I have always been a big fan of Valentine's Day. Not only is there an excess amount of chocolate going around but there also seems to be a little excess love - both of which need to be celebrated. My heart warms thinking back to the sweet, little Valentine's Day traditions going on around me as I was growing up. I remember every year my grandpa Singer would get my grandma one of those obnoxious dancing and singing stuffed animals. My grandma loved them! Every February the old ones got placed around the living room and on Valentine's Day a new one would join the party. The grandkids would come over and pretty soon there was a choir of 30 stuff animals singing an unharmonized musical number that ranged from "Hunk-a Hunk-a Burning Love" to "Calling Dr. Love" and everything in between.

My parents had their own Valentine's Day traditions for me. My mom typically left before I woke up in the mornings, but I have distinct memories of sweet notes from her written in red lipstick on my mirror along with my favorite caramel Milkyways. Even my dad-a dairy farmer who was never good at gifts-couldn't resist getting in the Valentine's Day spirit. My dad's farm office serves as a catch all for coffee drinkers in the tri-country area -one of which happened to be in a barbershop quartet. My dad talked him into having the barbershop quartet come into my high school homeroom and singing a series of valentine songs to me. Every high school girl's dream right? I still don't know if my cheeks have ever been more red and my dad's shit-eating grin so big. Is embarrassing you children a love language, because I think its my dads. This became a yearly tradition until- to my dad's dismay- the barbershop quartet said they wouldn't travel to Fargo for my college classes.

My sweet mom still uses the day to send a little Valentine and my dad still gets the same grin as he reminisces about the barbershop quartet and I can't help but smile at all the love being shared today.