It's Valentine's Day, so I'll gladly put both feet straight on the cheese platform and say the best example of my love for Beloved is our daughter.

I look at her and I see my husband's cheeks, my husband's huge blue eyes, my husband's toes. I see my nose, my shoulders, my flat feet. I see her uniqueness. Our genes live together forever in her, which sometimes takes my breath away.

I see my husband tuck her in every night he's home from his traveling job and read her stories. 

And so, I am not surprised at her capacity for empathy and compassion. She even extends it to stuffed things. 

I swear this is the last time for a while I'll do this. 

Yesterday was a snow day, and I let her stay home while I worked because it's going to be 46 degrees today and all that beautiful snow will probably melt. So after lunchtime sledding, she had some time on her hands.

I give you The Hospital for Puking Animals.

There was a simple, Department of Homeland Security coding system at play in this hospital. Colored-in heart, you're puking. Not-colored-in heart, not puking. Just resting. These guys were totally just resting.

The dogs, Salt and Pepper, can't bear to be separated, ever, so it doesn't surprise me they're side by side.

The couch hosted a LOT of pukers. Of course she puts them on the only piece of furniture with any value. Nonpukers on the broken Kmart dining set from 2000, pukers on the leather couch. That's my girl. Not in the picture, though. That's the neighbor.

From this angle we see the kitchen chairs are actually set up much like a submarine, with double racks for the infirm.

She ran out of furniture downstairs, so thank goodness she dragged down all the furniture from upstairs, too.

Pukers, both of them. The bear is using a Turbie Twist for a blanket.

As we cleaned up the Hospital for Puking Animals, I reminded myself that someday my house will be constantly in good order, and I will find myself longing for a few stuffed pukers. That's why I post these pictures. It's not for you, even though I like you. It's for me.

Happy Valentine's Day. Hug a puking animal today.