Be Mine

Dear Eli,

Today is Valentine's Day. Here in our house, this traditional day honoring romantic love is more of a family day. The kids woke up to homemade muffins and little gifts. I sent them off to school with valentines for their friends and boxes for their treats that they'd made out of shoe boxes and mod podge. Rose and I spent the morning volunteering at elementary school parties. And when the big kids got home, they dumped the valentines out of their boxes and poured through all their candy, separating it into piles. And tonight we're having heart-shaped pizza and fondue for dinner. Dad and I will celebrate later in the week by ourselves, but today is all about the kids.

After all of the other kids took their presents off the breakfast table, there was something left behind-- a little package of lacing cards I'd bought for you. Although we miss you every day, there's something about a day of celebration that makes it even more evident that you aren't here with us. If you were here, it would probably be just like any other day for you, just with more candy. Your big sister has taken the opportunity to raid everyone's candy and will probably be sick from chocolate before the day is over. But for me, on this day when we celebrate love, I just keep thinking about the piece of my heart that is on the other side of the world.

Today is significant for another reason-- if our Travel Approval happens relatively quickly, then we will be arriving in Beijing a month from today, and a few days after that, on St. Patrick's Day, you'll be our boy. You know what that means? This is the last holiday we'll celebrate apart.

I love you, my baby valentine.

Love,

Mommy