Tuesday, February 14, 2017

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Happy Valentine's Day! I really like Valentine's Day. I am not a super romantic or expect lavish gifts on this day. I just have liked this holiday since I was a kid. I think I remember Valentine's Day parties at school more than any other parties. There is something exciting about going to the store and picking out the perfect Valentine cards. Then there is the creative,  fun time making your Valentine box for school. The day of the party is filled with red and pink ( my favorite colors), hearts, candy, and those sweet little cards that your classmates have given you. It's the one day of the year that kids get to read sweet messages (even if the sender doesn't mean it) and feel like they matter. There is something so encouraging looking at those sweet puppies or kittens or whatever new cartoon character is around and reading "You're "pawfect" Valentine!", "Bananas for you!", "Crush the Resistance, My Valentine!" (Star Wars). I was thinking today what a difference the world would be if we lived our life (even as adults, especially as adults) telling  the people in our life good things we see in them. I also love this day because it makes me reflect on all of the things I love in my life, not just the main things like Jesus, Family, ect., but the every day things that make me smile like coffee, sleeping in, Chicago Cubs, talking to my sister, being called Aunt Kimmy, and the list could go on.

These are just a few things that flashed through my mind today as I reflected on all the things in my life that I love. I also cannot let this day go by without mentioning February 14, 2008. This will probably be the best Valentine's Day that I will ever experience. It was on this day that I was able to finally lay my eyes and my hands on our sweet Emma. You can browse back through my old February posts if you want more details on our difficult journey bringing Emma home, but basically the US Visa office sent some wrong paperwork to Korea and then it was misplaced and it literally took us contacting our Senator and State Representatives to get our baby home. There were moments on our journey that felt like Emma would never get home. On Valentine's Day 9 years ago we were in Korea. We went to a large apartment complex. Walked into the tiny apartment of Emma's foster family. We saw our girl live in the flesh sitting there on the floor. I wish I could say that she looked at us and crawled in our arms, but the truth is she saw us and wanted her foster mother. We would sit on the floor for almost 30 minutes trying to touch her, offer her toys or food, trying anything to get her near us. It would take those 30 minutes of me inching closer and closer to her until finally I had a photo album book of our family that interested her enough to let me hold her in my lap. It did not last long, but enough for Jeremy to snap a picture that I treasure every day. The picture I have posted every year throws the events of those hours off a bit. We did not even notice the picture frame with the white people in it until after the picture was developed (yes, taken on an actual camera). It looks like a little girl sitting with her momma looking at a book. Every time I look at that picture I see a moment captured in time that has 100 other stories connected to it. I love that on a day associated with love I have a tangible reference to what true, beautiful love looks like.




Treats from my students

BEST.VALENTINE.EVER

Treats for my family

Only thing I wanted for Valentine's Day 

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