Emme, Spencer and Ryder arrived first...and couldn't wait to check out the tea party table. I'm not sure Ryder was seeing much of anything...since he insisted on wearing his Valentine's sunglasses. Their mommy decided she might just sit at the kid's table as well...since she still fit into the chairs!It was all about hearts...
...from the shirts to their finger jello creations.
Princess Ranen arrived...so excited to see everyone, she could hardly contain herself.
Ryder gave her a little teddy bear that said "I love you"...and so we heard the message over and over!
Auntie Broni brought Baby Maelyn to join her cousins at the table...and while the girls were all looking elsewhere, guess what Ryder was up to?
This sipping out of teacups takes a little practise...but oh, what fun! Grammy's antique tea set is getting more use now...than it did 'back in the day'.
Baby Maelyn took it all in from the sidelines...this year. Someone dug up a 'vintage kitty' for her enjoyment...a kitty that once belonged to her mommy...and was made by great-grandma a very long time ago. Those hand-made gifts just go on giving!Once the grands were partied out...the big girls had their tea party. Well, let's just say we sipped from authentic tea cups. The tea was made...but in the end, the coffee won out!
One year ago at this time Heidi was craving all sorts of strange and wonderful things...and requested that I make her the rice pudding that we used to enjoy. And so I did...and we had it on Valentine's Day...and she wondered if we could have it again this year...and so we did. (That's how traditions are born.) Can you really drink tea and eat rice pudding at the same time? It seemed that we all needed coffee...so we saved the tea to go with the cookies. I'm not really sure what the guys were up to on Valentine's Day...but we girls had a fine time!
Soon it was time for good-bye...and it seems these two knew exactly how that should be done on Valentine's Day.And in the evening...'my true love' and I spent a quiet evening at home. We enjoyed Chinese food...played a few rounds of cards...and watched a wonderful movie called Bella.
I tried out out all kinds of wonderful recipes in the kitchen this weekend. If you want a truly special cake...check out Lovella's recipe for Cake of Genoa over at the Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog. I posted the rice pudding recipe last year...you can find it right here. The sugar cookies have cut-out centres...filled with crushed cinnamon hearts...which melt during baking, and produce somewhat of a stained-glass effect.
It was a weekend filled with wonderful things...family, friends, food and lots of fun. But we don't need a special day to enjoy those things...we are so blessed!Have a great day...
