Supper is at six....

Sunday is my favorite day of the week.....A day of rest and devotion. Thanking God for my blessings and praying for strength to weather another hard week ahead. The kids just left and Cason is asleep..the house feels empty and too quite...however....my Gustav (Allie-Grace) has stormed through my living room and has left it; well, let's just say it would be easier to move...She owns me, this little one...
I told my girls when they grew up, regardless of their age...."Sunday supper was at six"......When they moved out; this didn't mean I broke their plate...This is the only time I can bring my family together...this is not up for debate or discussion...and if you miss, your talked about by the other family members...your criticized and made to feel guilty...who wants the drama, right?...a family that eats together, stays together..Whittney is usually the first to show. She makes an entrance that needs a standing ovation...if something out of this world is going to happen..it will happen to Whittney..and I mean off the wall scenarios..things that make you question her story. I think of Whittney as my Lucy...never a dull moment...if it wasn't for her level-headed husband reinforcing the story, I would think to question it...Always forgetting to turn off something...or to bring something..or to take something home..but I love the energy she brings to the table...she makes us laugh until we cry or someone pees on there self; which ever comes first... I see the young me in her...she is a dreamer..and I never thought I would see her so grown up..always thinking of herself last....Stephen(her hubby) is so calm and always gives her the spot-light..they balance each other..it works...Brittney(aka;Britt) usually comes in the nick of time..such a busy life..she runs into the house, and usually gets rushed by all the kids....and she is always the last to get a plate. She only eats the meats and bread..never the veggies..She is the one we all question...who is she talking to, what did she do last-nite..is she budgeting her money..bless her heart, she gets it from everyone. We still think of her as if she was 16. She'll be 21 in November.She is the one who will travel the world and nurse in third world countries....she is the secret me..
This all started about 40 years ago when my mom and dad bought 2415 Pinecrest Dr. Little did they know, my parents engraved values in me that would later be the "saving grace" of my family...and they didn't think I was paying attention...
Eating at the table as a family for supper is a value that has faded over the last 25 years. I love to see my family full and sitting at the table...the plates picked over..the kids running under our legs, chasing each other...the counter top is blanketed with dishes and as I look around, everyone is trying to get their point across. All you really hear is a room full of people talking all at once...music to my ears...there are times when someone calls you out for something you did wrong to them..that's ok..it needs to be addressed...as a mother, I usually take the underdog's side..I hate it when someone feels vulnerable...There are times when someone drops the bomb like...mom, dad, I need money...that's ok too...if you can't rely on family, who can you count on...God forbid someone date someone the family doesn't approve....it's like feeding raw meat to a pack of wolves...one feeding with the pack of wolves and the puppy usually leaves....next....when you sit at our table, be prepared to eat..there is nothing we hate more than a picky eater. Not eating is an insult...come prepared to expand your pants...and if your a soft talker or a low laughter....you'll never survive...NEVER be quick to leave. we will just talk about you when your gone..and if your the first to leave..well, your just hiding something...and we'll find out......
if it 's a 5 course meal by candle light you desire, we are not for you...at times our plates do not match and we run out of ice...(back in the day,we shared a fork).
As our family grows, the stories get longer and the jokes get funnier. The food has never tasted better (and you'll have your own fork). My heart cries when the house becomes quite and the girls leave. I hope I have instilled the values my mother taught me and the tradition continues.. If you want to absorb the love and devotion of a family who sits at a table together eating, laughing, even crying at times..we embrace you...pull up a chair....supper is at six......