When I ordered the cake to commemorate the occassion, the girl asked if there was anything in particular I wanted on the cake. I asked for a teacup, since its the symbol for our group.
I was imagining it to be a dainty little cup, but instead its a little more like a soup mug. But it was so cute with the tea bag and all. And everyone gave it the awwww sound. You can decide for yourself what the awww really meant.
I tweaked a poem I found on the internet to make it pertain a little more to the group. (Sorry Jennifer if I took too many liberties with your poem. ) I think it captures the essence of our circle.
The Treasure of a Teacup
There’s a teacup and saucer that sits upon the shelf
Reminding me what I’ve been through
And I smile despite myself
The countless times I felt despair
I poured a cuppa tea
And had some quiet time alone just
My teacup, God, and me.
God gathered friends to share their hearts,
With a teacup in their hands…
How much their fellowship has meant,
Only He, can understand!
So disregard the faded roses,
The gold trim worn and smudged;
Those things increase its value
For through it a heart was touched!
Jennifer M Seest
Since it's almost Valentines Day, each woman was supposed to bring a Valentine and put it in our special Valentine basket. 
Then during the sharing time we picked a valentine out of the basket and read it to everyone. Some were funny some were a little off color. A couple were just your typical kid valentines.
After sharing the valentine each woman told a reason her husband had been her special valentine. Some shared marriage proposals, or a special valentine gift. My good friend AC told us about her husband sleeping so sound that they had to send the police to his house to wake him up so he could get to his wedding.
He grabbed his suitcase and rushed out the door and it wasn't until they unpacked the suitcases when they got to New York for their honeymoon that he realized he'd grabbed an empty suitcase.
Some may think the marriage would never have lasted but they were married 40+ years when he died.
I liked watching the facial expressions of each woman telling her story. There was always that twinkle in the eye and a smile and as we moved on to the next woman, I would glance back and notice how each womans eyes held that far off look as the relived a happier time.
One of the things that I love doing is buying roses for the party. Sams always has an affordable price so I can use them to decorate the table with bud vases and put a large vase of roses on the cake table.
When the party is over, I give each woman a rose to take home.
I had no idea how much of an impact this would have the first time I did this. You wouldn't believe the tears I saw in their eyes as they took a rose. I kinda had a inkling of what "The Bachelor" must feel when he hands a rose to a women vieing to be his wife and asks "will you accept this rose."
Here we are filling our faces and conversing during the meal. We are never at a loss for things to say.
So Happy Anniversary First Tea @ Five. Thanks for blessing my life in a way I could never have imagined.
