Linguini & Love

It began for the family around 2pm on Sunday afternoon. We got to Amerigo, put on our aprons (feeling very official), rolled up our sleeves and got to work cooking & preparing. It ended around 11pm after the last of our guests had left & we had finished cleaning the last of the dishes.

I could write a novel about how special Sunday evening was for me & our entire family, but for now will leave you with these brief, but genuine expressions of gratitude:

Thank you to those who blessed us with your presence. We cannot express the deep affection that we feel for you--you not only show up for the difficult times, but the joyful times as well. We truly are honored to live life with people like you.

Thank you to those who served alongside us on Sunday afternoon/evening. Liz, Tara, Lane, Andrea, Sean & Aunt Peggy-the way you served our family so effortlessly & joyfully brings me to tears every time I think of it. Seeing you wash dishes, clear tables, roll silverware and mop floors without hesitation and without being asked was truly beautiful. You are Christ in action to every member of our family.

Thank you to my sweet family (Daniel, Wanberg's & Rice's) who took my orders & crazy vision for this fundraiser & made it possible and incredibly fun. I am the luckiest girl in the world to get to have family like you. It will make me giggle every time I think about Daniel calling, "order up!" from behind the kitchen and Sue saying, "don't mess with my system!" as she is trying to sort out her orders. Megan & Mom-you two are good at everything you do. Dad-you make everything fun. John & Kait-so blessed that you both showed up & lit up the room. Peter & Mark-you were the hidden heroes of the evening...thank you for your willingness to serve all those around you!

Thank you for letting us serve you & for being so gracious as we figured out what we were doing & how to serve you better. To be able to bring you food, clear your plates, fill your glasses & see you enjoy your evening brought us more fulfillment than I could possibly express. We finally had a small chance to give something back to all of you who have given us so much & we are grateful.

Thank you for gifting John & Kaitlin so generously-we made nearly 3 times the money we were expecting to bring in for their long term care and we are still speechless three days later. We are AMAZED and inspired by the way you each give-lovingly & without reserve.

Thank you to Iain, owner and head chef of Amerigo Delicatus. He gave up his Sunday (a night when his restaurant is usually closed), gave all of the proceeds directly to John & Kaitlin, prepped the food on his own time and was incredibly patient & gracious as our family tried our best to make it in the restaurant business on Sunday! He has been a family friend of ours for a long, long time and we are so honored that he continues to love us & serve us so well through his resources and incredible talents. If you haven't had a chance to eat at Amerigo, please let me know what else I can do to convince you to make a reservation! I promise to you, that you will not be disappointed in the slightest. Our families favorite phrase to use when eating there is "we are in food heaven!" Those who had the pleasure of eating his famous linguini on Sunday night can vouch for this!

Please consider joining us for the next Amerigo fundraiser....date & times to be announced soon! Keep your eye on the blog and tell your friends--we have no doubt that the next evening will be just as wonderful as Sunday was!

As always, thank you for your love & devotion. We are on our knees each day praising the Lord for your friendship.

Love,
Carolyn