...to post a few photos from

...our dinner party this past weekend.

I think the event was really well received by Mark's peers.  I think the success of a gathering can be judged by how well the conversation flows, if the guests actually eat, and how long the guests stay.

1.  The conversations seemed to flow easily from topic-to-topic.
2.  The guests ate.  Lots of food.  The desserts were decimated.  Poor Will only had one slice of peanut butter pie.
3.  We thought our event would finish up around 9:30 or so.  Our guests stayed until well past 11.  Our kids' that that rocked!  Of course that meant they were allowed to stay up super late as well.

If I had known the guests better I may have taken some photos with actual people in them.  Instead, I snapped a few photos before our guests arrived.

Aren't the hydrangeas lovely?  I wish my yard was full of them!

The food.  It turns out that black-bean cakes really don't look so pretty on a table.  They sort-of look like overcooked hamburger patties!  They do taste delicious though...

This dip was nearly gone...it's a long time family favorite.

A tex-mex menu isn't complete without Queso.  (There's a little glimpse into my tiny kitchen and some more Hydrangeas.)

The drinks.  

Mexican beer.  Cocktails.

And Margaritas.

I'll believe we'll host this group again after the holidays.  I'm already planning the menu...

I think MidWest fare is in order.