love notes

We are not huge Valentines Day fans. So much pressure, and all the "right" things seem so anti-things we live every day. Chocolate? We're on what seems like a perpetual diet. Flowers? Have a hard time keeping our plants alive. Jewelry? Diamond vs. vacation in our house, the vacay always wins. Romantic dinner out? Perfect! But not some night when EVERYONE in the world is also dining out to prove their love so you have to eat at 3pm or 11. 

The thing I do love about Valentines Day is thinking about love. Being reminded how much love there is in our home, in our life, in the world. Loving love.

We were reminded of the love fest today when we opened the mailbox and there was a red envelope addressed to our family, postmark West Virginia. It was a Valentines card sending hugs and smiles...and love our way. From one family to another. To us, the best thing about open adoption is being able to share that love and caring. Across the miles and the months. We know that someday our children will have this tender history of the love that brought them to us and keeps us close to their birth families' hearts.

These watercolors are brilliant and perfect representations
of the unique, personal nature of love. In little hearts.

As usual, I am running a few days behind in getting my cards out. Doesn't seem to matter how early I start, I always end up late somehow. But I love the handmade cards we made for the kids' birth families. Their watercolor art is unique, special and beautiful with the drips and streaks —Tagg's are intense and bold and organized; Sloane's are arbitrary, free, delicate.

Sloane creating her works of love art.

I love their beautiful hand-painted cards so much it's hard for me to be unselfish and send them off. A poignant reminder of the special gift that we were given. Maybe that's why I waited till the last minute to post them. So off these little masterpieces of love go, families joined by little hands and little hearts.

So impressed with her creations!
We are so impressed that she has enough hair for ponytails!

I think I might be a fan of Valentines Day after all.