Couples Valentine Breakfast

The Women's Ministry in our church is organizing an event for our ladies every month. So one month, we go bowling, the next we have a guest speaker at the church; last month we had a game night at one of the ladies' home, and this month we had a couples breakfast. Every month, a different lady is organizing the event - this month it was me.

So I had to plan and organize what to do and find a place and so on. I had never done something like this before, but now that I have, it was fun and I will do it again. My biggest issue was not the 'work' but my fear of failing and not getting it done. I had some help, and that help was a huge blessing to me. The initial idea was, of course, a sweetheart dinner - but try to find a place that will be willing to reserve a party of twenty or more people on a holiday weekend. Well, we didn't find one. Apparently, Valentine is all about couples; larger parties (parties larger than two???) are not appreciated on that weekend. Of course, we still wanted to organize something to bless the couples in our church. You see, our youth had agreed to babysit all of the children, so the parents can go out together and have a blessed time. Most people in our church are not from this town or state, so we don't have (alot of) family around here. Pretty much all of our families have children, and we all know, once you have kids, your time as a couple (just the two of us) is very limited.

We came up with a breakfast, and the idea was applauded. So I found a restaurant that would reserve a room for our larger-than-two party. We made flyers and announcements at church, and we had eleven couples signed up. Wow. So yesterday morning, we dropped our kids of at the church, and then all went out for breakfast together. We had such a good time, got to know each other better, laughed alot, and ate great food.

Of course, we had to have a game. My friend who helped me found this very different version of a scavenger hunt. The couples had to find/buy the following items:

• chocolate
• rose / flower
• a candle
• a drink
• write a Vaelentine's poem on a napkin
• a restaurant menu
• candy jewelry
• sweetheart candy
• nuts

Once I handed out the list, people started immediately writing down the poems. They started paying, and off they were. The race had begun. Who would be first back at the church? We just went to Target and got everything there, but there was a couple who actually didn't spent a single dollar - they just went home and got everything there. Amazing the things people come up with. It fascinates me.

We were not the first ones, but third. Not too bad. The thing was: it didn't really matter who was first. Because..... when everyone was back, we had the husbands kneel in front of their ladies and present them their Valentine's gifts = the items that came from the list. Hahaha.... we laughed so hard. It was very fun. Each item represented something, like the flower was meant to say that the lady was as beautiful as a flower, or the nuts were because our husbands are nuts about us. The hubbies had to read the poem out loud - they did such a great job! I think I am safe when I say that each lady (and hubby) was blessed that morning.

I was blessed. Blessed to have my husband. Blessed to have friends to hang out with. Blessed to have laughed that much in only two hours. Blessed that my daughter had a blast with the youth and did not scream - because you see, she usually doesn't want to go inside the church building because she immediately assumes that I drop her off at the nursery. She doesn't like going there, she cries each and every time. But yesterday morning, she didn't. That was my Valentine's gift from her!

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone.