Valentine's Day Haul: A Year in Review and Celebrating Love

As I sit down to write this article, surrounded by boxes of baseball cards, original packaging, and a few well-placed chocolates, I am reminded of the joy that Valentine's Day brings. This holiday is more than just a day to show affection; it's an opportunity to appreciate the little things in life and celebrate the love that makes our world a better place.

One of my favorite memories associated with Valentine's Day is unwrapping a new box of baseball cards every year for Christmas. The excitement on my face was unmatched as I tore open the packaging, revealing a treasure trove of rookie players, autographs, and memorable card designs. Those were the days when life was simple, and all that mattered was the thrill of the hunt. While I don't get to enjoy those boxes of cards every year anymore (life has a way of getting busy), I still look back on those memories fondly.

As I rummage through my collection, I come across a few original boxes, each one telling a story of its own. There's the box with an impressive stash of baseball cards, another with a plethora of rookies waiting to be added to my collection, and yet another that showcases my love for the game. Each card has a unique story to tell, from the player's stats to their career milestones. These cards serve as a reminder of the passion that drives me and the joy that I experience when I'm surrounded by sports memorabilia.

One of the most significant additions to our family's Valentine's Day celebration is the tradition of getting Mom cupcakes. These sweet treats are not just a delight for my taste buds but also bring us closer together. We take turns picking out flavors, and it's become a fun ritual that we look forward to every year. The excitement on my face when I see the cupcake box being opened is palpable, and I can almost smell the sweetness wafting through the air.

As I continue to unpack the boxes, I notice a few surprises hidden among the baseball cards and chocolates. There's a 20-piece chicken nugget pack that Diana has been eyeing for weeks, a gigantic coffee drink that promises to be the perfect pick-me-up on Valentine's Day, and even a few hand towels that Mom has lovingly prepared just for our use.

One of my favorite parts of the day is when I get to shower you (Jedi) with affection. You light up like a star in my eyes whenever you walk into the room, and I'm reminded why this little one brings so much joy to my life. It's the little things – holding hands, sharing secrets, or simply gazing into each other's eyes – that make our relationship special.

As we prepare for another Valentine's Day celebration, I want to take a moment to appreciate the love that makes our lives richer. Whether it's the laughter we share, the memories we create, or the little gestures that show we care, these are the things that truly matter. Love is not just about grand romantic gestures; it's about showing up for each other in all aspects of life.

In a world that often gets lost in the noise of daily routines, Valentine's Day serves as a gentle reminder to slow down and appreciate the love that surrounds us. Whether we're celebrating with family, friends, or that special someone, this holiday has the power to bring us together and make our hearts swell with joy.

So, on this day of love, I want to express my gratitude for all the little things in life – from baseball cards to Valentine's Day chocolates – that bring me happiness. And most importantly, I want to thank you (Jedi) for being the spark that ignites my heart every day. You are a shining star, and I'm honored to be your partner on this wild journey called life.

As I take a moment to write on the back of one of those Valentine's Day cards, I remember what Sheldon said: "The most powerful love is not about grand gestures but about being there for each other in all aspects of life." Today, I want to celebrate that kind of love – the everyday love, the laughter-filled moments, and the quiet nights spent snuggled up together.

With a heart full of love and a mind full of gratitude, I wish you (Jedi) a Happy Valentine's Day. May your day be filled with laughter, joy, and all the little things that bring you happiness.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enHappy Valentine's Day for all 32 people who might be watching right now I wasn't really planning on opening this box except that it really wasn't in great condition so it really wasn't worth collecting so if you find this particular box in better condition let me know and in exchange I will send you a valentine it's a pretty neat sticker set I don't really hang up posters anymore but I'm going to be holding on to them in definitely just in case Jedi gets into them and you know Star Wars vicariously I'm going to give Diana this special one I wrote inside I've learned a lot about love with you see you downstairs Valentine's a got two this year well of course I drank my coffee out of this mug this morning nothing says I love you like running errands I learned very early in life in my marriage life that is that you don't forget to recog ni special days one birthday when uh we were going to when I was going to college and mom used to work to pay for college and home expenses I was going to throw her a surprise party so I told everybody on the secret and I got it all arranged and I had stuff ordered and I had the presents but I didn't say anything to Mom because it was her birthday so I didn't want to spoil the surprise the evening comes and of course she's really surprised but she's mad at me and I'm thinking why are you mad at me it's your birthday and I'm throwing you a party later that evening after everybody gone she told me don't ever do that again always let me know I thought you had forgot so I always for stay in the morning always give her a card or a little kiss or do something special so she knows I didn't forget and it's lasted how many years I kind of think the same way I gave Diana her card she was happy about that and I also showed her what I haven't showed everybody else yet I planned ahead and she appreciated it I'm happy with that gift too yeah shh they don't know about it yet yeah but I'm happy with it too well remember it's Diana's gift so it's up to her whether or not she wants to share someone's be must be me I was thinking the same thing if I don't say something early on she might be upset throughout the day we used to have this little deal when I used to work in Kansas City I bought these Hearts I still have some at home they're little sticker hearts and when I ever I would leave I'd sticker it on something that she would see and that was my indication to her that I loved her and that's what I was saying I Love You by putting the heart on like a coffee cup that she used or hair dryer or toothbrush just somewhere the when I was leaving town so she knew I was thinking about her over the past week or so we did a video about how Geeks might better enjoy Valentine's Day if you're a geek or a nerd or you're with a geek or a nerd and I gave a few ideas that I thought were kind of unique and other people seem to have agreed and one of those ideas was a comic book so I got Diana a series of comic books that are related to Mysteries and detective work things that she's interested in we'll see if she likes them but that's not even the gift that Dad was referring to but you got to remind me that I have those at home home cuz I might forget I'll try Andover I don't think I ever asked you if you had comics when you were a kid oh yeah Comics were a big thing in my life that was that was it in fact I like reading comics a lot better than going to the library and getting a book you know the color and the pictures and that kind of thing kind of you could visualize the story along with readbook so I kind of like that which Comics because I don't ever remember seeing a comic book in our house Dick Tracy Superman and that kind of carried over to TV it's interesting since we've been visiting I watched the old TV Superman series too it's a lot like the comic books just Nostalgia and uh other one's Batman uh there was a character called lash laroo a lot of people won't know who that is but he was a cowboy that he didn't he had guns but he used a whip used like a bull whip to uh um uh enforce the law basically so he would just he get know hopong cting and there were some others like Donald Duck was big very big a lot of the Disney but Donald Duck was the big one for me but I became a Mickey Mouse fan more than Donald Duck even though Donald Duck Comics were the first kind of the ones I would get uh and then he had like three nephews qy Dey and forget the last one's name there's three nephews then there was Uncle Scrooge he was a duck who was a like a rich Miser his girlfriend I'm going to school you for a second it's Huey Dy and Louie and Daisy Daisy that's it Daisy Duck during the Desert Storm they came out with a series of collector cards and I got all those series um and they're they're in both ways I got them in original package and then I also got them in a in a book I don't even remember if you guys were still home or not but they killed off Superman yeah and I got that comic still in the rapper up in the up in the uh closet there there's a lot of stuff up there there's old cameras there's a lot of baseball cards in in the original boxes I don't have a lot of rookies unless they happen to be in one of the boxes I I got but I used to get the whole box every year for Christmas your no used to give them to me should I decide to go someplace unexpectedly make sure make sure you get up there and look I didn't think we could go wrong by getting Mom cupcakes they had a ton of chocolate and so we scored a ton of chocolate in cupcake form for a while now and I think that's about a week Diana's been wanting chicken nuggets so I got her a 20 piece that should satisfy her for another day or so or however long it takes for her to go through 20 chicken nuggets uh got her soda got her a gigantic cup of brr coffee drink should be a good Valentine's Day haul y Valentine's Day there's no stopping we still have to stop check the mail I like chicken less than Chris likes corn aren't there Foods you don't like this is what I would give to you Jedi look see what that says sweet pee that's cuz you're my little sweet pee yeah yeah you are yeah you can't eat it yet cuz you're not big enough so that's why I didn't actually get it all right but when you're older we'll go get one just for you the bathroom is clean but yes you can shave you can brush your teeth please do I have a for that there's a hand towel down there yes cuz when she cleans she cleans everything so there's a hand tow that's the only thing she'll have to wash okay Happy Valentine's Day and and five month day not just one but two cuz I said those look really good I want those for Valentine's Day and you remember yeah they've been in the refrigerator for 2 weeks now oh really no we just picked them up it was the last thing I picked up I wanted to make sure there were as fresh as possible yeah they're nice and warm oh and I got my cake too and you can eat it I also said I wanted this and you went out and ordered it oh my gosh so this is a cake for two people but I think it's just for one it's just for you you know why I love Valentine's Day cuz you get stuff oh yeah but you get to dress up and pig out on chocolates and sweets you want to see what I got you I got something I love you like a fat boy loves cake no it says our love can be romantic our love can be routine our love can be I love you right on a cell phone screen our love can be a whisper our love can be a touch our love can get us through the days that we don't like so much our love can be I'm sorry our love can be a smile our love can even be I need to be alone a while our love can be imperfect our love can be I ideal but most of all our love can last because our love is real happy Valentine's Day to the one I love so much and it leaves me hanging where's the rest of the stza thank you because because that's a very important word you show me love throughout the whole year you just because Flowers and surprise lattes but most importantly the laughs and smiles you give me every day piss I don't think you will ever top last year's Valentine's Day present Jedi here's your present I got a present M wow gray salt caramel I promise not to eat any yeah right oh without permission very very smart yeah I wrote a letter on the back is this my night kid yeah I almost forgot I have a few more things for you oh she woke up I blame you that's cool this might get me comment right thought oops okay so they're not rated PG let's see if you get Sheldon yes these are all the options right mhm okay here we go most of which are Sheldon okay I'm I going to like oh you can't see it I got shoulder and you got him in green That's Green Lantern perfect yay sheld can I have your Green Lantern ring ooh a sparkly card your first Valentine's Day they still make these mhm the sweet little Bear is just stopping by to bring you your very first Valentine High hope your day is special special just like you love no and joea it's nice and sparkly that's one of Mom's cupcakes which she's already kind of dropped onto the table told you mom's weird did you pick that one out yeah you did are these different or are they all chocolate they're all chocolate with variations of frosting flavors oo thanks again for taking the time to watch like comment subscribe and do all the things that you're doing for us so that we can keep doing things for you we'll see you tomorrowHappy Valentine's Day for all 32 people who might be watching right now I wasn't really planning on opening this box except that it really wasn't in great condition so it really wasn't worth collecting so if you find this particular box in better condition let me know and in exchange I will send you a valentine it's a pretty neat sticker set I don't really hang up posters anymore but I'm going to be holding on to them in definitely just in case Jedi gets into them and you know Star Wars vicariously I'm going to give Diana this special one I wrote inside I've learned a lot about love with you see you downstairs Valentine's a got two this year well of course I drank my coffee out of this mug this morning nothing says I love you like running errands I learned very early in life in my marriage life that is that you don't forget to recog ni special days one birthday when uh we were going to when I was going to college and mom used to work to pay for college and home expenses I was going to throw her a surprise party so I told everybody on the secret and I got it all arranged and I had stuff ordered and I had the presents but I didn't say anything to Mom because it was her birthday so I didn't want to spoil the surprise the evening comes and of course she's really surprised but she's mad at me and I'm thinking why are you mad at me it's your birthday and I'm throwing you a party later that evening after everybody gone she told me don't ever do that again always let me know I thought you had forgot so I always for stay in the morning always give her a card or a little kiss or do something special so she knows I didn't forget and it's lasted how many years I kind of think the same way I gave Diana her card she was happy about that and I also showed her what I haven't showed everybody else yet I planned ahead and she appreciated it I'm happy with that gift too yeah shh they don't know about it yet yeah but I'm happy with it too well remember it's Diana's gift so it's up to her whether or not she wants to share someone's be must be me I was thinking the same thing if I don't say something early on she might be upset throughout the day we used to have this little deal when I used to work in Kansas City I bought these Hearts I still have some at home they're little sticker hearts and when I ever I would leave I'd sticker it on something that she would see and that was my indication to her that I loved her and that's what I was saying I Love You by putting the heart on like a coffee cup that she used or hair dryer or toothbrush just somewhere the when I was leaving town so she knew I was thinking about her over the past week or so we did a video about how Geeks might better enjoy Valentine's Day if you're a geek or a nerd or you're with a geek or a nerd and I gave a few ideas that I thought were kind of unique and other people seem to have agreed and one of those ideas was a comic book so I got Diana a series of comic books that are related to Mysteries and detective work things that she's interested in we'll see if she likes them but that's not even the gift that Dad was referring to but you got to remind me that I have those at home home cuz I might forget I'll try Andover I don't think I ever asked you if you had comics when you were a kid oh yeah Comics were a big thing in my life that was that was it in fact I like reading comics a lot better than going to the library and getting a book you know the color and the pictures and that kind of thing kind of you could visualize the story along with readbook so I kind of like that which Comics because I don't ever remember seeing a comic book in our house Dick Tracy Superman and that kind of carried over to TV it's interesting since we've been visiting I watched the old TV Superman series too it's a lot like the comic books just Nostalgia and uh other one's Batman uh there was a character called lash laroo a lot of people won't know who that is but he was a cowboy that he didn't he had guns but he used a whip used like a bull whip to uh um uh enforce the law basically so he would just he get know hopong cting and there were some others like Donald Duck was big very big a lot of the Disney but Donald Duck was the big one for me but I became a Mickey Mouse fan more than Donald Duck even though Donald Duck Comics were the first kind of the ones I would get uh and then he had like three nephews qy Dey and forget the last one's name there's three nephews then there was Uncle Scrooge he was a duck who was a like a rich Miser his girlfriend I'm going to school you for a second it's Huey Dy and Louie and Daisy Daisy that's it Daisy Duck during the Desert Storm they came out with a series of collector cards and I got all those series um and they're they're in both ways I got them in original package and then I also got them in a in a book I don't even remember if you guys were still home or not but they killed off Superman yeah and I got that comic still in the rapper up in the up in the uh closet there there's a lot of stuff up there there's old cameras there's a lot of baseball cards in in the original boxes I don't have a lot of rookies unless they happen to be in one of the boxes I I got but I used to get the whole box every year for Christmas your no used to give them to me should I decide to go someplace unexpectedly make sure make sure you get up there and look I didn't think we could go wrong by getting Mom cupcakes they had a ton of chocolate and so we scored a ton of chocolate in cupcake form for a while now and I think that's about a week Diana's been wanting chicken nuggets so I got her a 20 piece that should satisfy her for another day or so or however long it takes for her to go through 20 chicken nuggets uh got her soda got her a gigantic cup of brr coffee drink should be a good Valentine's Day haul y Valentine's Day there's no stopping we still have to stop check the mail I like chicken less than Chris likes corn aren't there Foods you don't like this is what I would give to you Jedi look see what that says sweet pee that's cuz you're my little sweet pee yeah yeah you are yeah you can't eat it yet cuz you're not big enough so that's why I didn't actually get it all right but when you're older we'll go get one just for you the bathroom is clean but yes you can shave you can brush your teeth please do I have a for that there's a hand towel down there yes cuz when she cleans she cleans everything so there's a hand tow that's the only thing she'll have to wash okay Happy Valentine's Day and and five month day not just one but two cuz I said those look really good I want those for Valentine's Day and you remember yeah they've been in the refrigerator for 2 weeks now oh really no we just picked them up it was the last thing I picked up I wanted to make sure there were as fresh as possible yeah they're nice and warm oh and I got my cake too and you can eat it I also said I wanted this and you went out and ordered it oh my gosh so this is a cake for two people but I think it's just for one it's just for you you know why I love Valentine's Day cuz you get stuff oh yeah but you get to dress up and pig out on chocolates and sweets you want to see what I got you I got something I love you like a fat boy loves cake no it says our love can be romantic our love can be routine our love can be I love you right on a cell phone screen our love can be a whisper our love can be a touch our love can get us through the days that we don't like so much our love can be I'm sorry our love can be a smile our love can even be I need to be alone a while our love can be imperfect our love can be I ideal but most of all our love can last because our love is real happy Valentine's Day to the one I love so much and it leaves me hanging where's the rest of the stza thank you because because that's a very important word you show me love throughout the whole year you just because Flowers and surprise lattes but most importantly the laughs and smiles you give me every day piss I don't think you will ever top last year's Valentine's Day present Jedi here's your present I got a present M wow gray salt caramel I promise not to eat any yeah right oh without permission very very smart yeah I wrote a letter on the back is this my night kid yeah I almost forgot I have a few more things for you oh she woke up I blame you that's cool this might get me comment right thought oops okay so they're not rated PG let's see if you get Sheldon yes these are all the options right mhm okay here we go most of which are Sheldon okay I'm I going to like oh you can't see it I got shoulder and you got him in green That's Green Lantern perfect yay sheld can I have your Green Lantern ring ooh a sparkly card your first Valentine's Day they still make these mhm the sweet little Bear is just stopping by to bring you your very first Valentine High hope your day is special special just like you love no and joea it's nice and sparkly that's one of Mom's cupcakes which she's already kind of dropped onto the table told you mom's weird did you pick that one out yeah you did are these different or are they all chocolate they're all chocolate with variations of frosting flavors oo thanks again for taking the time to watch like comment subscribe and do all the things that you're doing for us so that we can keep doing things for you we'll see you tomorrow\n"