You know you did a good job raising your kids when your daughter hears in your voice that you're upset and calls back 15 minutes later to chat.

That's just what my daughter did this morning. She encouraged me, listened to me and just let me vent.

When we finished talking I asked her how come she's not at work yet and she replied, "I called in and told my boss that I have a family matter to handle before work and that I'll come in later on this morning."

That's love.

Important Lesson About Owning a Cat:

When you don't clean out the kitty litter for 3 days, she finds other places to 'go'.



"What are you lookin' at, Diva? Lesson learned, stop looking at me like that!"

Learning to Love

For Valentine's Day I decided to make Capt one of his favorite dinners instead of having him spend money on eating out.

I planned, shopped and prepared all day.

Since being recently diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholestrol, Capt's diet has been strict, he misses his former high-sugar, high-fat meals, so I thought I'd make an exception and give him a treat.

His top favorite dinner is turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce...all the trimmings.

But in the interest of his health, I made him his second favorite dinner:




I had him drop them into the pot of boiling water, I just couldn't do it.




I also made Filet Mignon, sauteed asparagus and this, as an after thought...



Potatoes Au Gratin from A BOX!!!!!

And do you know what his favorite part of dinner was? Do you know what he keeps talking about over and over and OVER AGAIN?

THE BETTY CROCKER BOX OF POTATOES AU GRATIN !!!!!!!


(Next year I think I'll just gonna make that for dinner.)

After dinner he took me to Dairy Queen for the new Choco Lover's Blizzard where sweet cherries are lovingly blended with chocolate chunks and creamy vanilla soft serve. Ahhhhhhhhh.



Lovingly blended indeed!

And all was well with the world.

I Almost Feel As Though I Went There Too

I've been faithfully following Sophie's and Shannon's overseas travels all week and have been deeply moved and enlightened to a world I never had room in my life to open up to.

I have a feeling that Christian blogging has taken a giant step towards God's plan.

Thank you sisters for listening to your hearts, for leaving your comfort zones and for doing something that I'd be scared to death to do. May you have a safe trip back to your loved ones.

Gag Reflex

My new kitten, Diva.

Cute, right?

I love her, but I don't love cleaning out her litterbox.

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day has always been one of my favorite days of the year. To me the day represents being in love and being loved, two things that have ruled the direction of the beginning stages of my adult life.

Today is special to me in other ways. I am engaged to be married to an extremely romantic and loveable man in July, I have deeper love for my children as they develop into adults, I am learning about the type of love my soon-to-be stepchildren need from me, and I am completely awed by the love shown to me by my future father-in-law (who stopped by last night and gave me a big box of Godiva chocolates).

As the years go by I have learned that love isn't just about me and how it affects me, it's about giving, listening, understanding, being unconditional, being compassionate and being willing to have your heart enlarged. And enlarged again...so that God can have room to fill it with good stuff.

I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day today, filled with love and sweets.