Valentine's Day Banquet

Good Monday morning!

I hope everyone had a good weekend. Ours consisted of a lot of here, there and everywhere, but last night we all came together under one roof again. One of my favorite things ever. BLAST was a success for Roxie and Austin. They were exhausted, but exhilarated at the same time. Josh had a great time with cousins galore. Roxie won her basketball game Saturday afternoon. A great weekend deserves a four-day week, but that isn't going to happen this week... but next week, baby. President's Day!

After today's story, the rest of the week will be devoted to Blind Date stories. I've had a total of 16 blind dates in my lifetime. (I retired after I married Mikie.) Of the 16 blind dates, I can honestly say only... who am I kidding! They were all pretty awful. For me, as well as the guy. But years later, I have picked four I can now laugh about. That's called "personal growth," and although there are 12 blind dates that still make me cringe, I'm hoping by the time I'm 90 I'll be able to laugh about all of them.

My Readership Count soared! Well, if you count 33 hits a day (average) soaring... which I do! You know what I do when I reach a goal. I up it a little. We are now going for 36 hits a day (average). We can do this, people!

My Gallery Pics include the aftermath pictures of Austin and Roxie from BLAST. (I've been doing these of Austin for years. I think they're funny.) I also left Austin's baby picture in the Gallery, but I've included his Senior Portrait. He was a beautiful baby, but he is a gorgeous young man, isn't he? I know I birthed him, but does he not take your breath away? You don't have to leave a comment concerning that question. I already know the answer!

My Showcase Pic is a picture of Roxie and her friend, Allyson, at BLAST this weekend. They made their own T-shirts and all the 6th grade girls matched. Very cute!

QUESTION TO PONDER: Is it just me, or is anyone else completely LOST watching LOST this season. If you have to watch the show from last week right before you watch the show from this week, and then you have to watch a tutorial at the end of this week's show to answer 30 or more questions... maybe it's just me because Josh doesn't seem to be having any trouble following what's happening. But my brain is old and depleted.

I think that's why I like 24. If there's a bad guy, Jack Bauer will shoot him. A couple of the good guys will turn out to be bad guys, but again, Jack Bauer will eventually shoot them. At the end of a show of 24, I always know ten or so bad guys will be dead, and next week we'll find out at least one of the good guys is really a bad guy. I understand that. It makes sense to me. Jack Bauer is ALWAYS good, and everyone else has to prove themselves.

On LOST, I am now rooting for a former Iraqi torturer! (But I still love Sawyer. Yes, it's true. If I was expecting twins right now, and they were boys, I would name them Jack Bauer and Sawyer Faulkner... and maybe Aaden from Jon & Kate.) Mike is sooo glad I'm not expecting twins or triplets right now.

Everyone has been dying for me to tell my other "procedure" story, so I'm going to share one with you today. (Well, not everyone. Actually, only one person responded and asked me not to talk about gross things like that anymore, but I'm guessing there are a few of you out there sitting on the edge of your seats hoping I'll share it with you. Or maybe not. I guess I'll know by the end of the week when my Readership Count goes from 33 a day down to 2.)

For several years I had a little cyst the size of a pea on my jaw line near my chin. No big deal. But then the cyst started growing, and you know what they say about a cyst that starts growing. So off I go to a dermatologist. I had switched dermatologists by this time for apparent reasons. Well, actually he had let me go. (I didn't know doctors could do that, but they can.) Anyway, this was a very nice dermatologist, and she looked me over, said it was all very simple and it would only take a few minutes. First, she would deaden the area. To me, the most important part of any and all "procedures."

Once again, I was sure I still felt something (even after four shots), and when I finally couldn't feel the entire left side of my HEAD, they started the "procedure." After a few minutes, I asked, "Is everything okay?" with the right side of my mouth.

"Well, we thought it was the size of a dime, but it seems to be the size of a silver dollar... or larger," was the reply. I started thinking I was going to need some more "numb stuff," when I heard her say, "Okay. We're all done. Now we'll wait until it stops bleeding and stitch it up."

"About that," I began. "I don't clot very well. Is that in my chart?"

"This is the first time we've ever seen you. Why would that be in your chart?" she asked.

"I didn't know if you had ever talked to my old dermatologist or not," I responded.

"Just because we're dermatologists doesn't mean we get together and "talk" about old patients. Besides that, I didn't even know you had seen another dermatologist before." She was getting cranky, so I showed her my HUGE wrist scar.

"That was the size of a pin head, and I almost bled to death," I said exaggerating just a little.

"Well, you should have told us before we started this procedure," she huffed.

She did exactly what the other doctor had done before her and went to see other patients, and left me with a nurse applying pressure.

"I know the rule about not serving lunch trays in the doctor's office, but could I have some peanut butter crackers or something?" I tentatively asked.

"Nope. We're going to have you out of here very soon," came the determined reply.

"Wanna bet?" I thought to myself.

Two hours later, I walked out of the doctor's office with my head wrapped in TWO rolls of gauze and eight stitches. I looked like I had had a major face lift... without any of the benefits thereof. I made it to the second floor of the parking deck, and not feeling well at all, I leaned over the edge and called Mikie. (We were married by this time, so he was used to my weenie behavior when it came to any and all "procedures.")

"Hey. Can you come get me?" I whined.

"I'm already on my way," he said. What a great guy. When I was two hours late calling him, he assumed I was in need of assistance and was coming to rescue me. "I'm coming around the building now. Where exactly are you?"

I could see his truck below me. "If you stick your head out the window and look up, I'm hanging over the second floor railing of the parking deck."

"Are you okay? Are you finally about to pass out?"

"No such luck. Just a little tired... but painfully aware of my surroundings and the large amount of gauze wrapped around my head. And I lied about being numb again, so more than half my head and neck has no feeling."

"Why do you do that? You're going to be talking funny and dribbling for a week now."

"But I'm feeling no pain, baby. No pain whatsoever."

And when it's all said and done, isn't that what good doctors want for their patients... no pain whatsoever. I would like to think so. (If any of you know a good dermatologist out there, I'll probably be needing their name sometime in the future. I think I've been let go by another one!)

Fortunately for you blog readers, that is the last procedure story I will share. However, since this is the month I birthed my first baby, Austin, I will be sharing some memories from that day on the 23rd. Just a little something for you to look forward to... or avoid. Whichever you think best.

Valentine's Day Banquet

Eleven years ago, we started having Valentine's Day Banquets as a family in our home. It didn't have to be on Valentine's Day night, but it usually fell on that day. (Mike and I would go out on our date a day before or a day or two after Valentine's Day to avoid crowded restaurants, etc.) It was a lot of fun then, and we still do it in the year 2009.

First things first, we use beautiful plates (even if they are pretty paper plates), crystal stemware, tons of candles and beautiful piano music playing in the background. The table being set to perfection, I then focus on the food.

Every thing is red. For years I made breakfast... red pancakes, red eggs, red milk, red vanilla pudding, etc. But we have also had barbecue before with red mashed potatoes, red tea and red velvet cupcakes. Again, this is a personal preference... but get that red food coloring out and use it!

This year's menu is going to be a new chicken recipe which I will be sharing with you tomorrow. (Very red!) I'm making red rice, red Sprite and red tea and I am going to use warm cinnamon apples for my dessert, (see my recipe section) but add cinnamon heart candies. That was a suggestion from Jennifer I received in my Comment Section for that recipe. It will make the sauce from the apples red, gooey and delicious on top of the vanilla ice cream.

On each kid's plate, I place a small box of candy and a card from me and Mikie. I also leave Mikie candy and a card. (And in turn, I have a treat and cards on my plate.) Since Roxie isn't a chocolate eater (can you imagine???), she usually gets a bag of Skittles. Again, just know your children and give them what they will enjoy.

We work very hard to have all homework done before our Banquet, so we can go directly into Faulkner Family Movie Night. This year, we are going to watch Fireproof together.

Basically, this is just another family dinner. However, with just a little bit of effort, it becomes much more special.

VARIATION #1 - Two of the Valentine's Day Banquets we dressed up in Sunday clothes and Sunday dresses. As the guys got older, this was not enjoyable for them, so we did away with Variation #1. However, there might be a year when you want to try this.

VARIATION #2 - Several years we've taken "professional" pictures. I just used red poster board, decorated it with white doily hearts, and taped it to a door. We've set a nice chair in front of the poster and taken pictures using it as our "backdrop." Pretty, simple and if the kids are smaller, they enjoy helping decorate the backdrop with you.

NOTE: When your children begin dating, they will want to celebrate Valentine's Day with their girlfriend/boyfriend. No problem. This is going to be one of your first opportunities to practice being a good mother-in-law... No. A great mother-in-law. Have your banquet on another day. It's okay. Be flexible. Do not insist on having it on THE day and risk having an unhappy family member at the table. That will not be fun for anyone! This year, Austin is leaving for a mission trip on the 13th and won't return until the 16th. Mike is leaving for an overnight trip on the 12th. I could just go nuts and be very upset, but we're having our Valentine's Day Banquet on the 11th. We'll be missing church that night, but we're planning on having a devotion after our movie. (We rarely miss church, so once in a while for something special, we will miss. This is one of those times.)

This is not a difficult thing to do. It is not an expensive thing to do. And at 17, 15 and 12, the kids still enjoy this little party... mainly because there is food, but it's festive, too.

Have a wonderful Monday. Check in tomorrow for that RED chicken recipe. I tried it this weekend, and I liked it, so hopefully you will, too.

Talk to you tomorrow!