For the Love

 I thought I would mention our February love day events...Katelee and Grant both had to make Valentine boxes to take to school.  I have zero percent crafty Valentine box ability and left the kids to fend for themselves.  I taped as instructed, but I let their creative juices flow.  Katelee came up with 'The Castle of Love'

 And Grant went for a similar design, (to Katelee's dismay, of course), but made his a temple...with a thoroughly taped golden Lego on top to mimic Angel Moroni.  Ha!  We were so pleased and the kids were thrilled to take them to school.  However, when their parties were over the next day, they were completely deflated and embarrassed.  Curse my lack of pinteresting skills!  There were some LIFE SIZE Valentine boxes that resembled dinosaurs, boxes that should be displayed in a museum of art, sorry kids, but lets go for a Walmart sack next year!

We heart attacked the kids' doors, per tradition and left them cards and treats.  Our favorite Valentines gift was actually dropped off a few days later on our doorstep:  (the mystery has yet to be solved as to who gave me the great laugh!)

Dave and I had a date planned Valentines night-dinner at the Roof and a dance performance of some BYU artists at the conference center.  We hesitated leaving because Katelee was sick, but knew my mom was very capable, so off we went...only to come home to an even sicker daughter with a temperature that would not go down! We ended the romantic evening in the ER

She was so sick before we left and Dave and Jason (who had come over with Paige to assess Katelee) gave her a priesthood blessing.  I am telling you there was miraculous intervention for sure.  Katelee has had a couple of miracle blessings and I can not doubt their power.  She was rushed in to a room, due to her heart rate, fever, blood pressure and breathing, but even before they started treatment, she started to perk up.  Influenza anyone?  She had the horrid test up her  nose to confirm it and we braced ourselves for a two week recovery.  Nope, the next day, she was a brand new woman.  But, don't worry, Brenna got it a couple weeks later...

We thought we were recovered, but Harrison started a fever last night, lets hope its a quick sickness and not the flu.  

I find myself frequently using the above blog title "For the Love, " when I am beyond frustrated, or flustered, or just really have no words.  I have used that phrase a lot recently with little Harry as he has become possessed.  His tantrums are impressive and exhausting.  But, I may have yelled FOR THE LOVE when I walked up the stairs to his room the other day.  I knew it wouldn't be pretty when I could smell the stank before I opened the door.  I peeked in and was greeted with a smile and just as Harrison grinned, the poop from an exploding diaper squished right through his binkie.  I could say nothing but FOR THE LOVE as I witnessed the brown mural across the crib and through Harrison's fingers.  And I really have pondered on this a lot lately, it's not really FOR the love, it's BECAUSE of the love.  It's because of love I wiped that boy clean, it's BECAUSE of love I spend my days holding sick kids, it's BECAUSE of love I scrape crusted boogers off walls.  It's a love that I didn't realize I would know on previous Valentines days.  Love truly does require action, no not even require action, it invites action.  I sure do have a lot of opportunities to show love to my kids and I have to remind myself it is love I am showing, as are they as they forgive me of my inadequacies and love me for the mom I am and not the Pinterest winner they weren't given!!  I'm grateful for this life giving me perspective to reach for charity-that perfect love we are shown by the Savior.  For now, I'm just going to use the phrases FOR the love and BECAUSE of love interchangeably, because there are moments when they both apply...