A Belated Valentine Dinner

Let me start at the beginning.

This was the 8th Valentine Dinner that we have spent together.

The 8th time our friends, the Jansen’s, have opened up their home, turned it into a 5-star restaurant and made us all feel like a million bucks.

The 8th year that Mr. Dunbar and I have celebrated Valentines Day as a married couple.

The very first dinner actually fell on Valentine’s Day, February 14th. Mrs. Jansen didn’t even know if we would attend since it was our first Love Day as newlyweds, we’d been married a whoppin’ 3 months at the time. But we did go and now we wouldn’t miss it, ever. (Unless of course, I had been in the hospital this year, but I wasn’t. That was all God, I’m convinced.)

Mrs. Jansen and Mrs. C

I don’t even have words to describe the amount of dedication that is poured into this dinner. There is an extraordinary amount of love that you can feel each and every year around that dinner table. It is always a different menu, a new theme, a fresh vision. No detail is overlooked. This year she called it KISS.

 

Heart rocks collected over the years.

Mrs. Jansen even bought me some red Italian soda, so I could feel like a grown-up. I had my very own bottle while everyone else was diving into the wine.

Homemade foccacia and wine.

 

Salad Course: I didn’t get a picture of the yummy salad; fresh greens, artichokes, pomegranate and orange.

Soup Course: Toscana Sausage   

Main Course:

Girls were saucy: stuffed pasta with I don’t even know what. It was delicious.

The boys were meaty: they had chicken with sauce and polenta.

Trying to get a picture with my husband. His friends still haven’t grown up.

And Dessert: Oh my.

Chocolate dripping cupcake, torte, and heart shaped creamy goodness.

But it gets better…

Inside the cupcake… it was filled with pop-rocks.

Have you ever had a pop-rock filled cupcake?

Divine!

It was such a fun evening. We haven’t gotten together in a while since we’re no longer in Small Group all together. But we do share a very special friendship with these couples.

Mr. Dunbar and I joined this Small Group the month before we got married. And every Wednesday night for almost 4 years we were mentored and loved on by these friends. (Older) Wives who taught me how to respect my husband and let him lead. (Older) husbands who taught Mr. Dunbar how to lead and love a wife and family. They truly helped build a solid God-Focused foundation for a good marriage for Mr. Dunbar and I.

And for that we are forever thankful!

~mrs. dunbar

PS No baby yet.