SOCIAL MEDIA

04 February 2016

A Lifetime of Valentines

The first time I remember having anything to do with Valentine's Day, I was about 10 years old and my great-grandma mailed Valentines to all of us kids. I kept her little card for years.

A few years later, I was approximately 15, and we were at church sometime around Valentine's Day and I coordinated with several friends to leave an anonymous love note on my little sister's chair. We used all the tricks in the book--bizarre phrasing and heavily disguised handwriting, along with an alibi so that I was obviously in another part of the church when the note got placed on her chair. She believed the letter might actually be from an anonymous admirer for about 10 minutes, which I consider to be a highly successful result.

Several years later, I was a much more mature 17 year old in college, far from family, and I made Valentines for all my siblings and sent them across the ocean without pretending to be an anonymous admirer.


When I was 19, I celebrated my first Valentine's Day with my husband! If I remember correctly, he bought me several mystery novels. On Valentine's Day itself, he went to work his 7pm-7am night shift, and I went to a Valentine's party with a bunch of college friends, where we had a blind Valentine's card exchange (hilarious!) and decorated cookies and voted for the winning cookies. I voted for my friend's cookie--he'd made it look like a broken heart.


In 2014, I had plans for an adventurous Valentine's Date, when they fell through because my parents called and said we needed to help them load all of their stuff (and some of our stuff) into a U-Haul. They were selling the house we lived in, and we had plans to move out soon, so everything had to be moved. So, instead of playing paintball for the holiday, I lost my beloved bed to storage.

In 2015, we were vacationing in Malaysia and I hosted an amazing Valentine's Day Party, complete with cookies to decorate, card supplies to make cards with, and silly games. All the best of Valentine's, rolled into one party. And then we played the Newlywed Game at another party and LOST because Angel was positive we got married on December 5th (we didn't).

This year, my 5 sisters and I made this Valentine's Day video while brother Isaac utterly refused to be involved because he refuses to acknowledge the existence of the holiday.




And then my sister gave me a "Malaysia, Truly Pineapple" and claimed it was for Valentine's Day. Isn't that cool?


Every memory I have of Valentine's Day is awesome. What's not to love? I don't know exactly what we will do for it this year--I think it's a little late to start planning a party on the scale of last year's, but whatever it is, it'll be fun!

Linking up with #LoveBlog today!

What's your best Valentine's Day memory?
Theresa said...

These are great! You have some really fun memories of Valentine's Day. Mine aren't as exciting. :)

Unknown said...

Hello! Came across you blog via the Facebook group show your blog love. Loved your blog post about valentine's day. It was great fun to read your valentines day memories.

Debs x

The Peculiar Treasure said...

hahah, that pineapple.
And I love the heart rice crispies!
Valentines day has always been fun for both cute/romantic reasons and family reasons for me. My grandparents would always bring us little Vday gifts when we were younger and it was always so sweet!

Mandy said...

I love the pineapple V-day gift. So sweet and thoughtful! :)

Cara (Kindly Unspoken) said...

I love the video, that's hilarious! I always remember getting valentine's cards from my grandparents when I was little too and I still have them all in a box. :)

Kay R. said...

This is hilarious and cute. I havent always had the best valentine's day but my dad always made sure his daughters felt loved and that made me love the day even more!

Anonymous said...

Aww!!! I never understood people who hated Valentine's Day. I always loved it even when I was single! Probably my best VD was my first year dating my now fiancé. He sent flowers and balloons to the place where I waitressed while I was at work. No one had ever sent me flowers before (: (We were doing a long distance relationship when I was in college) .

Suzanne said...

Totally different unique ideas for Valentine's day. That's for sure.

bisous
Suzanne

Moonofsilver said...

Ooh a pineapple! Paintball on Valentine's sounds like fun, moving does not. But necessary! The anon notes sound just up your ally.

Christina @ Hugs and Lattes said...

Mmmm Pineapples! One year in the 6th grade I found an anonymous Valentines Day card in my locker several days after V-Day, and my friends and I giggled and tried to figure out who put it there. I asked the boy I liked if he did it and he said no, but we kept bugging him about it and he grabbed it from me and ripped it up and said he didn't do it. I'm pretty sure he did it.

Jessica Nicole said...

You have some wonderful memories. I don't really 'celebrate' Valentine's day
Jess | www.beautifulbreakable.com ♥


Brita Long said...

I love your stories! I remember reading your post last year. I might steal some of those ideas for my own upcoming party!

Brita Long said...

And if it's any consolation to Angel, I sometimes forget if my wedding anniversary is March 22 or 23...

Anonymous said...

These are such fun Valentine's day celebrations! That Valentine's party you threw sounds like a blast! ~Whitney LaDon

Becky Ginther said...

I have some great Valentine's memories and some sad ones. Unfortunately the most memorable Valentine's Day was the year our cat passed away (on 2/14). That was about 4 years ago, luckily all of the ones we've celebrated since then have been an improvement! One year my husband created a scavenger hunt.

Daisy @ Simplicity Relished said...

This is so fun Rachel! I think there's a lot of hate for V-Day but it can certainly be lighthearted like this! Love your memories!

Unknown said...

awesome V-Day memories! your V-day party sounds so fun and I love that your sis gave you a pineapple! yummy! ♥

Ali Hval said...

Baahah, I love what you did when you were 15. Hmmm, most of my Valentine's memories are actually from grade school when everyone would make paper milk carton valentine's boxes and we'd drop valentines in everyone's box! I loved decorating cards and all that artsy stuff...

AnneMarie said...

These celebrations sound like so much fun!!!! My earliest memories of Valentine's Day were homeschool parties, where you'd make or buy TONS of Valentine's so that everyone could get one. My favorite Valentine's Day was when I was 19-I got to spend a lot of the day in prayer, hanging out with friends and eating egg rolls, going to a homeless shelter, and ended it by praying with my best friend (who is now my husband)! It was pretty fun. I've never gotten into doing lots of extravagant stuff around Valentine's Day, though. I was baptized on V-Day 23 years ago, so the fact that it's my baptism anniversary is a lot more meaningful to me, and I usually go to Mass and make a special dessert to celebrate :)

Patty said...

I loved the pineapple picture when I saw, fresh pineapple is the best!! I don't know if I have a fav Valentine's moment, but I love taking time to make handmade Valentine cards to send to my two godchildren out of state:)

Unknown said...

Valentine's is my wife's favorite holiday so she celebrates the whole moth of Feb. The pineapple is creative.

Unknown said...

Aww I love this post. :3
That pineapple, tho. It's the simple yet incredibly meaningful gifts like that that makes Valentines Day truly special.(:

Christie's Take on Life. x

Shann Eva said...

Such great Valentine's memories. I love the pineapple! It's also funny that your husband got the date wrong for when you got married.

Beka @ Sunshine to the Square Inch said...

Yay for Valentine's Day! It's my favorite holiday and has been for a long long time! Your stories are fun and I'm glad you celebrate in all kinds of ways.

M Writes said...

It' so cool that you have all those good memories about Valentine's Day! I don't because I've never celebrated it. My husband and I treat it like a normal day pretty much !

Bekah Loves Blog said...

the rice krispy treats look amazing! And where is this pineapple quote from?

Amberly said...

It's so fun to reminisce on Valentine's days! And those rice krispies look so good!

Charlene Maugeri said...

Oh poor Angel. There's just so much pressure!

Unknown said...

Thank's for sharing your memories!!

Farrah said...

Those cookies are so pretty, and ah, that pineapple! <3!!! I would so want one for v-day, haha. I don't remember how I spent much of any of the past v-days--your memories sound so fun! :]