My Favorite Valentine Gift

We had some of our usual Valentine's Day fun...heart shaped everything for breakfast, flowers and special cards from Daddy, and a new valentine mailbox exchange between each member of the family. We had a Valentine themed school day, where we learned the history of the holiday and did all kinds of heart math, heart science, and all-about-love Bible learning.

BUT...Mark and I really aren't that big on Valentine's Day.

We don't give gifts (I know, we're boring) and I don't really want flowers (although he did give them anyway). But, we had a great talk with the girls about what makes us forever Valentines.

Or, what we like to call smookies.

Yes, for those who don't know, we actually call each other this crazy awful annoying cheesy name. But, it's become something our kids really "get" and love. So, as we talked about what attributes we saw in each other, and how we KNEW from the beginning God had brought us together as forever Valentines, we summed it up for them like this: The way you'll know when God has brought you His best is by their "smookie-ness". They have to have smookie power to be good enough for you. And, we'll ALL know if he has it or not. :)

So, fast forward past this conversation to four days later, when my biggest Valentine gift came.

It was a special day in our house, and all the dresses were laid out. Matching shoes and headbands and necklaces and nail polish were all selected. And, it was all done in secret.

Daddy knew nothing of the choices yet.

After pulling out the sponge rollers, and tying all the bows, adding pink lipgloss and twirling a few times in my bedroom, they were ready for the great reveal!

It was time for Daddy to see his dance dates for the first time.

And, that is the moment when my Valentine's gift came.

Do you see it?

It's the expression on this sweet face that is my biggest gift of all.

To watch this amazing man twirl my three girls around, and kiss them and tell them how absolutely beautiful they are...

that is my gift.

To watch him pick them up "officially" for the dance and show them the way girls should be treated...

that is my gift.

To watch him share little moments with each of them and treasure them for who God made them to be...

that is my gift.

To see how he recognizes their differences and celebrates their strengths in such a gentle and fun way, where they know they are something special...

that is my gift.

My Valentine sweeps me away when he shows his amazing skills as the Mark Daddy Daddy.

And, when I hear from friends at the dance how sweet it was to watch him treasure his three beauties...

Oh, man, that is my gift.

From the minute I met this guy, and he told me of his years of changing diapers in his mom's home daycare, I knew he would be a great dad. When I watched him play with my baby sister on his first visit to meet my family (who was only 7 at the time!) and make her feel totally comfortable in minutes, I knew he would be a great GIRL dad.

And, now when I watch him smile his proud smile as he shows them off to the world, I am thankful he's the Daddy who is also my partner for life.

Smookie power. It's my greatest Valentine gift ever.