Love Week 2013, Day 7, Valentine's Day!

I don't know what it was about this valentines day of 2013, but it might go down as one of the best valentines days I've ever had.

I don't even know why...but my heart was just so happy today!

And not cuz I got some awesome blow-your-mind valentines day gift.

(Randy and I have never been big gift-givers on Valentine's day)

And not cuz I did anything super duper out of the ordinary.

(we didn't even go out on a date tonight...thats tomorrow night)

It was just a simple day shared with my 2 valentines and filled with special little things...

The day started with some heart pancakes for Madden before preschool...

When I dropped Madden off at preschool for his valentines party, I told him I'd have a special valentines surprise for him when I picked him up.

He then informed me that my valentines surprise was waiting for me on the fridge when I got home.

I came home to find he had arranged all the instagram magnets into a heart for me ;)

I got ready for the day, and was excited to wear my valentines sweater.

(or as Randy likes to call it, my care bear sweater)

Oh yeah, and my Madewell boyfriend jeans I got for $14 instead of $125!

When I picked Madden up from preschool he was SO excited about his valentines balloon I bought for him!

Then we drove to pick up Randy from work and had lunch with him at Firehouse Subs.

After we dropped Randy back off at work, we headed home and I took Madden for a bike ride where we ended up at the volleyball sand pit (aka Maddens very own ginormous sandbox)

Where I enjoyed my diet cherry coke in the 68 degree sunshine and Madden ran around and played with his superheroes in the sand.

For dinner, Madden got heart sandwiches, pink and white animal cookies, and pink lemonade...

Randy and I got lobster bisque and steak with gorgonzola cream sauce and mushrooms...mmmmmm

And tomorrow, we'll get some alone time when we leave Madden at home with Uncle Tanner and Aunt Josie and go out on a hot date :)

I just love these 2 so much!

So much that I feel like my heart could explode on this mushy gushy love day!!!

Hope you all had a happy valentines day and a love week that left your heart as happy and bursting with love as mine :)

xoxo

Love Week 2013, Day 6

Today I love waking up to exciting news, that I won an awesome giveaway on an awesome blog that I follow!

I get to pick 3 bow-ties for Madden from this super cute etsy shop 

So excited to see Madden sporting these at church!
I love little boys in bow-ties!

And speaking of winning awesome giveaways on blogs, did I ever tell you guys that right before Christmas I won a $100.00 gift card to JCrew Factory from another awesome blog I follow!?

Yes, you read that right, ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS!

Shopping, I love.

Shopping at JCrew, I really love.

But shopping at JCrew with free money!?!?

I really really really really really love!

I've been saving this baby for when my bestie and fave shopping partner comes to visit in t-minus 10 days!

Another one of my great loves??

Running.

And specifically, running marathons.

I miss it.

I'm having major withdrawals.

So many of my friends are training for the upcoming Phoenix Marathon in March and I wish so badly I could run it with them.

I've taken a nice long break from running and training since we started fertility treatments and I guess its nice to give my body a break.

But you better believe that once we do get pregnant, I'm gonna be looking on the calendar 9 months ahead and plotting out my next marathon to train for.

And whats a love week post without these guys??

Just a few of my fave pics of these 2 loves of my life.

I love 'em.  I love 'em.  I love 'em.

I'm so excited tomorrow is LOVE DAY!

I'm excited to make a special LOVE day breakfast for Madden, to meet my lover for lunch, and then to make a delicious, romantic dinner at home for us tomorrow night.

What are your valentines day plans??

stay tuned...tomorrow is LOVE DAY!!!!!

Love Week 2013, Day 5

Today I love how excited Madden was about being the Spotlight at preschool today.

I'm so glad we decided to put him in preschool this year because it has been such a great thing for him!

He loves his teacher and his friends at preschool so much and it makes me so happy to see him smiling when he walks in the door to his preschool class.

But I also love picking him up cuz he always yells "MOM!!" so excitedly when he sees me and runs over to me and gives me a big hug like he missed me so much ;)

Another huge love of mine right now is Mumford & Sons.

They are all I listen to lately!

I am in love with them!!!

Well, not with them, just with their music :)

But seriously, both of these albums are amazing!

I love the kind of albums where you don't have to fast forward to just a few good songs, but you can listen to the entire album, from start to finish, and love every single song.

Lots of people have asked me about the whole blog-to-book thing.

I make my books using the Blurb program and I can't tell you enough how much I love these things!

Yes, they are time consuming to make, and yes the program takes some time to get used to and can be a little frustrating in the beginning, but I promise it is worth it!

These books are the only reason I still keep up on my blog!

I love looking back at old pictures and memories.

It makes me happy :)

And I love when Madden falls asleep unexpectedly in the most random places and positions...

(just a few of my old faves...)

Today it was sitting up on the couch playing with Uncle Ricky's iPad :)

Man I love this kid :)

stay tuned for more loves throughout the week...

Love Week 2013, Day 4

Today I love that last night when I tucked Madden into bed he asked me to sing to him and his bedtime song request was "Call Me Maybe."

I might have fallen asleep last night laughing to myself about that one.

Weird kid...

But, in his defense, we were watching the Grammys right before bedtime.

And speaking of the Grammys, I am NOT a Rihanna fan...BUT how gorgeous is the side view of her red dress?

(front view?? not so gorgeous)

And the ONLY reason I am including her picture in this Love Week post is because I fell in LOVE with the song she sang at the Grammys last night!

I'd never heard it before and I immediately downloaded it on itunes and have been listening to it on repeat ever since.

Its a slow ballad-like song and it is such a pretty song!

You should download it.

Its called "Stay."

I think every single year during Love Week I have included my annual valentines sugar cookies as one of my major loves.

Cuz I love these things!

Madden is the spot light at pre-school tomorrow, which means he gets to bring treats for his class.

And since its Love Week how could I not make heart shaped valentines sugar cookies!?

I also love cozy sweaters and flannels on a rainy day.

I know just a couple days ago I was proclaiming my love for sunny, warm park weather, but all the sudden its chilly and rainy outside.

And those days are fun sometimes too.

Especially cuz it usually means I never take off this ridiculously warm, comfy, oversized sweater.

Its from Old Navy and I totally copied my sister and had to have one when I saw hers cuz I loved it so much.

Best purchase I've made all winter.

Hands down.

And if its rainy and cold outside, then that means something yummy and warm for dinner is usually cooking on the stove.

Tonight it was a repeat of the delicious meal my husband made for me last week.

I don't even know what all is in this stuff, but it is delicious!

Its some kind of lentil-sausage-carrot-potatoe type of soup...all I know is its my new fave meal!

And not just because my husband is always the one to make it (which I also love) but because its so freaking good!

But one of my biggest Monday loves????

Of course!

Best season they've had in a really really really long time

(and I would know, peeps, cuz I watch every.single.season)

stay tuned for more loves throughout the week...

Love Week 2013, Day 3

I love red roses...

And they went perfectly with this quote from my YW lesson today...

“There is a divine purpose in the adversities we encounter every day. They prepare, they purge, they purify, and thus they bless.  We must partake of the bitter with the sweet.  When we pluck the roses, we find we often cannot avoid the thorns which spring from the same stem.”

-James E. Faust

I love being in Young Womens and I love our theme this year...

I love when Madden is dressed all handsome for church on Sundays and when he brings home pictures he colored for me in Primary.

And I love that he is a Sunbeam now!

I love the stories he tells me on the way to church, like today when he told me, 

"Mom, you know what happens when a car gets a flat tire?

They try to drive but their car won't go!

So then they have to take off the flat tire, throw it in the garbage, and glue on a new tire so it doesn't fall off.

You know how come I know that?

Because thats what happened to Lightening McQueen."

I love coming home from church, changing into my sweats and making a yummy after-church treat. :)

Today it was Brownie Batter Dip and graham crackers...

(thanks for the recipe, Annalisa!)

stay tuned for more loves throughout the week...

Love Week 2013, Day 2

I love that my husband told me today I could buy a new outfit at F21 for our valentines date next weekend.

Guys, I'm such a sucker for this store!

Should I be embarassed that I am a 30 year old and I still shop at a store that is called "Forever 21"??

I just can't help myself!

Their stuff is ridiculously cheap!

And I know some of their stuff LOOKS cheap (and kinda trashy) but then sometimes if you look hard you can find really cute stuff too, like these gems, for under $20...

And speaking of awesome deals, I love a great sale!

I found these red skinny jeans at Gap a couple months back for only $7!!!

Whats not to love about that!?

And I'm glad I bought them, so that I could wear some red skinnies  today in honor of Love Week ;)

But you know what I really really love today???

The fact that exactly 2 weeks from today I get to see this girl...

Love her!

stay tuned for more loves throughout the week...