Editor’s note: We’re pleased to publish the winners and runners-up in our Valentine write-in contest here and on page 3D.

Readers were asked to submit their real-life stories in two categories: “Funniest Valentine” and “Most Unique Presentation of Valentine Day’s Gift.”

Winners receive two movie tickets from Southwind Twelve Theaters and a gift certificate for dinner at the BleuJacket.

We hope you enjoy these heartwarming tales.

Most Unique Presentation winner: ‘Here Mom, happy Valentine’s Day!’

By Laurel Froelich

“Dad, are you going to take mom out for supper or do something special for Valentine’s Day, today?”

“No.”

“Why not? She’s your wife! You’re suppose to take her out or do something special on Valentine’s Day.”

I was in the next room, the kitchen to be exact, my sanctuary  at least it seemed so for the moment. The words left me cold, colder than the view I got looking out the window, across the snow-laden deck and down the hill to the expansive ice- and snow-covered lake that lay before me.

Out on the ice, the snowmobiles were whizzing across the lake, and ice fishermen sped their cars out on the lake visiting their fish houses  all of them bundled up in their Minnesota “winter gear,” all of them seemingly more prepared for the “winter chill” that I was.

Our son Paul, then age 6, was stunned by his dad’s response. Secretly, I wanted to cheer him on for his perceptiveness and wisdom.

It was about an hour later when my son came to me carrying a box and said, “Here Mom, happy Valentine’s Day!”

I pulled out a dining room chair near me and I placed the plain black-and-white shoe box upon my lap. The box was held together with a leftover strip of jade-colored, foam-backed carpet that I recently put down in the bathroom. The carpet strip held tight. I think it was because the foam backing was just lopped over and pulled.

My mind began to race. I wondered how many other mothers received odd-looking packages from their children. I felt mine may top the list. As my curiosity was getting the best of me, I wondered what object he found around the house that he wrapped up for me. I knew he hadn’t been anywhere to shop  or had someone helped him?

By now his smiles were contagious, and the suspense was mounting by the second. I eagerly lifted the lid.

The same tissue remained in the box, as if it held shoes. I said, “I know  there’s nothing in here! What a funny surprise that would be!” My son said, “No, there’s something in there! Look inside the paper.”

Then I unfolded the tissue paper. Inside the plain tissue paper lay a box full of randomly cut hearts  all from newspaper. I felt a tear escape down by cheek and hoped he didn’t see it, but he did.

“You’re crying. Don’t you like it?”

“They’re happy tears. Yes, I like it very much! In fact, it’s the nicest valentine gift I ever received!”

Then he said, “I love you, Mom!” sharing a kiss and a warm embrace.

Later, I counted the hearts. There were 40 in all. Since that day the marriage has ended and I have spent most Valentine’s Days alone, but the days grow warmer and sweeter whenever I think of the 40 newspaper hearts I have tucked away in a box.

Funniest Valentine winner: ‘Oops  oops  oops’

By Vicki Murrison

Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. Therefore, I would always make some kind of fancy dessert to serve that evening to my husband and two children, who were approximately 11 and 16 at the time.

My fancy dessert that evening was red Jell-O and whipped cream, layered alternately in crystal wine glasses, with sprinkles and a cherry on top. They were beautiful when ready to be served.

The family was downstairs watching television, so I placed all four glasses on a tray and proceeded down the stairs. After about two steps down the glasses started teetering and  one by one, to my dismay  went crashing to the ground, spraying Jell-O, whipped cream and glass all over.

All I could say as this was going on was “Oops  oops  oops!” The family said the look on my face was of utter horror, yet comical, so they found it all extremely funny. Luckily, we all ended up laughing while spending the next half hour cleaning up.

Every Valentine’s Day, I still get teased about “Mom walking downstairs with four wine glasses full of dessert balanced on a tray.”

Funniest Valentine runner-up: ‘Wow, $2,500’

By Nicole Flynn

On Feb. 14, 1996, my then-fiance, now husband, provided me with a couple of options for celebrating our love. First, he said he would buy me roses and we could go to dinner, but at this point most eateries were booked for the evening. Or we could take the money and go to the casino with two other couples.

I chose the casino. He knew I would be a cheap date because I am such a conservative gambler (nickel slots, here I come).

So off we went to Sam’s Town. He gave me $20 and said that was my present for the night, with a wink. We went to the blackjack table together and then I left him for the slots. We agreed to meet in an hour and a half.

How romantic  he playing blackjack on one floor and me playing quarter slots on another.

I actually was disappointed to find out that they didn’t have nickel slots  I had to gamble five times my usual amount. I cashed my $20 and filled my cup with the coins. I sat down and started the mindless game of insert coin, pull the handle and win or lose some coins. There was a maximum bet of five coins each time  I usually put in three or four, sometimes five if I felt lucky.

I was making enough change back that I decided to start putting coins in the slot machine next to me and so I played two at the same time. It gave me enough to keep going, too.

About an hour and a half later I decided I had better go meet my valentine. So I put two more coins in the machine next to me and then three in my machine. I pulled the handles at the same time. DING, DING, DING! Bells rang and lights flashed  10,000 coins. Oh my, do I divide by four or 25? I am a math teacher, I should know. Wow, $2,500! I almost fell off my seat.

Then our friends came to find me with my fiance behind. He was running to let me know he had won $80 at the blackjack table when he realized it was my machine ringing and flashing. He asked if that was my machine and I, still in a state of shock, nodded and smiled.

He was disappointed that I wasn’t impressed with his winnings, but I think he got over it when we used the money to pay for our honeymoon to Hawaii five months later.

Most Unique Presentation runner-up: ‘None is as precious’

By Freda Hickam

My husband and I are in our late 60s, and met two years ago in January. We were widowed.

He entered the hospital for surgery, which was scheduled for Valentine’s Day. He saw a ruby and diamond pendant advertised in the paper and had his daughter purchase it for him and wrap it (ruby is my birthstone).

He presented the necklace to me before he went into surgery, stating it represented his heart, and asked me to marry him.

I never take the necklace off as I do feel his love is with me always. Even though he buys me a piece of jewelry each month to represent our anniversaries, none is as precious as the heart.

We were married seven months later in Eureka Springs, Ark. How wonderful at our age to have a future instead of just a past.