Martha Stewart meets MIL.

I’d like to introduce you to my mother-in-law, Cheri.

Cheri has a heart of gold.  She would truly do anything for the people she loves.

She is also the closest thing to Martha Stewart that I’ve ever known.

Let me paint a little picture for you.  The very first time I met Brandon’s parents, I had just gotten off of a plane from Florida, and it was probably 11:00 at night.  I was a hot mess, and I felt completely inadequate as Brandon drove up to a beautiful house.

As we walked inside, I noticed that every light in the house was turned on.  The house was perfectly decorated, and there was music playing softly in the background.

When Brandon’s parents came out to greet us, they were both very warm and welcoming.  Cheri and I talked nonstop, as Brandon and his father sat back and listened patiently.

And when I was shown the room that I would be staying in, I found quite a surprise waiting for me.

All of that was for me.  And let me tell you, that was not the last welcome basket that I ever received.  For a solid year, every time I came to visit, there was a gift waiting for me.

Christmas …

Valentine’s Day …

… you get the idea.

So when I heard that Brandon’s aunt and cousins were going to be driving down from Toledo last night for a visit, I should have known …

… I should have known that it wouldn’t just be a “pizza and chit-chat” kind of night.

Oh no.

When Aunt Joy and Gabrielle first arrived, they were greeted with hugs and flowers …

… however, they soon realized that they had to “sing for their supper.”

Yep, they were put to work, making centerpieces for the dining room table.

They still look a little shell-shocked, don’t ya think?

And it didn’t end there …

… next came putting the finishing touches on dessert.

In the meantime, Mary-Allison and Mia were both starving.

And they were starting to revolt …

… pre-dinner brownie, anyone?

I will say that I was pleasantly surprised that Cheri opted for plastic, over fine-china on this particular occasion.  This is a rarity in her household.

FYI, the napkins are to be folded into triangles, NOT rectangles.

And using blue napkins only is not acceptable.  Multi-colored napkins to match the multi-colored flowers, please.

In case you were wondering.

But finally, all of the food was ready to go.

I mean, sure it was midnight, and most normal people were sleeping.  But hey, at least it all looked pretty, right?

OK, I may be exaggerating.  It was more like 6:30.  We just get cranky when we’re hungry.

Dinner was delicious.  Cheri’s famous chicken sandwiches, parsley potatoes, taco salad, and fruit.  Well worth the wait.

Cousin Jessica was lucky enough sadly had to work late, so she got there after we had started eating.

After dinner came not one, but TWO desserts.

I’m actually making those mini-cheesecakes later this week, so stay tuned for the recipe!

Full bellies = lots of smiles!

OK so I’ve done a lot of teasing in this post.  And I’m sure if my husband is reading this, he’s probably had a stroke by now.

But let me just say that Cheri knew I’d be posting about dinner today.  And she knew that there would be teasing involved.  We tease her all of the time, but she also knows how much we LOVE and APPRECIATE her!  She’s the rock of the family, and I don’t know what we’d do without her.

I mean without her, I would have never learned how to fold a cloth napkin properly!

Hmmm … now that I think about it, I may need some refresher lessons, Cheri!

So let’s raise a glass to our own, personal Martha Stewart!  We love you, just as you are!!!!!

Question for ya …

Do you get along with your in-laws (come on, you knew it was coming!)?

I definitely get along with my in-laws (well, until today haha! jk!).  I’m incredibly blessed to have married into an awesome family.

Are you more “pizza and sweats” or “tea and fine china?”

I can do both, but I’d say I lean more towards ”pizza and sweats.”