I know all five of you readers are wondering, with baited breath, how Valentine's Day went around here. Allow me to end your sleepless nights and put you out of your misery.

It went well. Actually, I must clarify. It went well, then badly, then well, then badly and well at the same time. It was a roller coaster of emotion...there was the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat. You know--just another day in paradise. We repeated the heart shaped chocolate chip pancakes, which were met with rave reviews. I'd grabbed three $0.99 chocolate hearts while CVSing last week, so they were placed in the infamous chairback baskets to be found first thing. Those, too, were met with delightful glee.

And then...it was time to get dressed for church. And that, my friend, is where things took a horrible turn. There was arguing, whining, weeping, and gnashing of teeth. Some of that was even from the children. Why, oh why?! I was quickly nominated for worst mother of the year award as I insisted one child wear jeans (NOT shorts) in the freezing weather, another had to wear a shirt that FIT, and the last had to have the tangles brushed OUT of her hair.

It was one of those mornings where we drove to church, and through gritted teeth, I encouraged my children's spiritual journey by muttering, "C'MON! Let's go worship Jesus!" I was near tears, and it was just bad. After Life Group, my man and I decided we just had to turn this day of LOVE around. So, we grabbed the kidlets and headed to the wonder that is IHOP. AH! Music to my ears--there were shouts of joy and excitement. It was a good move.

The rest of the day went something like that--up and down, up and down. But, we muddled through. A trip to the public library scored us the entertainment necessary to manage our day. Cooper cooked us a, hmmm.....unique dinner of sausage and french toast. Actually, that was not unique. It was the sauce he made to go on the sausage. A sauce of his own concoction and recipe--a recipe he will not share. Which is good--because I'm not sure I want to know.

I did find the Target dollar spot goods, so a scavenger hunt was planned. That was the good and bad part. As they ran through the house reading and following clues, there I was again, with gritted teeth..."leave NO ONE behind! Stay together!" But, all three actually thanked me for their little gifts, and happily participated in our annual love notes. Each family member has a 12" x 12" paper, and we write on each other's paper what we love about that person. This is a great exercise of feelin' the love, even if one post read, "I love how you play on your iPod."

All in all, I would count the day a success. And, not just because I survived the drama. But also because we dug in, pressed on, and worked hard to find the joy and love in a day of ups and downs. Yes, just another typical day in my crazy, amazing, joyful, challenging life.