one week

One week from today is Valentine's Day.  What are your plans?

I looked up "pictures of Valentine's Day" and found this, and I love it.  
I wonder how many men are going to get themselves in trouble next week.  

Kevin and I have no plans.  We haven't had V-day plans for years.  Probably 8 yrs to be exact, since that's how long we've been parents.  Kids are a total kill-joy as far as celebrating Valentine's Day is concerned.  

That sounds negative.  But true.

So ok, we're not going out to dinner...dinner out V-day stinks anyway, too expensive and a long wait.  No flowers (again, too expensive), no chocolate (the kids will come home with a bunch of junk from their class valentine exchange and just like Halloween, we take some of their loot), no wine (Kev doesn't drink anything, and it's no fun wine-ing by myself).  

But we'll have a nice evening all the same.  I'm making Kevin one of his favorite dinners, beef stroganoff, and I'm going to give him a well-deserved backrub.  I'm hoping he will clean the kitchen and maybe throw in a load of laundry for me.  Ok not just throw it in, that's the easy part, but to actually then fold and put away.  He knows by now that's the kind of thing that does it for me.  Also, since Valentine's Day is actually Bailey's favorite holiday (and if you know her at all, you are not surprised) I'm going to try to think of something fun to do with the girls too.

So all you parents, especially to those with very young children, if you're not doing anything "special" for V-day, take heart.  Someday, we will be able to do whatever we want for V-day, or any day.  Let's try to do those little things we know our spouse likes, so that when that day comes around and we can do whatever we want, we still have our special sweetheart to do it with.  Everybody needs to know they are loved, and not just on Valentines.  

Spread the love!  (and you can take that in more than one way if you like :)  It is Valentine's Day after all!)

Top 10 things I love

I don't know why I'm into top 10s...I really don't. But here's another.

Top 10 Things I Love

*Disclaimer - don't feel bad if you're left out...on any given day there's a good chance I could leave my own flesh and blood off this list.  Nah...never.  But you get what I mean.

10.  Reliving memories.  I'm very sentimental - so much so that it's actually difficult for me to see home videos.  Weird, I know.  But I love a good story, or laugh about something that just a family or friends share.  It makes me feel all warm and cozy.

9.  When I get something new done to the house.  I know, something so materialistic shouldn't be on a love list, but since I spend hours upon hours inside my house every day, I love when we finally renovate something.

8. Even though I do spend those hours upon hours inside my house, I love being a SAHM.  It hasn't been all romance, but I am thankful every day to wave my girls off to school and be here when they get home.  When they were little, I was especially grateful, that with Bailey's CF and Tatie's SPD they could stay with me.  I am thankful to be home on their snow days and take care of them on their sick days.  I know that I'll get a job soon, and money will come (right?!).  But these days of being able to take care of young children, are so fleeting.  And more so when they were little than now, but they thought I was their world, and I hung the moon.  That was the best feeling.  Well, when they weren't screeching at me. And you know what kid I'm talkin' about.

7.  My family -- I don't mean Kevin and the girls, although of course I love them, I mean my mom, brother, and Kevin's side too.  We love each other, and look out for each other.  Namely, my mom is precious to me.  She loves me more than I think anyone else does.  Really.  She would do anything for me, and has.  She genuinely "gets" me and wants the world for me.  She still babies me when I'm sick.  She would ALWAYS have my back, even if I'm wrong.

6.  Speaking of family, my mom has a large family (she's one of 9) and my dad had a pretty good size too (he was one of 4). So I love family get togethers.  I love seeing my Uncle John - although it's somewhat painful - because he reminds me so much of my dad.  His eyebrows, the fire and animation of his eyes (only a Hiscott could really understand that), his passion for nutrition and helping his family understand what's good for them. I love seeing my mom's sisters, because of the incredible bond they share with my mom.  I love seeing my cousins, a lot of them call me Brynnie and I love that.  I'm especially close with one cousin and we try to see each other at least once a year and her children are close with mine, which I so appreciate.  Because they don't have any real cousins yet of their own...Kevin's brother and my brother are taking their sweet time.

5.  My friends - of course.  I am so blessed to have wonderful friends - a few from Toms River, where I grew up so they are my roots; a few from my 4 years working at Great Adventure - they're so fun; a great group from college who I will always love dearly and saw my start with Kevin, and now an awesome group from HOPE, our church - they have known us only as a family, and they love my whole family.  I LOVE having friends.

4.  Living in America. Sure, I get disappointed in the politics, or frustrated when Bailey's CHOP bills loom over me, but there is NO other place I want to be.  How blessed I am to be here, how blessed!!

3.  My children.  They are my heart, my loves.  My greatest achievement...all that cliche stuff.  But truly, I couldn't imagine loving anything more, than my 2 girls and what being a mommy has meant to me.  I ADORE them.

2.  Kevin Andrew.  He is my best friend, and so much more (duh...we've got 2 chillens).  Every single day I love it when he walks through the door.  When the kids were younger, I thought it was because I would throw them at him.  Literally..."Catch Kevin, here ya go!  The big one hasn't let me put her down all day and the little one won't nap, they're all yours!"  But really, I just feel better when he's around.  He's my teammate.  I really like him most of the time too, which helps.  I feel very fortunate that God blessed me with a loving husband and caring father of my babies.  And as I write this, he's out there making the money - which he then hands over to his 3 girls - you can't beat that.

1.  My God, my Creator, my Savior.  I love the Lord.  Perhaps the best compliment I have received all year was being called an "unapologetic Jesus lover" by a friend.  Oh yeah I am!  I am thankful to believe, thankful to feel the love of Christ alive and moving in my life...and in the lives of my family.  It doesn't mean my life is perfect - far from it.  It means I have a relationship with Jesus that is more than going to church or reading the Bible.  It's an ever-present presence of peace, grace and joy in my life...even when I am under great stress.  I know that Bailey's CF won't be cured tomorrow, or that Tatie may always have difficulties I wished she didn't.  But my faith allows me to have hope for tomorrow - that no matter what, God will work all things together for a greater good, even if I don't understand it.  I love believing.

And if you actually read this whole post, it must mean you are a dear one to me, so I love you :)