Party in Puerto Backyardo

“I am thankful for the mess to clean up after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.”

Nancy Carmody

We haven’t had friends over in a group since pre-COVID. We’ve seen friends individually and from a distance but this was the first time we were able to safely get a group of friends together. And it was exactly what I needed. We hung out in the backyard. We ate. We drank. We danced. We laughed. And we got poured on. But not even a little rain (ok, it was a lot of rain) could dampen the mood and how nice it was to be with people again. 

Have you ever seen that movie “He’s Just Not That Into You” and the girl talks about what it’s like to “co-host” a party with your partner? Ok full transparency – the day of the party, I’m a little bossy. And I go on a cleaning mission. My husband is very laid back and takes everything in stride. He always offers to help with whatever I need but today he made himself scarce. He went to the driving range for the afternoon while I got things ready at home. Generally, I’m the planner of nights like this. I get all the food, invite all the people and he helps out with whatever I need. He’s not a big party person but this time I could tell he was looking forward to spending time with friends just as much as I was. 

It was his idea to make a signature drink for everyone. So we whipped up a batch of this pink party juice for our guests. He was so proud when they tried it and said that it tastes like vacation 😊 Then when it started to rain, he got soaked closing up the gazebo for all of us. When one of the zippers wouldn’t close on the panel, he got soaked getting clamps to keep it closed so we could all stay dry. When the wind shifted and some water was coming in anyway, he got umbrellas for everyone. Then when the rain stopped, he opened everything back up for us and brought out more snacks. 

While I do a lot of the work leading up to the party, once it starts I’m a full on participant in the festivities. And Don keeps things running smoothly. Last night he balanced his time between making sure everyone was comfortable and dry outside while watching UFC with our son inside. It’s their thing they do together every Saturday night and even hosting a party wouldn’t make him miss that time with our boy. 

I needed this night with friends pretty badly. As an extrovert whose idea of a fun night out is going for drinks and dancing, I’ve been missing that outlet a lot over the last 6 months. Don, on the other hand, is usually the king of ghosting (this means he will usually say that he has to use the washroom then goes to bed instead). But seeing him doing so much to make sure our friends and I were having a good time showed me that he understood how much I needed this night. And to see him make time for our boy in the midst of all of it made me love him just a little bit more. 

So, according to the movie, if the way a couple co-hosts a party is an indication of how solid their relationship is, I’d say he’s totally into me 😊 And the feeling is 100% mutual xo

Pink Party Juice

1 cup vodka

1/3 cup lime juice

1/3 cup cranberry juice

1/2 cup Malibu Rum

1 litre Lemonade Sprite

2 cups Strawberry Lemonade

3 cups of ice

Toss in some fresh limes for extra flavour. Stir, drink and enjoy responsibly!