Ninth Annual Valenbot Extravaganza 2013

Valentine's Day this year was a smashing success.  It's officially become a family holiday for the Renfroes, and we like it that way.  It doesn't hurt that our anniversary is right after Valentine's Day---so it's easy for Allen and I to make Valentine's about the kids, and to celebrate with each other four days later.

Here we go with the bots.

We had a very busy (but very fun) Valentine's Day.  I made a ton of sugar cookies {recipe here} to take to Brigham's second grade class, and to the sisters I visit teach, and to the Distinguished Young Women participants.  There were enough cookies that I had some for an after-school snack, for a few lucky friends who I happened to encounter when I was cookie-rich, and for dessert after dinner the next day.

The kids had a blast at their class parties and came home with even more sugar and Valentine cards.  Here are their own cards:

I was pleased with how the Valentine cards turned out, even though only 10 percent of the pictures I took turned out like the above.  The remaining 90 percent looked more like this:

And here are some of the Valentines we gave each other.

From Allen to Becca

From Allen to Becca
(I got Allen to start watching Downton Abbey with
me.  Even though I am currently watching season 3, I
am re-watching seasons 1 and 2 with him, and it's
been fun.  Allen did make the astute observation:
"This show would fall apart if people knocked on the
door before they entered a room)

He's a hopeless romantic, what can I say?

Allen spent a long time making "treasure maps" for
Truman and Brigham with a gold dollar taped
on each one as a Valentine.  It says stuff on the map
like "Brig be fierce like a volcano."

Allen also spent a great deal of time making a flip-book for me.  It was very sweet.  Even sweeter that he scanned each of his 18 drawings into the computer and made it into a mini-movie.  I laugh at the guy's face disappearing after 4 frames :).

From me to Allen (and he did butcher roosters yesterday!)

Also from me to Allen.  Original Becca poetry.

I am slightly distressed at how much Allen is rooting for the spoiled
heiress, Mary Crawley, when we are watching Downton . . . 

I made this one for Allen with a picture of  Guglielmo Marconi,
inventor of the radio, because Allen has been reading (and loving)
the novel Thunderstruck, by Erik Larson

From me to all the kids

From Brig to Mom and Dad and Calvin

From Truman to Dad and Mom

From Mollie to Mommy

All in all, it was a great day to remember how much we love each other, and to have fun telling each other.