“Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land

Or, as is the case with we dog lovers, the happiness of our pets is essential to our own!

As you can see, I tormented (with love) my pets for pictures.

Jenny hated wearing the beads, but once she got them off she did not want to give them back.

"These are my beads. There are many beads like them, but these are mine."

Some people like to call Valentine's Day a "Hallmark Holiday," meaning the whole point of it is to help companies that sell roses, chocolates, and cards make money. While that is certainly true to an extent, Valentine's Day is still a very special day to me. It is my parents' wedding anniversary, for starters.

“Happy marriages begin when we marry the ones we love, and they blossom when we love the ones we marry.”

— Tom Mullen

Today is 44 years of marriage for them!

I am so blessed to have two committed and loving parents in my life. It's also pretty important that they don't take themselves too seriously, as seen here in their peanut butter and jelly Halloween costume from this year. Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

I love you in the morning,

And in the afternoon;

I love you in the evening,

And underneath the moon.

Valentine's Day is also my niece Olivia's birthday.

Today she is 8 years old. COME ON. That cannot be. Happy Birthday Liv!

I recently found out that this day is "Heart Day" in more than one way. Today is National Donor Day, one of the many ways awareness is raised about the life-saving gift of becoming a donor. You can read more about donation here, but don't forget that donating even includes blood and bone marrow. My mother's life has been saved by blood donations many, many times. I thank everyone who helped make that happen.

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.
(John 15:13)

I have another organ story to tug at the heart. My friend Jacqueline's sister, Micayla, just underwent a kidney transplant on Tuesday, five years to the day after she was diagnosed with renal failure. The story of Micayla and her donor Sean is documented on their Facebook page, A Bean for A Queen.

Both Micayla and Sean are doing well and their Facebook page is full of uplifting posts well worth a look. We hear far too many depressing stories these days. God bless Sean for being such an amazing and generous person. Love, prayers, and health to Micayla and Sean.

And guess what readers? I have more warm fuzziness for you.

“I love these little people; and it is not a slight thing when they, who are so fresh from God, love us.”

― Charles Dickens

Valentine's Day marks the end of Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week.

Little Charlie Jo, whom we have had on the blog before, most recently when she and Wiley met for the first time, (seen here), is a CHD baby. Her mom put together the banner above, and here she is most recently for her 13th month pictures. Stay healthy Charlie!

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
(I Corinthians 13:13)

And finally, Happy Valentine's Day to my Valentine! A few months ago we spontaneously stopped at the chapel in which we were married at Muhlenberg College, while on our way to Philly. It was decorated so beautifully for Christmas. Brought back a lot of memories. . .