For February's Family Program we explored the theme of lovingkindness as we celebrated Valentine's Day. We also experimented with our first hybrid Family Program, beginning the program with both online and in-person participants. We started by introducing ourselves and sharing something we had been noticing in nature, including the swirls of snow on the road, changing bird calls, snow curling as it slid off the roof, and no snow at all (from our friends in Iowa!).
We then read the book All the Places We Love by Patricia MacLaughlin, with paintings by Mike Wimmer, in which a child is born and grows to learn to love and cherish all of the people and places around him, eventually passing on what he discovered to his new baby sister.
Kenzan then led us in a lovingkindness meditation, as we shared love and appreciation for those we care about in our lives, and then expanded lovingkindness outward towards people we don't know, as well as the animals, plants and natural world of which we are a part. 
The in-person group then created Valentine's Day crafts, including pearler beads, origami, and tissue paper art.
We snacked on delicious heart-shaped snacks and then made pine cone peanut butter bird feeders as a lovingkindness gift for the birds and squirrels.
