you are so LOVED, darling!!!!!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!! 

It's really just another day...February 14th. It's a day that is focused on LOVE. In reality this should be our FOCUS every single day of our life. It's #whatmattersmost.

It is so simple.
LOVE is WHAT we all crave and want.
To love and to feel LOVED. 

When Tyler got sick with cancer, it HIT our family HARD. He went from being so FIT and active. It was so unexpected. He got sick and it hit him hard FAST. It opens your eyes to LIFE. It was a time for reflection. I realized then and now that LIFE is all about LOVE. It's about LOVING life, the people in our LIFE and showing that LOVE. We had many talks... many regrets and things that would have been different. You always think you have TIME. We quickly realized that this is not the case. There are times we do and say things we shouldn't have. We need to make each day a precious gift to ourself. We must use our time to show and give our love to others. We are imperfect humans and often we get it wrong. We say and do wrong things. We can hurt those we love the most and in the end... don't we all do it because of the LOVE we have for them? 

I believe that LOVE starts within ourself.
We have to LOVE ourself before
we can truly love others.
SELF LOVE is something to work on
EVERY single day.
Don't be so hard on yourself.

So TODAY-

LOVE YOU
LOVE the IMPERFECT YOU
LOVE your flaws
LOVE and LEARN from your mistakes
LOVE your IMPERFECT LIFE
LOVE the IMPERFECT PEOPLE in your life- (that is ALL of us!)

I learned what LOVE was when I became a mother. I learned what it was to give your heart completely. I loved my babies more than I thought humanly possible.  I knew that I would willingly take a bullet and die for any of my children. I learned unconditional LOVE from loving my babies. My mother and I would sometimes not see eye to eye when I was younger and in the end she always said- nothing will ever change that I love you. You are stuck with me as your mother!  My children are imperfect too and when they make mistakes- I still love them more than life. I hope they will LOVE me when I do the same. 

LOVE CAN HURT AND GET COMPLICATED- 
we often hurt those we love the most. 
So that is why we have to be willing to forgive and just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE and love more. In the end, I know it's WHAT matters most to each of us. 

 This is TRUE....

Our family has been through so much lately. Each day is a new day and facing Ty's death has been nothing I ever wanted our children and I to face. We all loved Tyler and each of us are dealing with his loss in our life in our own way. It has not been EASY.
It has been a HARD journey and his death last year was such a painful time. I am certain that Heavenly Father's LOVE is the REASON each of us can FACE and ENDURE hard times.

I was determined to stay positive, happy and grateful during my darkest time.  I
was on my knees asking for STRENGTH
to endure it well and to LOVE more
and LOVE myself- even when I wondered if I was "grieving" the right way, facing new challenges and learning to be GENTLE with myself. I had to allow myself to LOVE life in a new way and that it was OKAY.

I am going to keeping LOVING life and every single day of it. I am going to LOVE my children, family and friends with FIERCENESS and every day just be full of appreciation for this crazy wonderful life. 

HAPPY LOVE DAY... remember to #spreadlove.