Happy Valentine's Day

We went to Brennecke's for Valentine's Day dinner.

Enjoyed the sunset on the way there and even had someone take our picture on the way back!  (Melissa - I did this for YOU!). 

Thanks to a timer, I  managed to get the greater clan photo with us in our very loud, clashing shirts.  We look hula-riffic!

My family, both nuclear and extended, are not overly sentimental when it comes to the Hallmark holidays.  We bawl our eyes out when saying goodbye squeal with delight.  Valentine's Day?  Meh.  A couple of us made off handed remarks about it at dinner - mostly because we just made the realization!

Having said all this, I shall wax sentimental for a moment:  I have a great family.  We have our ups and downs.  We argue over the truth - often forgetting the main point and being ugly in the process.  We can argue over arguing - or NOT arguing, as the case may be.  We laugh.  At ourselves, mainly.  Because we are funny.  Not funny "ha ha", but "funny" like "weird" and "ridiculous".  We are curious about most things and we argue the facts.  We also look them up, kiss, make-up and dole out the nickel.  We are passionate about many things (sometimes the argument...).

This is much the way I was raised.  It is much the way my kids are.  Which makes me think that it is less the way we are raised and more the way we are wired... Well, my folks have been wonderful, fun, generous loving, crazy parents.  They are more-so as grandparents (stress CRAZY - ha ha!).  They love Eric and myself without fail.  They are CRAZY about our kids.

We have been so fortunate to be able to come on holiday with Grammie and Pop.  We are even more fortunate that our boys look forward to this - not because it is Hawaii (although that is certainly attractive!).  They are ecstatic because of WHOM they get to see.   You see, these boys are crazy about their grandparents!  And we are all crazy about them :)