I love my daughter Jessie the best.

Sure...I love all the rest of the kids. And my grandkids. And my husband. And possibly even my weiner dog, Oskar.

But you know how a Mom isn't supposed to have favorites?

Well...I'm going to have to be honest here and tell you...

That I do have a favorite.

And it is our oldest daughter Jessie.

Sometimes she's not my favorite...but don't tell her that. Let her bask in the glory of being the favorite for a day.

OK, goodbye.

...

...

Huh?

Oh, yeah.

She is my favorite today because she is a "Craft-Tea Girl"!

And because she is a "Craft-Tea Girl" she has a "Craft-Tea" post on her seldom used blog. It's about making this......for a special gift.

And because she has a "Craft-Tea" post on her seldom used blog I do not have to write a blog today at all...and I can just link you to her post.

Because I am feeling at a loss for words this morning.

No, it is not because I was up all night immitating a camel braying.

It is because I am silent today. And refelective. And a woman of few words.

In fact, I should link this post to Wordless Wednesday. (cough, cough)

Excuse me for a moment.

Do you know that your nose DOES NOT GET BIGGER WHEN YOU LIE? I just had to check in the mirror for a moment. Thank heavens for that because mine is already plenty big enough.

But anyway because my favorite daughter put up this post for a cool craft I can just send you over there and spend an extra hour laying in bed.

Dreaming of camels. Praying that another one of my kids will start a blog so I don't have to post on Friday either.

Oh, but I will definitely rouse myself on Thursday and put up a stunning "E" post for Alphabe-Thursday. Oh yea. I have got one killer post coming...you will be amazed and astounded and...

What?

No my nose is not growing.

OK, I just didn't want to ruin your image of me as always being full of words...(hey, that wasn't nice...I said words!) so how can I confess to you that I have nothing for "E"? Nada. Zip. Squat.

But I will.

Oh I will.

Game on.

And don't forget to visit Jessie's blog. You can go there by just clicking here!

Cuz it is a cool craft she came up with AND

She is my favorite...

Sigh...

PS And click on the picture that shows the inside of the tea-pot.

I'm telling ya, this girl is clever! Oh, and did I mention...she is my favorite!

Happy VD! (and winner and last giveaway)

That is something my youngest sister used to say and to write on every Valentines Day card she made. Well, she didn't say the winner and giveaway part but she did say the VD part!

When I was really young I thought it was clever...when I got older I thought it would make me die of embarrassment...and now I wish she was still with us to inscribe it on the rare notes she would write in her increasingly shaky handwriting.

When I was a little girl my Dad would bring each of us four girls a little box of Valentines candy that I remember looking very much like this... The candy was never very good but my Dad would write in his also shaky handwriting a little tag on each of them... mine always said "To Jenny, Love, Dad" and that was as sentimental and personal as my Dad would be in those days. I actually saved those little notes for a long-time but somehow they have disappeared over time, chaos and moves.

But I remember those notes very clearly still. From both of them.

And one year after hearing yet another re-telling of both tales my wonderful husband took it upon himself to start making memories for the girls in our family. And I love him for that.

I have always made heart-shaped sugar cookies as a gift for people I love, but about six years ago Steve started getting involved. And gifting the women in the family with flowers.

This year he actually helped me make the cookies...his attempts at frosting hearts and sprinkling pink, sparkling sugar clumsy and wonderful. A memory for my heart for certain.

Valentines Day was complicated this year with Granddaughters being unavailable today and soccer and basketball games! So we improvised and attended the basketball game and then hurried to the soccer game.

My husband made the girls close their eyes and then made their eyes light up. He is sweet that way.





This morning we started our day sharing coffee and opening Valentines that had come in the mail. That has become one of our favorite yearly customs. We take turn opening cards and admiring them.

This morning we will meet one of our sons and his sweet girlfriends to share brunch with the couple and for my husband to give sweet Lindsey some flowers and cookies.

After that we will drop cookies and flowers to my Mom and one of our visiting Aunts.

And later tonight we are taking another daughter and her boyfriend out to dinner...

So it will be a sweet day...filled with laughter and stories and hugs and love!

And I hope your day is the same!

I've been doing a week of giveaways in honor of Valentines Day and to thank you all for being such sweet followers!

So to make someones day sweeter on this last giveaway of the week, I am giving away another $10.00 gift card today...to either Michaels or Joanne Fabrics. The winner of this drawing will be announced Monday morning.

The winner will be chosen from todays comments and the only stipulation is you must be a follower of my blog.

And the winner from Saturdays drawing was selected by Mr. Random Org. Mr. Random Org told me the winner is post #25 which is this post!

Sares said...
Cute Valentines! I can see how you would be tired of making them after 80,000 of them though! What a great giveaway, I would be thrilled with either one, although Michaels is more convenient. Happy Valentine's Day Jenny and have a terrific weekend!

Congratulations Sares! E-mail me with your address when you have a moment and let me know if you want Michaels for sure! Your prize won't go out until Tuesday because of the holiday tomorrow, though. Congratulations!

I'm just warning you now that tomorrow is a kind of sad post. I will also be giving away another ZippyStrippyQuilt tied to the post...

But for today we will be happy and remember sweet things...and eat chocolate...and hug our loved ones...

And I want to take just one more moment to wish each of you a wonderful, Happy VD!

Sigh.

...and the celebration continued...(the conclusion of the surprise wedding!)

...we ate...(and, yes, this roll WAS sacrificed for the purpose of artistic representation ... I did it for you!) ...we rejoiced...




...people gave speeches, including my Dad ...
...who brought the whole house down when he said "I celebrated my 80th Birthday last night at a big shindig and now this surprise wedding! I may not make it to 81 if this continues!"

My sister and her ex-husband made a lovely speech...it's nice when people can come together in spite of their differences to share their love of one of their children......this totally adorable girl got up and made a teary speech about how she had been best friends with the bride since 7th grade and she always knew she would be a bridesmaid. And now there has been this surprise wedding and she didn't get to be a bridesmaid and then she wailed "and the dress I'm wearing doesn't even MATCH the wedding!" It was really cute. And made most of us tear up.
And then the Bride and Groom made their toasts and speeches...and they were lovely and emotional and sweet ...

...and they danced...



...and I even got to dance with the groom. It made me all teary cuz I just adore him...it's hard for me to believe he is no longer the little sunburned boy swimming in our backyard pool...
...love was everywhere in the air...

The bouquet was tossed.....the cake was cut......cupcakes were served......and sugar overload resulted...

..which is the way it's supposed to be at wedding...happy and silly and teary and sentimental...a few last photos...
...and we headed home in the star-filled night...quietly content...holding hands in the car with the radio playing softly.

Truly a night of romance. And truly a night to remember forever.

Congratulations Tom and Kris! Mignon McLaughlin wrote, "A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person". This is my wish for you both, for always.

Love,
Aunt Jenny

Did you miss part two of this love story? Just click here to read it!

And to paraphrase Mastercard...100 elegantly dressed guests, five people in the know, an amazing Bride and Groom. Pulling off a surprise wedding? PRICELESS!

...and all the beautiful people went to their seats ...( surprise wedding continues)

...and waited impatiently for dinner to be served. OK, the truth is I waited impatiently. I was starving. All that arguing with my husband over the GPS thing had worked up an appetite.

But as I was reading the menu...ravioli? yum! ...I missed what was happening in the front and when I next glanced up our nephew, Tom, was standing in the front with the other guy that had told us to sit down in the first place.
And the other guy said "Tom and Kris have a surprise for everyone. They are getting married!" And suddenly the Beatles song, "All You Need is Love" starting playing...

There was a collective "gasp" all around the room.

And an even bigger "gasp" when Kris walked through the back door and started up the aisle wearing a spectacular wedding dress!
Unbeknownst (isn't that a cool word?) to only about five people Kris had scooted out wearing her sleek purple cocktail dress......changed her clothes......grabbed her gorgeous bouquet......and strode confidently in her cobalt blue shoes to walk up the aisle to meet her groom... ...and then they proceeded to get married...
... in front of a spell-bound group of family and friends... Vows were exchanged. A ring was dropped. As our nephew says "there were three of them and they were small AND I only dropped one!" A kiss sealed the marriage......and everyone rejoiced as the newly joined couple shared their radiant smiles......happiness scented the air as everyone in the intimate room shared tears and joy with the lovely couple...




...and since this is getting way too long I'll just have to finish the rest tomorrow!

Goodnight! Sweet dreams!

(a romantic...) sigh....

Click here to read part three of this romantic little story.

If you missed the first part of this story, just click here!