Valentine's Day

First Valentine's Day in India! 

In our city there's a Hallmark, so we all three went to get some cards and other Valentine's stuff. While we were at the store, a man from the state paper asked if he could take our picture and write a Valentine's article on us. The next day a few of our friends told us they saw our picture in the paper and one friend brought a copy to us. 

Valentine's Day is a new holiday here in India, but not everyone celebrates. Only young people celebrate this holiday because most marriages are arranged, and therefore you don't have 'boyfriends' and 'girlfriends'...but dating is something that's growing, just mostly behind the backs of parents, and these are the people who celebrate. 

Elijah loves bears, so that was the Valentine's theme for him this year. 

My (Kristen's) main gift was a big bouquet of flowers, which I loved! 

That night one of our friends came over to watch Elijah while Neal and I went to eat together. 

Neal ordered some ice cream and we were really surprised how big it was, but he ate every bite...I'm not surprised:)

We had a few of our American friends over the next night, so I got the girls some roses and chocolates, and the guy a little box of chocolates. All my life my mom has gotten us Valentine's gifts that were special to things we liked, and my dad got my mom, sister, and I roses. So, I wanted to do that for my friends. 

I also bought the woman, 'Saj', who cleans my house a bouquet of flowers, and all her sons chocolate just to do something special for them. She really liked them...I don't think it's something she gets often.

Most cards here in India are HUGE. I'm not sure why, but when it comes to cards they have a 'go big or go home' policy. Neal and I just laughed when Elijah picked up each of our cards to read them because it was like reading a newspaper. It was a good Valentine's Day!