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Ah…Valentine’s Day. A holiday (or pseudo-holiday to some) is so emotionally charged it often borders on ridiculous. So much is invested into a single 24-hour period, which hardly seems fair. So much pressure and build-up just begs to end in disappointment and heartbreak. Should you be fortunate enough to have an obliging, enthusiastic counterpart, well done. If not, I send my electronic condolences. I’ve found that the most advisable (and emotionally cautious) course of action is to expect absolutely nothing, so that anything is joyous and appreciated. Yes, this includes any mental conjuring that involves grand gestures or red flowers. This advice is appropriate not only because there shouldn’t be an official day to love and show affection, but simply to remind that everybody expresses and reacts differently to love. While we shouldn’t be emotionally devastated by a lack of romantic actions; it is also appropriate to remember that every girl likes an occasional surprise flower…especially on the most sacred of female holidays. 
While I’m glad I no longer spend hours daydreaming about possible “cute” scenarios with Jack (they’re now a reality!), it’s always fun to get a little giddy. Since I’ve known my husband a long time, it’s exciting to think back on our previous Valentine’s Days together. There were high school sponsored valentine grams and not-sure-if-we-are-dating nights filled with eating too much candy and nervous hand holding. Not gonna lie, knowing he loves me now and is my perma-Valentine is ten times better.

The last week has been filled with all sorts of delightful activities. Although it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to muster the enthusiasm and energy to leave the couch (Scandal marathon anyone?), we have been forcing ourselves to say yes to most invites and brilliant ideas. Having a rambunctious animal has made it easier to get to the park for snow ball fights and general fun-having. I’ve found myself wandering around the house singing “Do you wanna build a snowman? Okay byeeee….” which Husband somehow takes seriously enough for us to be on our way to the park in minutes. For some unknown reason, Bella hates snowmen. She has to be physically restrained in order for us to complete it. If she’s let loose, she immediately launches her small body near its torso and proceeds to swipe and dig until it’s gone. Odd.

We’ve been having severe London withdrawals this week as well. I’ve been googling pictures non-stop and browsing our pictures incessantly. I’d give anything to go back right this minute. I’d willingly endure the chilly weather without question. Must. Visit. Harrods. Must see Coriolanus. Sigh.

The final bit of news is that Bella scared us all with a visit to the vet! It was an awful night. We noticed her  behavioral changes first: drowsiness, lack of interest in cats…you know. She then began trembling violently, which was absolutely terrifiying. When she’d move, she’d whimper like she had been stepped on. We rushed her to the vet, urgent care, then back to urgent care for x-rays, antibiotics and pain meds. She was finally diagnosed with severe constipation (ha), which caused her stomach to press against her spine, thus restricting her movement. We are so grateful it wasn’t a serious condition and that our little pup is back to her usual, happy self!

Hello all! I’m super excited it’s Friday – what’s new, right? We have several fun plans planned for the weekend and we can’t wait to get it started! It’s been absolutely frigid the past two days, so it’s going to be cold, but we’re grateful for the break. How about you? Anything fun planned?!

Welcome back from the weekend! I hope it was marvelous. We had another jam-packed weekend, which led to Monday exhaustion. It was surely worth it though!
We left work a bit early on Friday for appointments, then we headed out to Vegas immediately after. Our friends were celebrating a birthday and we were excited to join the surprise. Once we arrived, we drove straight to Grimaldi’s for our favorite pepperoni and mushroom pizza. It definitely starts the weekend out right. Yum.
Saturday morning was spent at the Cafe Bellagio for one of my favorite breakfasts: buttermilk pancakes. They are truly spectacular. Fluffy and dusted with powdered sugar. If you hate pancakes, try the egg white lobster omelet. Fantastic.
The rest of our time was spent shopping and making a stop at a driving range for my patient husband. It was his only request and after six hours of mall time, it was the least I could do, right? I hit a few, but mostly took pictures of palm trees, the moon and myself. It made the experience much more fun!
After all that, we were so happy to return home to our favorite dog! She was so excited to see us! I was a bit more excited