Valentine Party

One of the loveliest things about South Bend is the fantastic support group the wives of the residents have here. There are two family practice residencies in town--one at Memorial (where John is) and one at St. Joseph (Hello, St. Joe!). When we picked Memorial to rank first on our list last February (has it really been a year?), I worried that I wouldn't really get to hang out with the lovely ladies from St. Joe. That fear was groundless as all of us meet together once a week as "The Wednesday Wives' Club," which really meets every Thursday at one house or another.
This week was my turn, and I loved hosting a fun little Valentine's Day party. It doubled as a little birthday celebration for Chloe Wheeler, who turned 2. (Can you see that darling castle cake Bonnie made for her? It was awfully cute.)
The kids made Valentine bags for the cards and treats they exchanged. And the moms made these fun little valentine banners. Sara got herself a Cricut at the fabulous post-Thanksgiving JoAnn sale, and she was gracious enough to cut all the banner pieces for me. They say "Be Mine," and I think they turned out pretty cute. Unfortunately, I sent mine away, and I didn't get a picture of a finished one with all the filler ribbon and stuff.
As I reviewed these pictures, I was astonished at how very little of the chaos was captured. (Maybe it's because there isn't any sound with photography?) With nine moms and 19 kids in one house, it's really crazy. Funny then, that this weekly craziness is what helps me keep my sanity.

As an epilogue:
Look what present that horrendous windstorm left us on our porch roof.That large stick (about 3-4 inches in diameter) is actually poked down INTO the roof. . . . . . leaving a large hole. Ahh--the joys of owning a home.