The Love day...

One of the best things about coming to the U.S. from another country is that one can embrace 2 different cultures. Since our family is made out of 3 (Brazil, Spain, and US) we can pick and choose what we bring into our family. And in we I mean ME.
For example... In Brazil Christmas is big but not nearly as big as in the US, here the decorations, and trees, and traditions are far beyond any other I have seen. In Spain Christmas is not big at all, No decor, or presents on that day. They open their gifts on 3 kings day which is Jan, 6th. Since Christmas is my favorite holiday, we took on full load of US Christmas, New Years in Brazil is HUGE... It's actually the second country in the world that consumes the most fire works, after China. And we set it all off at midnight on Dec. 31st. It is beautiful.   So we embraced that one too.
This is a picture of Rio de Janeiro, can you see all the people out on the beach???

Anyways back to my point, I remember coming here and HATING this Valentines Day thing. It is something we never really understood and partook of while I was growing up. I remember walking down the hallways in my freshmen year getting hit on the face with balloons that the "popular" girls would carry. They would walk by in their very SHORT shorts and 3 dozen roses, 10 carnations, and 8 balloons, 5 cards. and oh the disgusting make out sections in between classes. I remember sitting in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th block when the "cupid" came in to deliver carnations and cards to the other 20 girls in class, and never one for me. OH HOW I HATED THIS CURSED DAY.  Jealous? no, Not me!!?? 

Ok, ok, maybe a little... but one thing I am glad I never did... Is I never sold myself short in order to become popular or deserve a rose or balloon from some guy who is now, probably too fat,  and loosing his hair a beer gut and a dead beat job. hahahahaha Nope never dated THAT looser. I remember in 10th grade, begging my mom to let me stay home from school on the cursed Feb, 14th. She didn't... 

I cried myself to sleep the night before just thinking of how awful my day would be, and I was right. It was a repetition of the year before. She knew I had been crying and sad the whole day as soon as she took one look at me. Well... I came home to find on my bed, a balloon, a bag of pink and red M&M's some flowers, and a card, that said something like this, "I know how hard it must have been to not carry a heart shaped balloon today, but because of your integrity and purity someday, someone will give you his whole heart to carry around, not just for a day but for eternity." 

Boy was she right, I would not change a thing. The heart that was prepared for me to carry around for Eternity is far better then anything else that anyone could get for V-day. It was not until I was married that I realized that it can be a good thing. And only after I had children I understood the whole US culture behind it. And this year, I embraced it with all I had. My mom was my first Valentine at the age of 14, and my next one was my husband, at the age of 19, and at 26 I had the sweetest, cutest valentines. My son and Daughter, and they all turned a bitter day, into one of the sweetest time of the year. Soooo. welcome into the family U.S. love day.

I taught a 4 year old to take pictures...

And he left with the camera, and came back with this picture. 

Daddy!!!

We made cookies for his School Valentines.

So proud of his hard work.

 Stephanie Loved the Frosting.

 We attempted on Heart Shaped pancakes.

And of course, no fun day is over without a wrestling section with Daddy.

HUM... Do you think we can fit another little girl on that horsey ride? Maybe Daddy's back is like Mommy's heart. It expands to fit everyone!!??

Hope you had as good V-Day as we did.