Family Dinners

My family is infamous for our family dinners. To the outside world, we seem to have a family dinner almost daily. But that is an extreme exaggeration...unless we have someone in from out of town.

Case in point: my Aunt Lisa got in last night from Delaware. She was supposed to get in Friday, but her flights kept getting cancelled due to maintenance. We had a family dinner planned for Friday night at Aunt Vicky's. Then it looked like she'd be in around 1 on Saturday so we moved family dinner to our house Saturday afternoon. THEN we received word that she wouldn't get here until after 6 - 24 hours after she should have. So dinner was moved back to Aunt Vicky's for last night. Everyone came except Zach, who apparently had people at his house. I think he feels that we are likely going to have a family dinner every day this week anyway, so missing one is nothing to cry over. He knew that we do, in fact, already have the next dinner planned tonight at Kev & Mag's so he will be there for sure. And actually that one starts at 2 - day by the pool sounds lovely.

In the spirit of full disclosure, had Friday night's family dinner taken place as planned, several of us would have been absent - myself included - for soccer. Soccer is once a week and is one of the definite highlights so missing it is not usually an option. That exception being stated, I have to say that I take a different attitude to our family dinners. I love them. And while I may be ready for a break by the end of the week, I do not intend to miss out on them while they're taking place. I love watching my mom and her sisters (Aunt Mags included) sit around the dining room table with a few bottles of wine laughing about everything. I love watching little Ella and Jacob play with each other like Zach and I used to....then fight with each other like Zach and I used to. I love snuggling up with Garrett/Hailey/Ashley on the couch and just being lazy. I love listening to sounds of a house full of my family. And especially since we lost one, I try very hard not to take any family dinners for granted.

So, even if I'm mocked endlessly by friends, I remain fond of my large extended family and our "almost daily" family dinners. I'm looking forward to a week of laughter and memories with each one leading right up to the District Convention!