Happy Valentine’s Day 2026

Hello and Happy Valentine’s Day. It reminds me of when my children were little and we made our valentine cards and or we bought the best ones we could find. It was more fun for me than them I think. As they would put the names on the envelopes and I don’t really think they liked that. When my older ones were younger we would make cakes or cookies to take in for their parties at school. When Dusty was younger I always got the cupcakes not always by choice but the teachers would say we know you are going to bring them in. By the time Dusty was in school you weren’t allowed to take in homemade goodies. I would go to the fancy grocery stores and get special cupcakes so the kids would have something really nice. Well at least I thought it was something nice. 

When I was younger I really don’t remember anything about Valentine’s Day. The only memory I have is in the third grade we made these paper plate envelopes where we decorated them and put on the backs of our chairs to go around and deliver them to each of the students. It was creative and fun. As an adult I would make little mailboxes with my Cricut or the Silhouette. Gosh I miss those so much!!! I just don’t have a computer to run them. 

The picture above is Cooper. That particular Valentine’s Day Abigail had come over and we made cookies. In fact I believe the pictures are on this blog. Not exactly those pictures but close enough. More Valentines fun. 

I always look for heart shapes in nature. Love 💕 

These are from 2020 Jr. took them. Kim always makes the best displays for each season or holidays. They are incredibly creative. She’s so talented. 

The scary thing is I still have the boots and the headband but the GD shirt has big holes in it, note I didn’t say it was in the trash. We had fun that day with Jr. taking all the pictures. Kim has a photography business on the side Ginger Snaps. Which is perfect as they are all ginger headed. Well when I was younger we said red headed. Idk I always thought it was more orange than red growing up. What do I know? Then when my mom would say she’s brunette I am like what’s that? I was talking to my aunt tonight and she brought up a story of the desert and I was like it’s just like a mirage. I remember the first time I heard that word I was with my grandma Joann I told her I see water on the road no she says it’s a mirage. Well what’s a mirage I said. Smiling 😊 

This is another heart in nature. It was at the Coleman Trail at the Millpond. 

Abigail our oldest granddaughter. She is 3 months older than Cooper. 

Samantha our next oldest granddaughter. 

Dakota she comes after Skylar this is one of the masterpieces of Kim. I love it. When she sent it to me it was so much like the pictures I would do when the boys were little. I even made wings one year for them. Using a white boa around them. 

This was a plate created by me many many years ago. In fact Cody wasn’t even born. I think it got broke moving here. At least there is a picture of it. Every year I would make these strawberries dipped in chocolate. Fun. 

Yummy I wish I had one now. 

Skylar always ready for making something. I had bought this kit for everyone to decorate. 

Colten, Colby and Cooper

Skybear loves candy… just like her momma. Crystal would hide behind chairs or doors to eat everyone’s candy. Then the other children would be upset as Crystal would eat theirs too. 

These are the wings I had made for the boys when they were little. I kept them folded in the costume closet. Yes at our other house we had a closet that was walk in and we had many years of costumes for over the years. We took all of them to the thrift store when we moved. 

I always loved taking pictures. Her mom was in Germany at the time so she loved getting them. 

I love you Skybear 

When I typed in Valentine’s Day this came up. I miss that kitchen. 

The boys all took times washing dishes. Colby claims he had the longest……haha I think Cody did. Alexis beat them all. 

I hope you enjoyed the pictures. Have a wonderful Valentine’s  Day. Much love and hugs. 

All the best vibes, 

Dawn Gallop
 

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Louisville Kentucky Home of The Louisville Slugger

Hello a catch up day as this was what we did on the way to Florida. I would have to stop so much that we had to take our time having places to stay over and places to visit as to make the trip doable. We gave ourselves extra time for this. I can’t ride in the car for long distances. I have three cushions and a vibration and heat pad too. My back gets to cramping and my legs start have muscles spasms not to mention the pain in the right foot it’s stays numb and frozen. Yep that’s why we have to break the ride up. So Bruce ordered tickets online for a specific time for the Louisville Slugger factory. 

I have wanted to go here for so many many years. Especially when my girls were playing softball. I had once seen a scrapbook page of the place and just knew I wanted to take my kids there. Well as with time being a thief the only kid that made it there was Dusty. Since Kim and Jr bought him the cruise ship ticket he was lucky enough to get to go this summer. What a wonderful gift. He can thank Levi for that. Levi had told Kim we can leave one of my sisters home so we can bring Dusty. Haha. Kim called her travel agent and was able to add another person. So I was so happy and joyful that Dusty was coming. We stopped at this famous place that I have been wanting to visit for so long. It was a wonderful place. I only wish we could have stayed longer as it was a beautiful town and so much to do. They even have the original paddle boats. Which would be so fun to go on. I would highly recommend this town for a visit if you will be near or close as it is a fantastic spot. 

Dusty and I in front of the biggest bat! 

The bat is HUGE! They tell the story about it. The information they provide is especially interesting. 

We arrived around thirty minutes early before our tour. So once we took the pictures of the world’s largest bat. We crossed the street to see the old bourbon barrel truck. I don’t think I would be able to ride in that truck look at the seat. Hard and uncomfortable. 

The famous players have signed the machine that makes the wooden bats. 

 This was a coffee shop we went to close to the Slugger Museum. It was very nice. I think it was called Beard Coffee. 

This was on the side of a building I took from car at the stoplight. 

I wanted to go to the art store as there really isn’t any near me. So when we were parking we saw this. Of course I loved it lol it’s a Knicky knack thang you wouldn’t understand. 

You see our car is parked right beside it. 

A very nice art store of course our money is so very low but I was able to buy a tube of watercolor paint and a package of glass beads. I was content. It was the joy of being in the town.i hope you enjoyed our little trip to Louisville Kentucky. It is a must to see. Make more than a few hours of it. Do one of those bourbon tours. We were only there for a couple of hours but so lovely. 

A few updates

So the car has been broke down. It was the starter and the heat wasn’t working in the front of the car. Bruce worked on it for days. In the cold weather too. It was quite the experience as it was so cold his fingers would be wet they would stick to the metal tools. He tried wearing plastic gloves as well. Back in 1990 he had a stabbing incident at the marina he worked at that severed his median nerve in his arm. He was a reconstructive surgery for over seven hours. I was 22 at the time we had three children. It was the first time I had ever drank coffee in my life. I had worked a 16 hour shift at the hospital I did a lot of those days like that. I had a good babysitter whom we would take turns Bruce dropped them off early in the morning and I would pick them up after my shifts. I had pulled a 3-11 and a 11-7. I had picked the children up and got home to call Bruce at work. Well at that time only the super rich had cell phones. I called his work, the phone only rang in the office of this humongous company of boat builders. Bruce repaired engines and took wealthy people out on their new boats to teach them how to use them. He would get good tips then. So when the office answered the phone I heard the girl say “it’s his wife” I was like to myself what’s going on I am thinking. Well a few seconds later she gets back on the phone and says there’s been an accident and Bruce has left in an ambulance to the hospital. I had a zillion questions running through my head so I asked which hospital she Norfolk General (which now I believe is Sentara Norfolk general) it may have changed. I asked the office lady what happened then the boss got on the phone, told me everything was fine he would be going into surgery so you might want to head on over to the hospital. I called Maria our babysitter and she said she would watch the children. So I dropped them off and got to the hospital where he was in the surgery. He came out of surgery meaner than a snake. They kept him overnight and then we went to the doctors office the next day. The doctor fell in love with all the babies. Till this day his arm is messed up and he can’t use two fingers on his hand. So why I told you this story was because it makes it hard to hold bolts when the two fingers that would hold the bolts don’t work but the good thing is he completely compensates for it. Just takes longer. That’s why it took so long for the work he did on the car. I’m glad the car is working now. Yay!!!! Happy dance. I am reading two new books Joyful and The Correspondent By Virginia Evans. 

I hope you have an Amazing Weekend. 

Much love and joy, 

Dawn Gallop 

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