*Monday Memos* (VDay edition)

*Monday Memos*

dear valentine's day family dinner, what an adventure you turned out to be!  Not only did I forget to have you on the traditional Monday night before Valentine's Day, but I almost forgot completely!  Having you two days AFTER V-Day was a new twist for sure...especially on a Sunday.  Nothing seemed to work out.  Were you trying to tell me something?  Like maybe, just go to McDonald's and call it good? After three trips to the store the night before for what I needed (thankfully by my husband) and then still not getting it right, forgetting to color the pasta pink, and then somehow not turning the oven on to the right temperature so the meatloaf was still raw when my guests arrived...I think Mickey D's would have been a much better idea!  Thankfully I was able to think fast and just throw the meatloaf in the frying pan to finish cooking it.  In fact, we kind of liked it that way.  Maybe we will be making it like that again!  

We invited the Parrish kids over to eat with us because their parents are on a cruise.  I'm not sure what they thought of all the pink and purple food, but they happily ate it all and so I guess they approved! ☺

Sadly, Bryce isn't in the photo because he was in bed in excruciating back pain.  We are not sure what is wrong yet, but he did have a bad fall snowboarding this week.  Looks like an MRI is in the future for the poor boy. 

dear valentine's day, you are one of my favorite holidays for decorating.  There is such cuteness in all things hearts!

dear fun lunch bunch friends, thanks for the laughs on "Gal"entine's Day!  You were my inspiration for making my lace cookies!  You are my inspiration for many things!  I love you all so much and look forward to getting together ANY chance we can.  It's never the same group that can make it, but it's always a great time!  There is just nothing like having true friends in this life and I know I have been more than abundantly blessed in that department. Thanks Dawn for getting this planned!  Let's do it again soon!

Thanks Carla for talking us all into the luscious brownie bites!  They were scrumpdelilicious!

dear madi and davis, thanks for coming and visiting me! I wish we could have spent more time together while Grammy was tending you, but I'm grateful for what time we got.  You always brighten my day and keep me laughing.  I LOVE having you around.  Teaching you the basics of decorating Valentine's Day cookies was a blast.  I'm so glad you had fun.  Thanks for choosing to color the frosting purple!  You know if you hadn't, I would have talked you into it anyway!  hehe  Oh, and sharing the purple hot chocolate with you was also a great memory maker.

Purple hot chocolate!  YES, please!

dear davis, your Valentine to Tyson touched my heart to the core.  What a sweet gesture!

dear valentines day, you landed on a Friday this year which made for some very crowded restaurants.  We tried Rickenbackers (my first choice) but the wait was over 90 minutes long.  It was fun running into President and Sister Davis who were also waiting for a table.  They were even kind enough to invite us to join them, but since they had arrived only a few minutes before us, it wouldn't have made much difference.  So we decided to try La Ferrovia on 25th Street.  Dave had never been there and he loves Italian and so off we went.  The wait there was only 25 minutes.  As we were waiting, we ran into Jackie and Mike Gallegos, who were just leaving.  Such a small world.  I ordered the lasagna (of course).  I do love a good lasagna.  If I get a choice of what to eat for my last supper, it will be lasagna.  But, it has to either be my homemade recipe, Olive Garden's, or Carrabba's.  Dave had the halibut with penne pasta and alfredo sauce.  Since I knew La Ferrovia is my friend Dawn's favorite place to eat, I sent her a picture of me with my food and said, "Guess where I am?".  She guessed right away.  As we were driving off, I got a text from her saying that she had tried to pay for our meal but we had left too quick.  Are you kidding me? WHO does that?  Dawn, that's who!  She is amazing like that!  She thinks of things like that to do for others that the rest of us don't even think of.  Did I mention I have amazing friends?     

dear valentine's day cookies, I was so happy with how you turned out.  At least I was when I saw you in the morning.  The night before, I thought you looked horrible.  But that's because it was 2 a.m. when I finished you and so my view was a bit distorted at that hour.  That's what you get when you don't start baking until after 8 p.m. Or was it 9? Either way, I was happy with my first attempt at lace cookies.  I have done a lot of lace work on wedding cakes, but never on cookies.  They do take some time, but it was worth it.  I think those I gave them to, appreciated them, so that made it all worth it.  I am excited to do some more for Easter!

dear heart shaped rock, you rock.  And no, I will never take finding such a perfect rock like you for 'granite'.  You will go nicely with my collection and you are the biggest one I have found so far. 

dear mr. buck, I love seeing your cute little horns starting to sprout.  I love that you aren't afraid of me.  I love that you love hanging out in my backyard.  I love seeing you in my backyard with NO snow!  It gives me hope that spring is actually going to come!

dear teddy bears galore, you looked so cute all lined up on the church stage.  I am glad so many donated so many of you for our humanitarian project that I am in charge of.  I can't wait to deliver you to the EMT's and to the Sheriff station so they can pass you out to children in distress in our town to help comfort them.

dear mckay, you have amazed me this past month and a half with your willpower to avoid eating all sweets and junk food.  I wish I had the strength to do that.  You inspire me.  Looking good bud!  Mr. Cat isn't looking too thrilled to be held though. haha

dear heart shaped snow, your timing was perfect for VDay!

dear cows, can I just say how stinkin' (literally) cute you are?!  I don't know what it is about cows, maybe it's the eyes, but you really are cute.  At least in the face. You make me happy when I see you on my runs. Sorry I scare you so much.  I'm really pretty harmless.

dear mr. cat, I luff you more than words can say!  Look at that face!  What's not to luff about this fluff?

  I hope your VDay was as great as mine and you were able to spread some luff!