Valentine's Day 2011

This year's Valentine's Day was very much what we are used to, but also different at the same time.

It is a day that I love to celebrate...a day to celebrate the people you love and that is just what we did!

The preparations for V-Day actually began yesterday.  Both girls were so giddy when they decorated their box/bag.  Since Daddy and I were busy moving all day, Auntie Heather bravely took on the task of supervising and helping the girls with their box/bag. It was something to help entertain the girls since the apartment was a total  mess of moving mayhem!  They had fun doing it with Auntie Heather and I am so proud of them. I left the supplies and they did the rest!

Ashton's box...the pink, the zebra print, the sparkles...all that is totally "her"!

For the  first time Lil Sis got to partake in the fun since she had a "Friendship Day Exchange" at her school.

The girls woke up to lots of hugs and kisses and were super excited to wear their Valentine shirts....however they (I really mean Ashton because poor Landry was and is so confused by all of this) were not happy that they woke up in the apartment and not our house.  Today was closing day for our house...Ashton could not believe that this travesty could occur on this day meant for celebrating the people you love.  She put it out of her mind {temporarily} because today was going to be a good day at school only because she was going to have her Valentine Party with her class.  I can't imagine how much harder this day would have been on her if it was a regular day with no distractions.

We had a very busy Valentine's Day from start to finish. LP had swimming lessons at ten, our closing was at eleven, I had to be at Ashton's school at 1:15 to help with her party-but I had a few last minute errands to run first, Ashton's party at school, a quick photo shoot with the girls, dinner with Daddy, Valentine's Day presents, bath and bed.

Ashton's party was so much fun this year.  I am one of the main Room Moms and since the party was on a Monday we didn't have many parents there to help with the party. And since my other Co-Room Mom is also the Room Mom for her first grader, I was too busy running the party to take any pictures of my girl.  The kiddos read their Valentine's while they ate their snack and then instead of doing a craft, we spent the rest of the party playing games. They played Valentine Pictionary, and a relay game called "It's A Wrap". In  that game they had to wear mittens while they opened a box of conversation hearts...it was so much harder than they thought and they loved it! We ended the party with a Valentine version of Hot Potato. It was a blast!

While Daddy was on a phone call, the girls and I ran outside and took some pictures--you know since we now live in a 1000 square foot apartment and Daddy doesn't have an office. The girls {by that, I mean Landry} was surprisingly cooperative so it was very pleasant for a change. For once in a really long time I was happy with the shots I was able to get of BOTH girls!

Landry's American Girl Baby is attached to her hip most of the time these days and this instance was no different.  We had to take a picture with the baby first before she would take any  more. Ashton was giving me some real smiles and poses like a pro!

Right now Landry is trying to master the fine art of posing.  When we took these pictures she was cracking us up with her "poses" and she kept wanting to change them!

I absolutely L*O*V*E this one!

After the easy breezy photo shoot, we loaded up and headed for dinner. We have been eating out so much with the move lately that we had a hard time choosing where we wanted to go...we ended up choosing a family fave--Pei Wei!

After some din-din, we arrived  home so the girls could open their presents from us. They usually don't have to wait this long, but since it was a crazy day, that is just when we were able to fit it in.

They took turns opening up their goodies. Landry got a pair of Tinkerbell sunglasses, a Tinkerbell umbrella, and a Twinkle Toes dance shirt. Ashton got a pair of earrings, a shirt with a scarf and her favorite color, and a zebra print umbrella. 

The umbrellas were a FAVE for both of them! They were easy to please!

Valentine's Day 2011 brought some tears and some smiles but most importantly it was also filled with a whole lotta LOVE which is what this special day is all about!