Valentines day like any other holiday in our house is honored and celebrated with reverence and LOTS of preparation. There is very little to be found in the vain of commercialism, except of course the local artisanal chocolates that I demand be gifted to me. All other valentines and tokens of love are crafted by our hands. In fact this year I helped my two older children make almost sixty. I can say that I would happily not cut out another heart for the next year.

When reflecting on love and all the kinds of love their is I am taken back to the young love that I experienced when I first met my husband and he wooed the hell out of me. There were many things he did that made me certain in my assurance that he was a man that could withstand my wilds. I will regale all these tales with time I am certain, but there is one that currently stands out.

In our first exchanges he challenged me to a task. It was to find twenty reasons to smile before noon. He then required me to provide this list to him. I thought this a clever way to show me the brighter side of life, and that he was and is clearly a man of optimistic proportions. But moreover in the act of requesting my list that he was looking for a woman with follow through, and if nothing I follow through.

So from time to time I have complied a list of twenty reasons to smile before noon. This could be because I am thinking fondly for my husband, or because I have a sure to be difficult meeting in the afternoon, or just because I need a reason to smile. So today I offer you twenty reason to smile before noon, but what would be better is if you went and found your own reasons to smile.

1) When the baby got up at 5 am she went back to sleep.

2) My husband got out of bed to drive down to the milk house so the baby could have a bottle of milk first thing.

3) When my mini me came and laid on me this morning with a leaky diaper it was all on her back side so none of it got on me.

4) I remembered to defrost bread to make heart shaped toast for the kids for breakfast.

5) when I over cooked the toast I used enough butter to soften it so the kids would eat it.

6) When scrambling eggs I found a teeny tiny one that caused my oldest to squeal with delight.

7) EVERYONE ATE THEIR BREAKFAST!!!!!

8) My husband did the breakfast dishes while I took a shower and had enough time to wash my hair AND shave my legs

9) My mini me put on EIGHT shirts today and had lost total use of her arms by the time she came and asked me for help.

10) There was enough coffee for me to have two cups today.

11) I had ice cream for breakfast.

12) My children went from house to house today delivering Valentines to the people they love.

13) I had a wonderful reconciliatory conversation with someone where I think both sides felt heard and better understood.

14) I got to clean my whole house without being disturbed.

15) That people all over the world have been reading my words fills me with honor and humility

16) That while folding clothes I felt grateful that we have such an abundance of the things we need.

17) That we have fine people that will watch our motley crew so that we can go out on a date.

18) That my husband just gave me a real good kiss.

19) That I have 2 days a week where all of my children are in childcare and I can breath.

20) That I am loved