Our family usually eats supper at my mom's once every week, otherwise we would never connect with each other. We are all busy with work and a few extra activities, so this is a much-needed time for us to come together and temporarily forget about whatever crazy stuff is going on around us.
Last night was that night. We ate supper (thank you to my mom, for I know what it takes to feed our bunch!) and then made a fire in the fire pit and roasted marshmallows and enjoyed the cool night air with each other. This sounds very relaxing, doesn't it? I think a better description would be loud, funny chaos, but that seems to be what we thrive on!
My two-year old grandson is a total ball of fire, never still for a minute. Very funny and kind-hearted, but a typical two-year old. The fire is so enticing for kids. He wanted to roast marshmallows. Not to eat, but just so he could stick something in the fire. And he wanted a new stick each time. And each time he got a new stick with a new marshmallow he managed to drag the sticky, used sticks all across his clothes. By night's end, we all were covered in something sticky. Then my mom brought out his tea party stuff (yes, boys like tea parties too) and he managed to pour an entire pitcher of water all over himself. Now he was wet and sticky, so in turn, we were all wet and sticky. He got a Little Tikes climbing playhouse for his birthday, but that is not nearly as fun as the box it came in. It is now a house, complete with windows and doors, and apparently you have to go in with a flashlight and scare all the residing ghosts away by shouting at them. Thankfully, his mom is still limber enough to climb around inside a box, because they would have had to call 911 to get me out. And his nightly ritual includes scouring the yard with a flashlight in search of armadillos. This began on our trips to the lake, as they seem to roam freely there, and he doesn't know the difference between there and anywhere else.
My son has a 3-month old, who seems to take the noise and chaos in stride. Actually, I think it is very entertaining to her, because there is always some commotion to be interested in. Between all of us passing the baby around, I am pretty sure she is glad to just go home and lay in her bed without someone in her face. And the two year old doesn't yet understand why you can shoot big people with nerf darts, but not babies. So we are always on guard in case we need to shield the baby's face from incoming warfare. And sticky marshmallow sticks. And I am pretty sure the baby only hears this noise level when she comes to our family's houses. As I have told her repeatedly, You can't pick your family - you're stuck with us.
All of that to say, as I sat there observing the organized chaos, I realized I have so much to be thankful for. My kids, though they were typical kids and did lots of stuff I didn't approve of, are pretty good kids. They aren't strung out on drugs, and have never done anything criminal, and still want to be close with our family. My parents, though aging, are still going and doing and being an active part of our family. And my kids and grandkids feel just as comfortable with us and my parents as they do with their own parents, and they know we love them beyond measure and would do anything we could for them. God has truly blessed our family with the most precious thing we can have on this earth - a loving family!
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