Years of devoted late night ice skating–I mean “ice time” (don’t want it to be confused for doing triple lutzes or something)–have paid off again.

The Zombies have won the championship for the second year in a row, people.

And, that makes for some happy zombies.

Happy zombies complete with their Stanley Cup–constructed of a mini trash can and snack bowls, mind you.

While they bask in their championhood and drink their morning orange juice out of a mug etched with “Men’s Ice Hockey League Champions,” we get a breather from late nights and tired mornings and sore muscles and random bruises from wayward pucks.

For a week or two at least. Then, the spring/summer league starts up.

These boys mean business, people. Watch out.

I’m battling some jealousy today. 

The romance is still alive.

Couldn’t wait to give this gift to Mark from one of my favorite Etsy-sellers-turned-friend. I nearly tore open the box it came in and gave it to him on Valentine’s Day Eve Eve.

It’s our house.

In a pillow.

Perhaps you are thinking that is a slightly odd gift for a man for Valentine’s Day. But, he–we–get into this kind of thing.

It’s our house, a reminder of the family we’ve built through God’s grace, a reminder of growth and process and a journey that continues.

It’s just a pillow, I know. But, it’s not just a pillow.

We look at this and see us walking through it for the first time, knowing this was where we wanted to raise our family.

We look at this and see Mark with a mask on, covered in dust, working hard to scrap stucco off a ceiling, put in insulation, finish a bathroom, and on and on and on, to make this building our home. We see the living room curtains I overthought and overthought and days spent with my mom sewing in our dining room to put them together.

We look at this and see children posing outside on the first day of school. We see carved pumpkins and Buzz Lightyear proudly giving out candy.

We see bedroom lights on upstairs as babies woke at night to be fed and snuggled.

We see a place we want to be.

And, what better Valentine’s gift could I give?

There’s no other place I’d rather be than here. This is where I belong, where we belong, together.

And, if you’re wondering, I got a dozen roses and a surprise afternoon coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts. [insert happy sigh of a woman in love with her man]

And, in addition to our love shack pillow, I gave Mark some tickets to go to this conference in a couple weeks. Don’t laugh. He wants to go.