"Let us love one another"

to my family.

Lest you think this is going to be a rose-coloured description of our family's Waltons-esque perfection, I should confess that the picture below is closer to what we look like at times:

... like at Sunday lunch, when Jonathan was snooping around the hot pots on the stove instead of going to wash his hands like I'd asked him to do five times already, and in the course of the table-setting process I believe I actually said, with no ironic intent, the words "What is this -- the Spanish Inquisition?"  Ouch.  We ended up saying grace through gritted teeth. 

But I do love my family:

Richard, my #1 Valentine.  To the world Richard is a talented athlete, a dedicated volunteer, and a skilled nurse and nursing instructor.  To me he's a great friend and to the kids he's a great dad.  He and I do things together, but we also have our separate interests and pursuits. I walk, he runs.  I write and blog, he collects stamps.  I cook, he eats.  :-)  We enjoy one another's company.  I can't imagine being married to anyone else.  Happy Valentine's Day, hon!  xo xo

Allison, my sweet daughter:  avid reader, excellent writer, super game-player, and infectious giggler.

And Jonathan:  yellow-blue-red champion, jigsaw-puzzle master, great cuddler, proud owner of world's cutest smile (dimples included).

Valentine's Day isn't about flowers or chocolate.  Correction: maybe it is kind of about chocolate.  But mostly it's about love.  

"Dear friends [and family!]:  

let us love one another, for love comes from God."
I John 4:7