Sunday, February 14, 2010

Happy Valentine's Day!



ABOVE:
my grandson Kenneth, gearing up for our family's

2010
Valentine
Cookie Decorating
Extravaganza

Without his precious mother pitching in,
there wouldn't have been all those bowls of colorful frosting.

Yes.
She IS the gal who got her 2nd hip replacement,
just over a month ago.
(Don't ask me how she does it.)

We filled 3 tables with COLOSSAL cookies
and bowls of colorful goodies for decorating.



Actually, 3 tables weren't enough.
Taking turns was necessary.
My family is large.
Getting larger every month.


This is why the Party Founder
made an executive decision:
This year's event was a Swan Song.

It's time.

Maybe we move a potluck event in a park?
With a playground and a large pavilion?

But I'm looking at these 2010 photos
and thinking WOW I'm going to miss it !

I dearly love seeing the creative juices flowing
in the kids, young and old.

I am touched by the stories they tell me about their cookies.

My brother's cookie shares a simple fact:
he truly loves his wife.

We love her too.
After a year of chemo and radiation,
she's HERE and CANCER-FREE.


Sometimes
cookies tell about greatly anticipated events,

On the left: We're going to Paris!

On the right: Baby #6 arrived safely!

WHICH REMINDS ME: Crystal was actually HAVING a baby DURING our party and Joel, the new proud daddy, called precisely during the "Share something exciting from your life" portion of the evening, announcing the birth on SPEAKERPHONE. Well, that was indeed exciting news for the baby's many cousins and other kin. We whooped and hollered our approval.

BTW, are you starting to understand why I'm thinking a potluck in the park would be nice? We're talking exponential growth here.


* * *
Eventually,
most of the 60 cookies
were transformed into Artistic Creations Extraordinaire.


(Some a bit abstract.)

Awards were given to all participants
by a REAL artist - Anne!

And THAT was a job and a half. Here's a SAMPLING of the cookies ready for awards. Unfortunately, I missed quite a few creations. Like, a nephew's entire family!



While waiting for the awards,
a few nieces and nephews gather in front of the fireplace
and they TALK. Face 2 face.

Others are downstairs,
where there is a Wild Rumpus in progress.


By midnight,
the crowds have dispersed and
dear Jill + Yours Truly are throwing
the last touches on OUR cookies.

By 1 a.m.
we call it a night.

After all, we had THESE tadpoles
to face in the morning:



For them, life is ALWAYS a party!


3 comments:

K said...

There is so much life in you and yours. Didn't I also have four children? Wait - did you have four or three? I can't even keep track anymore. What a tremendous number there are of you - but you include your sibs, too. And yes, it's a prodigious number to work with - when you include bowls of icing. But what a terrific memory this will be for all of them. Forever. I loved all the cookies - but the yellow one with the story? My favorite. You and I should talk - there may be some other things you can do with them all that might be a little less daunting.

Paige said...

I Cannot believe you had 40 people - and a cookie for each!
You amaze me once again! Sad that that was your last - next year you'll have to come to ours!

Jill Lewis said...

What a fun party! We had a great time. Thanks for being so faithful with this tradition for decades! I hope to always remember staying up late and laughing through our own cookie decorating after the masses had left. What a fun night!

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