Love Week

Valentine's Day of 2014 was my favorite to date. I'm finally to the point where I love Valentine's Day. I always thought it was corny (which I guess it kind of is). I think in the past, I had the wrong idea of what Valentine's Day meant. I always thought it was just a day for lovers, and that is how it is widely and popularly celebrated. However, I realize now it's not just a day for your significant other. It's not a day meant to make those without feel lonely. You don't have to be shot by Cupid's arrow to enjoy Valentine's Day.

This year, for me, it was a day to really notice all the people I'm surrounded by who I love and appreciate. And I'm so blessed to be surrounded by so many. It was a day to celebrate my husband, my family members, friends, co-workers, my cat (we can't forget my cat). I even started to realize my appreciation for strangers. I was kinder and more talkative to my cashier at the grocery store; I caught myself with a giddy smile plastered on my face as I watched the crossing guard guide the middle school kids across the road near my home. Love is not just for lovers. Love is for every single one of us. You deserve to be loved. I hope you allow yourself to love and be loved not only on February 14th . . . but each day throughout the year.

I had so many great experiences last week. Since I'm lazy and don't want to write a novel, here's a bullet point list of some things I loved about Love Week.

• I hosted Miss USU and each of the girls were wonderful. Not only that, but I met tons of nice people after the show who came and said hello to me. Oh, and I got a delicious loaf of cinnamon bread as a thank you gift for emceeing. 

• For Activity Days, we learned about budgeting and had a banana split bar. The girls all received an amount of play money and then had to buy everything from their bowl to their ice cream toppings. I planned the whole activity and it was fun to see it all come together and watch the girls enjoy it. Then my heart melted when one of the girls didn't have enough money to buy an Oreo, so another girl gave her one of her dollars. I tell ya, my heart was a puddle. 

• I spent "Galentine's Day" with my mom and grandma. We went out for lunch and antique shopping. My grandma, who is the sweetest, also bought me an antique ring. 

• Pizza and cookies at work on Valentine's Day. I love it when I don't have to plan lunch. 

• I won an awesome Valentine's Gift Package from the Cache Valley Mall. I'm now a firm believer in those silly Facebook giveaways. 

• I got to read a bunch of hilarious awkward date stories from our VFX listeners. I haven't laughed that hard in a while. 

• Brian didn't get me roses on Valentine's Day. He totally surprised me with tickets to Ellie Goulding's concert! I almost hyperventilated. As if things couldn't get better, he put them inside of a cat card. 

• We had a quiet and romantic Valentine's Day evening by getting Chinese takeout and running off to the family cabin. 

• My mother-in-law is the most thoughtful person and left a basket of goodies and movies at the cabin for us, complete with a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries in the fridge. Love her. 

• Oh wait, she also prepared us an epic brunch the following day. Waffles with whipped cream, fruit, sausage, orange juice. That woman needs to open a bed & breakfast.  

• Sleeping in. Enough said. 

• Free Olive Garden. 

• Hot tubbing with friends.

• Waking up to Brian carrying in a tray with breakfast on it (he knows food in bed is the way to my heart). 

• Winter Olympics. 

Love is nice. I think I need to work on celebrating it more every day.