Valentine Showers

Happy Valentine's Day!  I hope you have a sweetheart to share it with.  I think my valentine is taking me to John Wick 2 tonight...  Actually I don't know where we'd find time to go to a movie on a weeknight.  And that movie is probably not the most romantic.  I've got the first John Wick recorded on our dvr and wowza...  if you want a wicked revenge movie, I guess that's it.  

Remind me what to do if someone steals my car and kills my dog...  Kill 50+ people and destroy every business you enter?  That doesn't sound right...

Back to the weekend!  On Saturday night, I was too tired to run Maddy back to the dorm so I sent her in my car.  She got pulled over immediately after leaving the hotel parking lot for not turning the lights on yet...  oops!  On her car, they flick on right away, not so in my ancient beast! The policeman was also suspicious of why she had a minivan loaded down with strewn blankets, pillows and snacks, snack wrappings, half drunk drink containers...  It was a mess...  It always is when we travel somewhere.  Seriously... who would be stealing a minivan like that?!  

She told him that her parents weren't the most organized....  *thanks*

So eventually he believed her story when her driver's license address matched the registration and he told her to turn the headlights on and get back to campus.  Whew!

Meri's jazz band performance was Saturday and the school bus broke down on the way back to the school.  Meri was planning on heading to Minnesota as soon as she got back.  Thanks to a kind parent who was picking up their kid from the side of the road, Meri got to get a ride to her car instead of waiting for the replacement bus.  However it threw her way behind schedule and she didn't roll into campus until after 1am.  Maddy was waiting up for her.  They came to pick us up for church Sunday morning.  

After an awesome potluck at the church, we headed next door and Meri set up for the second wedding shower of the weekend.  We decorated cookies, 

made Sherbet/Sprite punch, 

ate Maddy's favorite foods of granola bars and cheese sticks, and played lots of games that Meri had found on Pinterest.  So much fun!  Maddy got more items to tuck into Matthew's bedroom/storage for their future together.

 Leon had a blast with Matthew's dad downstairs.  Sorry Matthew!  Your Legos were played with extensively!!  BUT I did NOT let the boy take cookies downstairs.  Who wants to play Legos with month old crumbs mixed in?  I didn't think you did.  

Leon popped a few balloons on their living room ceiling...

 All the single (so far) ladies with their ring pops!

And the McVal sisters...  So much love with those two!

I decided I didn't like my dress that I made after all, so I won't show you that dress pic.  Next time I make something for myself, I am SO taking a pic of myself in it before wearing it somewhere...  

and then wearing something else.

After the shower, we hit the road to find the friend's house where the reception will be.  We got lost...  I had taken a wrong turn and ended up turning a few miles too soon.  I didn't have my gps with me and was going from memory of what Google Earth had told me.  

Note to self, WRITE THINGS DOWN!  or REMEMBER TO BRING THE GPS!  

We had been told the GPS takes you to the wrong address, but after we discovered we weren't anywhere near the place, Meri looked it up on her cell phone.  It took us RIGHT to it!  

I guess SOME GPSs work for this farm!

good!

We walked all around and the family showed us their fantastic house.  If it rains or is buggy, our wedding guests can all fit inside their house.  Seriously... It's that big... and beautiful!

Well, this is the barn.  Not their house.  I didn't get a chance to see where the dance will be, in the upstairs of the barn, but I trust the kid's opinions, so it will be great.

Thanks to a very warm February, the spring thaw had set in.  Leon ran all around chasing cats and lost a shoe in the mud, then ran with one shoe on and a socking foot through the mud.  And that's when we got a tour of the house.  Yeah... I'll carry the boy...  Or take off his socks and shoes.  That kid begged a banana off them!  

I can't take him anywhere...  And we'll be lucky to leave the wedding reception without a kitten...  They'll have a batch ready to go to new homes by then.  *yay*

But now that we have a visual of the farm, I have a better idea of how to organize things for the reception.  Yay!  It's going to be fun!

Because of getting lost, I was almost out of gas.  The family gave me directions to the closest gas station and we set off with a wing and prayer.  I have NEVER seen the gas gauge THAT far past empty before.  wow...  Rolled into the town on fumes and prayers answered.

Then headed back to drop off kids and then head home.  Meri stayed a little longer before she left.

We broke the punch bowl into a million pieces when I opened the hatch for some of their things...  REALLY?  Oh well, it was a garage sale find years ago.  The last time I used it was probably 20 years ago.  Meri was the most sad about it breaking.

I was exhausted.  We all were.  FINALLY got home around 8:30 and was ready for bed.

So now it's Valentine's Day and I'm not as tired anymore.  

Planning a nice evening with my sweetheart.

I hope you do too!