valentines cookies for Daniel and his squad mates.  For once they have a holiday off work, so I had to get them done early. 

Chocolate cookies with valentine M&M's and chocolate chips.  They were quite scrumptious! 

And then our Valentine's celebrating as a family began on Friday with some delicious Valentine inspired pancakes! 

... And the boys were greeted with valentine hearts hanging for them in the doorway of the living room.

Hayden's says, "Hayden I love.... Your laugh, your cuddles, your wild hair, your excitement, I love you! 2014". And Leeland's says, "Leeland, I love... Your smile, your energy, your hugs, your curiosity, I love you! 2014."  We made them at MoPS a few weeks ago, and it was a pretty brilliant idea that I definitely could carry on to other years. 

.... And yummy treats on the table. 

Praise God I was thinking ahead when I did our regular grocery shopping a couple weeks ago and picked these things up.  We're snowed in here in NC, and there's no way I'd be going out to pick anything up.  The little animal boxes have cinnamon animal cookies in them, and then strawberry pocky sticks for fun. 

The afternoon was filled with lots of lounging and relaxing, and I had the great pleasure of watching Leeland and Daniel play outside in the snow. 

And then we spent our evening having delicious lasagna with our friends and god daughter followed by a yummy "indoor s'mores" dessert. (Thanks Pinterest!)

For anyone curious, to make the indoor s'mores, you get a cast iron skillet, place a layer of chocolate chips, and pile some marshmallows on top, then you bake in the oven at 450 degrees for 7-10 minutes or or until the marshmallows are nice and toasty. (I used pink and white heart shaped marshmallows since they were so festive at the store.) And then you take graham crackers and eat it like you would chips and dip. 

A most excellent valentines day surrounded by the ones that I love most.  Feeling so blessed by God to have these wonderful people in my life.