{Love} is All You Need

Happy Valentine's Day! 

{I tried to re-create this picture from last year...but it's much much harder with a mobile 14-month old who doesn't want to sit still...and the sad truth is, they are just getting bigger every year, and they couldn't all fit their faces inside the heart... sigh...}

I love this day...the little hearts, the big hugs and the many kisses and the sweet Valentines the kids make...it all makes me smile!  And not to mention...all the sweet sweets!

{we made chocolate & vanilla sprinkled pretzels this weekend for the kids and a couple of their friends...and I may have eaten one...or five ...ahem...}

I have at least three special little reasons to celebrate the love I have on this special day even more...
{and of course my first love...Dan... but I don't have any pictures of  him to share!}

{these pictures crack me up...they didn't turn out as I had pictured in my mind... Alex and Emily were complaining of the sun being in their eyes, and Ellie was only trying to get up as fast as she could...all the while I'm telling them to smile! ha!}

{she seriously did not sit still for one second...I was constantly on the move with her ... but I love the pure endless joy this little e has!}



I am also sharing the love by celebrating my three-year blogoversary!  I was a little quiet about it, but I was offering a $10 giftcard to Target{l.o.v.e} to a lucky commenter on my last post...but my blog isn't about getting lots of comments or visitors...although I have loved every. single. one. that I have ever received...and love even more the friends I have made who have visited Martin Manor so often!  It has been about keeping up with our activities, milestones and preserving our memories!  But since three of my loyal visitors made a visit to wish me a lovely comment for my blogoversary... I feel so grateful for their time and want to give each one of you a gift card!  That's right...Kelli, Kelli and Traci... I hope you buy something you love!  Thank you for stopping by!  And I love that you all end your names with an i... It was meant to be!

Valentine's Day is a fun and special day for us and the kids look forward to little treats almost as much as Christmas day...and I love that they want to be my Valentine on this day!

And who doesn't love spaghetti?!  It's actually my favorite night of the week...we all look forward to Spaghetti Night...everyone's happy!

Hope you all have a Happy lovely Valentine's Day!

Share the love today... and every day!

We love because he first loved us.  1John 4:19

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.  1John 4:11-12

Do everything in love.  1Corinthians 16:14

This is my command: Love each other.  John 15:17

Love never fails.  And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.  1Corinthians 13:8, 13