Valentine's Day 2015

It's been so long since I've been here writing in this space. So much has happened.

Valentine's Day brought so many wonderful memories.

Throughout "Valentine's Week" we wrote each other love notes.

Decorating this year was sweetly special for me. I pulled out the album of love I made for Patrick a few years ago for our anniversary, scattered our past Valentine's love letters around, and topped off the ensemble with a banner of vintage Valentine's.

The day before Valentine's Day, the boys brought their scratch-n-sniff valentine's for their classes and came home with a bunch of loot. :)

Then later that evening we went to our ward Valentine's Dance. It was so sweet to dance with Tate and see Patrick dance with Maylie for the first time. Easton wanted nothing to do with dancing so he just watched. And for most of the night we watched as Maylie, donned in her Cinderella dress, danced and jumped and twirled on the dance floor all by herself. On the way out they gave Maylie a tiara and the all the kids balloons.

The next morning we had a special Valentine's brunch. Earlier in the week I recorded myself reading 11 of our favorite {and brand new} children's books. I hid the basket of books along with the baskets of Valentine's candy (per Easton's request...he reminded me that I hid the baskets last year). I was completely amazed when my littles listened to the books over and over again for the next two days straight. 

We ended the evening with a heart shaped pizza and strawberry lemonade and pink cotton candy for dessert.

Leaving the Ranch. {Day 5}

I woke up extra special early on our last morning...I wanted 2 hours to myself before everyone woke up. I went to desk by the window and wrote some in my journal.

 Then I bundled up in a blanket and greeted the glorious fresh air.

It was so serene and still and tranquil as I sat in wonderment. This beautiful haven of peace belonged to us for 5 short days. And how would I ever bring these experiences back to our real lives? How could I ever convey what I had felt in my journal, or blog, or to anyone who asked? My heart is always so full of so many things that I could never put into words. I cannot write the smallest part of which I feel. (This is from my beloved hero Ammon.) I said goodbye to my beautiful Island Ranch Retreat and we all vowed to come back again next year. A tradition has been born!

On the way home, we pulled off the side of the road and threw our last messages in a bottle into the Payette River. They were letters of joy and encouragement to whoever finds them. My sweeties wrote the letters all by themselves.

Sadly, The End.

Until next year....

At the Ranch. {Day 2}

We began our first full day at the Ranch with a walk around some of the property.

We explored for a bit and then settled in among some pine trees for our first Sunrise Devotional. I hoped this tradition would prove to be magical and spiritual and would bind our hearts together with our children. It was all this and more.

For this first day Patrick taught Easton and Maylie about the Creation, and I took Tate to a different stand of trees. We sat on an old log and following the Spirit as best as I could, I taught him about the First Vision. It wasn't scripted, and up until that very moment I had no idea what to teach him, but as I glanced up to see the sun filtering through the needles above, I knew that this was the perfect opportunity to teach him that the boy Joseph wasn't much older than him, and that he went into a grove of trees very similar to the one we were in. Tate told me all the things he knew about that first appearance of God the Father and the Son, and I filled in the details, asking him in a whisper how he would feel if Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ were to appear to him at that very moment. I bore my testimony to him at the end of our 7 minute discussion. The sunlight wasn't the only thing shining that morning....

We then joined up with Easton, Maylie, and Patrick, and watercolored for the next hour. I felt so peaceful as we all sat together painting the landscape. I haven't picked up a watercolor brush since my first and only lesson in England with Sister Buckner. It brought back wonderful memories. And though I lack all technical skill whatsoever, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and Easton told me he thought I was the best painter in the whole world. What a sweetie.

{This is a watercolor brush filled with water from the creek.  Kind of special!}

Look at this lovely heart flower Easton gave me...

 All three of them gave me flowers all day. I had bouquets by the end of the day.

After our morning explorations, we went swimming the whole afternoon. Big Creek was closer than the river so we walked down to the beautiful white sand, set up our beach umbrella, and watched our little ones play all day long. I think they would have stayed there all night too...it was just as I'd dreamed--sandcastles, water, a small bridge to jump from...it was a child's paradise.

I wanted to freeze time that day. It was just too perfect. I wish I could go back for an hour and lay on that sandy mountainous beach....