Happy Valentine's Day!

Last night I cried myself to sleep on Ben's shoulder after finished the novel Moloka'i, about a girl in 1900's Hawai'i who is sent to an exiled island after being diagnosed with leprosy at the age of 7. She spends her next 60 years battling the "bug", even being forced to turn over her daughter hours after she's born for fear that the infant would contract the disease. The main character, Rachel, never forgets about the baby girl she was only permitted to see from behind a glass wall twice a week until she was adopted off of the island at 1 year old - by far the most heartbreaking aspect of an already alarmingly traumatic story.

I woke up with a debilitating headache (I guess crying over sad novels is the Mormon equivalent to waking up with a hangover?), but was overjoyed to spend this "LOVE DAY" with the boys I do have in my life. I'm grateful for the timely reminder from that novel to appreciate the love I have in my life, and the simple freedom of being able to kiss, hug, and cherish my baby every possible moment. 

Plus, you all know I can't pass up the opportunity to have a photo shoot with my little "Love Love" :)

I just wrote a post about things I love about Ben for his birthday, but you just can't dispute that a man who stays up until midnight holding you and hearing you explain the plot of the most unsettling, dramatic story in indistinguishable sobs is probably the best guy on Earth. 

I am so grateful, especially, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the knowledge and priesthood we have access to which has blessed us with a temple marriage and, therefore, an eternal family. Unlike the fictional-but-based-on-many-real-events characters from my book there is no doubt that we will see our little girl again, and that we will all be together forever! 

I love you all :)

Now, Ben, what I want for Valentine's Day is a bottle of Aspirin.