Young Married's Valentine's Party!

It was a success! Yaaaay! I volunteered our lovely little home for a Valentine's Party with all the young families from our ward. I really wanted to break out the camera, but seeing as how we didn't really know each other at all and I didn't want to scare anyone away (some people, like my wonderful husband, think taking pictures is awkward . . . stunning), I only snapped a couple before everyone got there. I cut out loads of hearts, which I wasn't sure if they would impress everyone that I was attempting to be so festive, or just make them feel bad for me that I had been cutting out so many hearts. Tim Shaw thought I always had hearts in my home. I guess that's not a bad thing. . .

Mark had a half day yesterday, so he was a WONDERFUL help. He either played with Mac or helped cook all afternoon. Bless his big heart.

I wanted to do a huge meal, I admit it was partially to impress and partially to feel like I'm giving back to all you good tax payers out there . . . thanks for the food stamps! We had a tasty pasta bar, and I decided to be daring and attempt some sauces that I found online, which turned out to be scrumptious. We had a marinara recipe from Iron Chef, and believe it or not, the actual alfredo recipe from Olive Garden! Then we had two kinds of pasta and chicken, shrimp, or sun-dried tomato sausage to throw on top. (The sausage is awesome.)
The night before Mark and I dipped some strawberries in chocolate! The first ones turned out fantastic, but because we used chocolate chips, I think they started to crystallize or something and so the last few were a bit difficult to dip. They all tasted fabulous though.
Mac didn't last very long. Party pooper. I put him down though in our room (we had some babysitting going on in his room, which was awesome. Thank you Janae!) and he slept soundly, so we could play!

We ate and talked and had Ever After playing in the background, and some people putted while listening to some soothing love tunes. I had thought about doing a putting tournament, but turns out most of the gals don't like golf . . . just like me! So we played Catch Phrase and Mad Gab, which was MUCH more fun. It was hilarious, nothing like a good game of Catch Phrase to get to know each other.

Favorite moments from the night included:

• Lindy's huge smile as she described words very seriously.
• "It's a samurai! A samurai who is unemployed by the emperor!"
• Tim's . . . well Tim had a billion funny moments during Catch Phrase.
  
• "Jackson . . . Michael Jackson's dad!"
• Establishing rules. This is very serious business.
  
• Secret clicking . . . and spouses catching each other secretly clicking.
• Shannon's impressions
• "Okay, X that . . ." while making an X in the air.
• Jacob, our one little man who came. With those glasses, how could you not love him?
• Taylor reading the Mad Gab cards. You had to be there.

It was a fantastic night. I partially wish I would've thought of something more Valentine-ish to do, but perhaps next year we will all be good friends and will be brave enough to dance or something. :) It was enough to get to know each other this time.