Best Valentine's Day EVER!!!!!

Oh my goodness, I cannot even begin to tell you how wonderful my Valentine's Day was...and 110% of the credit goes to my amazing husband, Jason, and his incredible friends from his Wednesday-morning Men's Group (This group of five amazing men started meeting just a few months ago, every Wednesday morning before work, for Christian fellowship. Jason comes home so happy on Wednesdays! :-)

They planned, quite elaborately I've been told -- spreadsheets, timelines, and diagrams were drawn on white-boards apparently; how cute is that?! -- for all 5 of the wives to meet and have an entire day and evening being pampered.

All of the couples arrived at our house at three o'clock. We all got to meet each other and visit, and the husbands sent us off for a four o'clock appointment for mani/pedicures! We took our wine in "roadies," and off we went.

While we were off enjoying great girl-talk, massaging pedicure chairs (some that even went a little wild with the "butt" massage-hey Amy!!! :-), and getting our nails done, all the husbands were back at the house hard at work preparing a most delicious meal!!! We were told that dinner would be served at six! How exciting!!!!

When we came back, we walked into:

-a quiet house (guys had arranged for childcare at the Billings' home)

-mood lighting :-) candles were lit everywhere!

-a wonderful aroma from all the cooking they'd been doing

-the fine china was out and the table was set so beautifully (Steve googled how to fold linens in a fancy way ---awwww!)

-awesome cheese platter with fresh Parmesan, goat cheese, proschuttio, and real balsamic vinegar from Italy.

-and our husbands ready to wait on us hand and foot!





this glass heart was our cake topper from our wedding cake! :-)



We were slightly overwhelmed, quite honestly! It was so wonderful!

They stood before us, saying the sweetest, most honest words any husband could ever say to their wife. We prayed together and had a truly wonderful meal.





Julian made a crazy-good shrimp chowder, served with Paul's deliciously fresh salad. Then, for the entree, we had a trio of smoked trout with a super-yummy sauce (which Julian had made in his smoker), asian salmon made by Steve, and seasoned chicken cooked by Zach. Jason prepared the sides- seasoned green beans and champagne-asparagus risotto (to which an entire bottle of champagne was used for the liquid :-).




Sooooo yummy!

Then, the men led us into the den where we all sat to let dinner settle, and each husband told the story of how they met their wife. Amazing guys, wonderful stories, such a blessed time together! I found it really powerful, and it just spoke to me so much of how God is in such control, and we'd really be messes without Him!

We had four options for dessert: chocolate pie, strawberry pie, red-velvet cake, and pink cake. So, so, so yummy!

We reluctantly went to fetch our kids at about 9:30 pm, sad for the night to be over! And look how hard the guys worked on cleaning the kitchen...zach washing the deep pot is particularly cute!





I am so happy to have met what feel like instant new friends, and I can't wait for the next time we all get together. The wives want to do a dinner for the men, but I'm not sure we can top what they did for us!!!! We are five, very lucky, wives!

Husbands: THANK YOU! You gave us an incredible gift for Valentine's Day, which every one of us thoroughly loved -- almost as much as we love YOU!