The Valentine Party or Shake it UP!

Valentine's Day. That single day on February fourteenth seems to make plenty of people for lack of a better word...crazy. When little girls are little girls the only Valentine they want or need is their daddy. When they are teenagers however, it becomes such a big deal to have a Valentine that they spend the next several years hating the day until they too, have a Valentine of their very own.

Well I have have had the same Valentine for the last twenty one years. While I am thankful for such a blessing, for me it's just another day to spend with the one I love. I don't need to commercialize it. I don't need the heart box of candy or the flowers that will wilt and die. I suppose once you've been with the same person for so long, just being together is in and of itself the gesture. If you spend your whole life waiting for gestures you will always spend it wanting instead of spending it living. This Valentines Day I spent at a 4H meeting with my kids. I did prepare a lovely meal for the family and I did get plenty of hugs and kisses. Things I never take for granted and am thankful each day for.

This year was different in one respect. We did go this weekend to a Valentine's Party with our Sunday school class. Twelve couples gathered together for food, fellowship and fun. And fun we did have. I can honestly say that I cannot remember laughing so hard for a very long time.

The meal was wonderful. Appetizers that included a crab dip that I will long for for days to come. Salads, pork chops, cheesy potatoes, green beans, rolls and desserts. I cannot begin to describe the desserts, but I will try of course. There was this peanut butter and chocolate dessert that would make Reese cry. There was this sort of a cookie/brownie type thing that was delightful as well as perhaps a dirt pudding. All of it was wonderful and I will have to walk 10,000 miles to work all that I consumed off.

The best part however, was the entertainment. Minute to Win It! If you have seen this particular game show you know that you have a minute to win it. We were working toward collecting the most cards for the grand prize. Unfortunately this is a game of pure luck not a game of how well you know your partner. As I was sure that we would have that sort of game locked up. As it was we were only able to collect two cards and four cards won. We stacked apples. I kept thinking the entire time of the Dr. Seuss book Ten Apples Up On Top! As I stacked my five apples I kept thinking of that book and was thankful that I only had to stack them on a table and not on my head. I actually thought when I let go they would all tumble down but they stayed. No one was more surprised than I was. Also after twelve people had their hands on your apples, I'd just make sure you peel them before consuming them.

So we all stacked apples, we stacked nuts, we stacked dice on a popcycle stick that was in our mouth. We attempted to get an Oreo from our forehead to our mouth without using our hands. But the most entertaining of all games played last night was this... Take a tissue box put a belt through it and fill it with jingle bells. Fasten the belt around your rear and then with out using your hands get the jingle bells out of the box. Oh and no you cannot simply stand on your head like one tried to do. Apparently that is too easy. I personally thought it was impressive and there is no possible way I could ever stand on my head or hands. So you must bounce. Like Tigger in Winnie the Pooh. Bounce! Talk about shaking your groove thing. Three grown men and one grown woman were all that was brave enough to attempt this fete. It was the funniest thing I think I have ever witnessed. The laughter that this brought about was vast. In fact long after the party, after I was tucked into bed I was till giggling about it.

We then played a version of the Newlywed Game. We were asked questions about which couple would be most likely to do certain things. The couple who got the most votes for each question won. I'm pretty sure the last question was thrown in just so I could win. The question being "Who would most likely be on facebook if they weren't here tonight." Of course everyone chose me. Which will lead to the next blog I intend to write entitled "Facebook, Freecell, and Me" about a woman who can't sit still to watch television but must always be doing something. By the way the Hershey kisses that I won for that question were delightful.

This was our first Valentine party. We had no idea what to expect. We had a great time and are so happy that we went. We are blessed to go to church with wonderfully insightful, charming, warm, friendly people and as we found out last night they are also quite hilarious. So when I think back on the evening for the next few days I will remember not that apparently I'm perceived as the one most likely to be on facebook, because let's face it I probably am, but I'll remember a fun evening among friends.