Family Valentines Day Celebration

In my perfect world that exists only in my head, the kids will come home to perfectly wrapped and homemade Valentine treats left in their spotless rooms for their enjoyment. The whole house will be clean and decorated like something out of Martha Stewart's magazine. A delicious home cooked meal will be ready and a delectable dessert prepared. I would have a perfectly planned out family home evening lesson that correlates with Valentines Day and the children and husband cooperate perfectly. I won't be too tired from doing all this preparation either. And the baby will have cooperated perfectly all day. That's in my head anyhow.

In real life, I feel like I have to do everything that was in my head for some reason.

But, my decorations are anything but grand and my homemade treats for the kids don't look professional, and Micah falls asleep on the way home from the store and won't take a nap so he's super cranky, and the house is really messy, and I'm still really, really tired by the end of the day.

The kids were really grateful; however, for the homemade cookies and love notes I wrote them and left on their pillows. They loved the decorations. Everyone liked the dinner, which actually did turn out good. It was: Beef Wellington over a puff pastry square with crimini mushrooms and sauce, baby green beans with turkey bacon and onion, and dark chocolate fondue for dessert with banana pieces and strawberries and puff pastry hearts to dip into it. (I loved the beef wellington but next time I'd just assume put it over brown rice. It's more nutritious and I think I'd like it better that way.) Linnea put together a great family home evening lesson that tied in great with the day and also with our family scripture reading. Everyone was happy. I was still really, really tired. I still am. I don't know how other people do it. But maybe it was worth it.