OMA'S VALENTINE PARTY

Dear Family,

Mom went to a lot of work and planning for her annual Valentines party.  Everyone around here came including the granddaughters going to college!  Here are some of the kids at the table, Joseph H., Spence, Joseph and Tommy.  There is also smiling Oma with her charts for the lesson in the background. Joseph had just turned in his mission papers.

The gals took over the menu and Suz did the organizing and a good deal of the cooking.  They wanted a Cafe Rio menu even going to the restaurant supply sore for the ton plates.

Here is Cathy loading up on the goodies.  Suz made pulled pork and cooked some beans in addition to green salsa, sugar cookies and home made lollipops shaped like hearts.  Kaley did pulled chicken.  Opa prepared the taco hamburger and slipped in a little meat from the elk in the freezer.  Cathy bought some dips, Kristina brought scrumptious pies and I am sure I am leaving something out.  Mom did the fruit tray.  Rayanne did the black beans.  John did guacamole and rice,  Emily did salsa, salad and cookies. Cheryl brought rice crispy treats.

Here is Cathy with a plateful of goodies.  The family loves this Mexican menu although I am not such a super fan.  There was a ton of food and it was all consumed!  The tin plates kept the food off the floor!

While things were being prepared and during the entire time, Oma had set up a little craft room in the downstairs apartment so the kids could make valentines especially for our four grandchildren in the mission field.  Cheryl's kids stayed extra to finish their valentines and crafts. Mom gave prizes if they memorized a scripture.

While some of the prep was going on, some of us retired to the family room downstairs to watch the Super Bowl.  Here is Doug, Cheryl and Opa.  I did not watch the game long.

We had Family Home Evening,  Here is Mom's chart of scriptures relating to love.  She talked about our grandchildren in the mission field and had a map of the world with p;ins for each missionary.  If you click on the picture, you can get the scripture quotes. She did a ton of work for this.

I commented about love in the family and I believe we have this.  Everyone loves to be part of the group no mater what we are celebrating and there is a lot of intra family service going on.

Then we had dessert and there is Mike, cutting Mom's traditional layered ice cream, whipped cream cake with cinnamon hearts on top.  A life lone, classic. There is Doug dishing out Kristina's ice cream and banana cream pies.

Here are the college kids, Sarah, freshman at BYU, Hanna, senior at BYU, Madeline, junior at the U of U and Rachel who is a junior at BYU.  It was fun to get all the cousins together as well.

We want to thank Mom for planning this, organizing the event and preparing so long for this sweet time with the family and we thank all others who helped.  We all had a grand time!

We go this weekend to Caliofornia to celebrate Doug's 50th birthday with a Father and Son event at Ricks Ranchito in  California close to the Sequoias.

Love one Another always,

Dad and Mom