8 Valentines I'll Never Send

I love sending and receiving mail, so, of course, Valentine's Day is great in my book. Grace has been working on some Valentine's Day crafts for her grandparents, so I thought I would write some Valentines for some people/places/things that might not get showered with love come February 14th...

1. Sochi, Russia

I actually haven't seen any of the Olympics because we don't have TV right now, but from what I can gather, some things were overlooked by the Olympic preparation committee...

Sochi,
I hope you prepare more for Valentine's Day than you prepared for the Olympics. Don't take all the criticism too harshly, people just love to complain. 

XOXO,
Allison 
2. Greek Yogurt

Professing my love for yogurt-if that's wrong, then I don't want to be right.

The Greek Gods Greek Yogurt,
Dang! You are so delicious! I'm not even mad that one serving has 290 calories and over 45% of my daily saturated fat. You're worth it! 

Yours forever,
Allison
3. My amazing husband

He deserves more than my cheesy blog Valentine!

My Love,
Thank you for being patient, helpful, loving and funny. You make me a better person. Grace and I are so lucky to have you in our family! 

Love,
Allison
4. Deployed soldiers

Deployed Soldiers,
I'm sorry you can't be home right now to spend Valentine's Day with your loved ones. Stay safe and know that your sacrifices and service are very much appreciated. 

Best,
Allison
5. Families of deployed soldiers

Military Families,
Hang in there! You are so tough, and even though I know sometimes it feels thankless, you are doing an important job. Pour yourself a glass of something and indulge in some Girl Scout Cookies! I hope your family is reunited soon!

Hugs,
Allison
6. The Mellow Mushroom waiter

Good pizza and good service- he should be showered in Valentines!

Mellow Mushroom Waiter,
I know it can't be easy to wait on a table full of babies and toddlers, but I appreciate your friendly smile, positive attitude and willingness to go the extra mile for our large group. 

See you soon,
Allison
7. The Post Office

They probably deliver a lot of Valentine's and don't receive many! 

United States Postal Service,
Happy Valentine's Day! I bet you love delivering all of those colorful greeting cards. We've been through some rough times-like when you let a complete stranger put our mail on hold and lied about trying to deliver packages. I forgive you, but pretty please don't let it happen again. I can see why people lose their faith in government... DMV, USPS... It's not pretty. 

Sincerely,
Allison
8. My neighbor

To My Neighbor,
You're the epitome of a sweet southern lady. We will miss you. Thanks for letting us borrow your ladder. Happiest Valentine's Day to you!

Warm regards,
Allison

8 people/places/or things you'd like to give a virtual Valentine to. 

Super cute free printable Valentine's from Mufn Inc.

Life is Like Riding a Bicycle...

...to keep your balance you must keep moving. 

The next few days will be spent purging, packing and living in a basic state of chaos. We will be leaving our first home and life in the military. It's time for a new adventure...

Picture created in the awesomely addicting #Waterlogue app

While, of course, we are excited, there is also a sense of sadness to leave. We bought and moved into this house just 2 short weeks before Grace was born. This is the house we brought her home to and the place we reunited as a family when Cole returned from his deployment. Our first home. Christmases, birthdays, summer days and snowy days. Happy days and poopy-diaper sleepless days.

I am going to miss the quiet walks around the neighborhood and the beautiful sunsets. I won't miss Fayetteville "traffic" or the 1.5 hour drive to the RDU airport.

I am going to miss the wonderful friends we've made (especially my Stroller Strides mamas!) I'm not going to miss living in a transient military town full of too many goodbyes.

I'm going to miss this time I got to spend at home watching my daughter grow from a tiny 5 lb. baby to a busy, sweet and independent 2-year-old.

I am thankful for all of the opportunities that the Army has given us. Military life isn't always easy, but it did allow us to build a stronger life together and taught us to make the most of a situation. We learned that friends and family really are the most important thing in life.

"It's not about the destination, it's about the passengers you travel with." 

-anonymous 

Our home is the place where we can be together, so I know we will be just fine in Tennessee. The job and the town you live in don't not have to define you. Each day is a fresh new start and a chance to live the life you want. I'm excited for new beginnings, new friends, new jobs, new laughs and new territory to explore. See you later, North Carolina, Tennessee here we come!

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