Catching up from the weekend? Check out these posts!

• 1 Month Progress Post (Progress Pictures!!)
• Flashback Post in honor of Baby B turning 1 month old
• Weekly Series: FFF Features (Braedon as a Girl)
• Weekly Series: Self-Love Reflection – Love from Others

Happy Valentine’s Day! You all are my bloggie loves and I wish I could send you a little treat. Instead, I will just share with you my treat of a weekend.

We had quite the busy day Saturday. I did my final C25K workout of the week and took my 1 month progress pictures in the morning. Then, we had to get going for a family filled day. We first ventured out to Grandma and Grandpa’s for a little birthday celebration. 

with Grandpa, Peter’s (much) younger brother, and just a cute pic of B

Our niece turned 12. Twelve! Makenzie will get that big one day? I can’t believe it! I already can’t believe my baby turns THREE this year. But back to the birthday girl…

We hung around for awhile and then had to bolt right after eating the traditional Grandma’s fettuccine and salad late lunch.

We didn’t even have time for birthday cake. Which, I didn’t mind. The birthday cake had no icing. No icing? Not interested!

After the birthday fun, we returned back to our house to visit with my family. My younger brother is in town from Arizona for the week. We decided to bring back one of our favorite pastimes: ordering Chinese food and having a game night!

For dinner we ordered a few dishes and some sushi rolls to share. I had 1/2 a spicy tuna roll, 1/2 a rainbow roll, 2 steamed potstickers, and a small sampling of beef with vegetables and spicy garlic chicken. ‘Twas delicious!

Then we settled in for game time. My brother Tommy brought a game I had never heard of before – Smart Ass.

It’s basically a trivia combined with 20 questions sort of game. It was fun to play all together. I still don’t think it beats Cranium though. Cranium rocks! Perhaps because my sister and I are freakishly on the same wavelength and always win. It’s kind of scary how quickly we can guess each other’s acting/drawing/humming.

Before ending the night, we topped it off with a little nightcap. Another Dairy Queen blizzard! I have been craving these things lately!

It ended the night perfectly before having to say goodbye to my brother until Tuesday night. Then, we get to hang out again. Maybe I’ll request a game of Cranium? 😉

Question of the Day – What’s your favorite board game? And…doing anything for Valentine’s? Not us. Just another day around here.

Here is this week’s reposting of one of the 30 Days of Self-Love posts. This week’s topic = love from others. Enjoy!

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The whole purpose of this movement relates to self-love. Today’s topic, however, relates to the love we have from others and how it can help us more fully grasp self-love as well.

In the dark throes of depression, I felt like no one loved me and placed very little value in my life and worth. I couldn’t see the tears in my mother’s and sister’s eyes or their hearts breaking when they finally broke into the bathroom where I was trying to find the “strength” to down a bottle of pills and end my misery. I questioned Peter’s devoted actions at the beginning of our relationship and tried to deny feeling anything for him in fear of getting hurt yet again. I attempted to earn love and respect the ridiculous ways of partying and being too “friendly” with too many guys my senior year of college, despite two of my good friends warning me against those actions and telling me time and time again I didn’t need that. I certainly wasn’t always happy like in the photo below.

I didn’t believe others loved me or could even care for me in the slightest. That made me doubt and hate myself more than I already did. The most disturbing part of this situation comes from the fact that I did have people who loved me and, if I had seen that, I might not have hated myself so much. Then, avoided a lot of that pain.

I want to be clear here. I do not believe in placing your worth in what someone else thinks of you. For example, if I never stopped trying to determine my worth based on my father’s views or if my ex loved me at the moment, I would likely still sit here today lost in the black hole of my previous life. I do propose, however, that we each have someone in our lives who loves us fully and that we need to see our own selves through that person’s loving eyes.

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Don’t you even try to tell me you have no one who loves you, either. There’s somebody. Usually, many somebodies exist if we look hard enough. I’ll rebuttal your claim right now if you even try to say no one cares. I care! That is why I pour my heart, soul, time, and energy into this message and this blog. I do and you better believe others do too! Friends, family members, co-workers, fellow church members, other bloggers, that nice woman you see every day at the gym…someone cares! I will also scream from the rooftops that God cares too. Whether or not you believe in Him, oh boy does He care for you and view you as the most wonderful person out there…no matter what you’ve done or what you think of yourself. That is my belief and truth.

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See yourself through the eyes of those that love you. See the joy you bring them. Open your eyes. View yourself in a different light. We all too often act as our own worst enemy and judge ourselves more harshly than anyone else. Instead, realize you are loved, cherished, wanted, and needed. Love yourself like others love you. Remember. They do. Don’t fight it.

Reflect on who loves you and what they see in you. Do you have trouble believing it and accepting what they see whole-heartedly?

Quotes to Reflect On
The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and how to let it come in. ~Morrie Schwartz