Our I Love You Banquet has quickly become one of our family's favorite traditions! I love so much about it! I really love that we start off the evening with the family picture. That's one of those things that doesn't happen but extremely rare in the life of us Gimenezs. So it's a treasure to me for sure!
Then we have a nice family meal together. This year someone had given us a ton of shrimp. And I mean a ton! So we tried to recreate a good friend of mine's recipe, Shrimp in Muddy Waters. Patrick made it. And wow, was it good!
We all feasted a bunch and got very full.
Then it was time to exchange gifts. The rules were the same as in years prior. We privately exchanged names and kept it a secret. Or at least we were supposed to.😉 Then you were to make something for the person you drew. You could be crafty or you could bake something or make them a coupon or whatever it is that you wanted to make for your person. This year. Victory drew my name and she made me Donut Stix Muffins. They were so delicious! Also she made me some bracelets out of popsicle sticks that are so sweet! She was so excited to give me her gift
Freedom drew Beth's name. She made her blueberry cobbler cookies. Another goody! Wow, these girls have been busy baking!
Liberty true Silas's name. She knows that he loves oatmeal creampies! So she made homemade ones. He devoured them!
If you notice in these pictures, the joy on the face of the giver🙂
Callie had Micah's name so she decided to give him one of her books that talks about a pilot. Micah is into all things airplanes right now! She also printed him out of book on how to draw airplanes. Another fun past time that he's had lately!
Silas Drew Patrick's name and made him malta flavored ice cream. He said it was amazing!
Brenna and AJ drew Freedom and Liberty. They decided to make a mailbox to hold letters like they did in Little Women. This is a place where the girls can write letters to each other and put them in the mailbox and then check and see if there's any letters in there to one another. They also each wrote a note to the girls. AJ had Freedom's name and Freedom treasured that note and had me read it three times that night to her! I think she loved hearing that he thought she was awesome and super!
Tabitha had Josh's name and wrote him a sweet note and made a chocolate cake with a chocolate ganache.
Beth had victory's name and made her a sticker book and chocolate hot cocoa cookies in the shape of a heart.
Josh had Callie's name and made her homemade steamed dumplings. She cooked them up the next day and said they were fabulous!
I completely forgot to get a picture of the gift that Patrick and Micah had made for AJ and Brenna. It was a homemade birdhouse that they built and stained the wood a pretty color. It was gorgeous!
I had Tabitha's name. I wrote her a note, gave her a rose, some bath bombs and a candle, and crocheted her some dishcloths.
It was such a great evening with many wonderful memories!
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