Prizes

Many local businesses donated prizes which were randomly given away every so often.  We received a lot of nice items!!

The Red Bay Band

The Red Bay Church of God Holiness Band came again this year to perform for the evening.  They sure are good!!  And they like their music L-O-U-D as well as does the people who come to hear them :o)  They have a keyboardist, two guitarists, and a drummer (a young lady who we've got to know through her Dad being Dennis' roommate in the hospital when he had his gallbladder out).

And Some Got Wore Out

This is little Shiiannte who is in Kindergarten!  Her baby brother got out of his stroller and she crawled in and went fast asleep!  I think that's how all those who helped in way or another felt at the end of the night after such a busy week of preparation!!

Fireworks

What a fun way to end a busy evening!!  Some of the parents that are on the PTF Committee own a Hardware store here in West Bay.  They donated all the fireworks for this special event.  The beautiful/colorful display went on and on for quite a period of time.  They were so pretty!!

My Valentine's Day

I had a really good Valentine's Day!!  Speaking of Valentine's, here's a fun picture of mine :o)

I love you, Dennis!!

He had to go into George Town yesterday to visit three people in the hospital.  While he was gone, he called me and asked if I would call one of my favorite restaurants to make reservations for our Valentine's Dinner.  I was very happy that he chose the Casanova Restaurant which serves the best Italian food here on the Island, as far as I'm concerned.  So, I was able to get us reservations for 5:30 pm. 

It was funny, because we both ordered everything identical except our drinks ~ he unsweetened ice tea and me just water.  We started off with a bowl of Pasta Fagoli soup.  We'd never had it at the Casanova, but we know that in the States at Olive Garden it is super-delicious.  It was good, but not quite like Olive Garden's.  For our main course, we both got their Chicken Parmesan.  Oh, the homemade sauce and all that ooey, gooey mozzarella cheese was so good piled on top of the chicken!  It was served with steamed carrots, green beans and pasta.  I brought one big piece of chicken home as it was too much!! 

 Our server returned with dessert menus with which we declined.

Dennis knew I made something for him, so said he'd wait until we got home for dessert.

So, we sat for a while enjoying the view.  As you can see, it got pretty overcast so we didn't actually see the sunset, but it was still beautiful!!

When I was packing up my items in the kitchen when preparing to move to Cayman, I decided to bring my heart shaped cake pans.  Last year, I forgot about them, but just a week ago or so I remembered them!  YIPPEE!!

I made my Mother's recipe for "Never Fail Chocolate Cake" and then put Coconut/Pecan Icing on it.  Dennis really liked it!  I'll put the recipe at the end of this post since some of my family said they didn't have it from my Mother's Collection.

Here is a picture of the beautiful pink roses that Dennis surprised me with!  I was working in my office when he came back from town and was carrying this beautiful bouquet that he arranged in the vase just for me.  Thanks Dennis.  I love them!!

And a close~up of them

Also, while working yesterday morning, our Kindergarten teacher, Miss Beverly came in and said she was doing a Valentine craft for which she needed to use someone's oven.  I told her she was welcome to use mine.  When she began to tell me about it I remembered reading about it, but had never made it.  You take crayons, take the paper off and break them into pieces and put them by color in a heart shaped baking pan.  Put them in the oven at 200 degrees until they melt and you have one big heart shaped crayon.  Here's the finished product they made for me for the use of my oven :o)  Adorable!

Dennis & I went to visit their class later as their teacher told us that the students were drawing pictures of Pastor McCoy doing his job.  It was so cute!!  I had to ask each of them to explain their drawings :o)  Some of them were pretty good for as young as they are!

Miss Beverly is in the red and her helper is Miss Hermina. 

So, you had a peek into my Valentine's Day!!
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  Mom's Never Fail Chocolate Cake

1 egg

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sour milk

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup boiling water

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray/grease pan(s).  Mix all ingredients together in bowl; mix until real smooth.  Pour into pan(s) and bake for 20 ~ 25 minutes.  Delicious!! 

This can also be made into a loaf cake, layer cake or even cupcakes.
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Happy Valentine's Day Birthday to My Sister Charlotte

Dear Charlotte,

Where, oh, where do I begin???  First things first, right??  I want to wish you a great big Happy Birthday!!  Boy, do I wish I was in Wisconsin right now to help you celebrate.  We'd party alright!!  I can't believe that you're 29!!  Where does time go when you're having fun???

I think the Paparazzi was out at the stadium taking pictures this particular day :o)

Some people are just down right animal lovers!!  Can you believe it???????  You'll do anything to make us laugh!!  (I have more pictures to prove that, you know??)

You always have such a beautiful smile that you share with others

I'm glad that you are my sister!!!  In fact, you are "one" of my favorite sisters even though you couldn't tell it in the picture below :o)

And here you are doing some modeling for the Paparazzi!!  They just keep following you around :o)

And last but not least, here you were posing for another photographer many, many years ago!!

Okay, now on a more serious note!!  You really are "one" of my favorite sisters!!  I love you so much and miss you.  Even though I can't come to be with you on your special day it won't be long now until you're down here in Cayman with me.  We'll just celebrate about a month or little more later.  That's okay with me and I'm sure you won't mind either!!  Thanks for all you've ever done for me.  Words can't express my feelings for you.  I hope you have the best birthday ever!!  And please, get well soon!!  Sorry you're so sick for your birthday!!

Love you bunches,

Dorcas