Memories

Have you ever had one of those moments that you want to share with everyone you know? The moment has become such a blessed memory that you have to tell your friends and family about because it was profound, magical, hey--even horrendous! (did I spell horrendous correctly?) The moment--the memory--is something that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

This last weekend-the weekend after Thanksgiving-was just that type of memory for me. It was crazy, fun, frustrating, but overwhelmingly joyous, I had to find a way to share it with you. And since I haven't blogged for awhile...

Read along:

I had to work on Thanksgiving, so my family came over 2 days later, Saturday evening. This is the first Thanksgiving in quite a while that I've had my entire family-all 3 kids and grandkids. I cooked dinner, of course. I dealt with a little frustration--who's coming, when are the boys getting here, but in the end, we assembled in the living room, held hands as I prayed for our Thanksgiving dinner.

Here I am, in a circle, with my family. My grown children, the little additions to our family, grandchildren, in-laws. I looked at these young faces and I had tears in my eyes and I said, "I could just stand like this forever, looking at each of you, thanking God for you. I'm so blessed." They all smiled and endured my moment--a moment where I could just soak in the blessing of my family.

Another favorite moment is with the youngest ones: Brandon, my grandson, and the newest addition, Audrina (Jasmin's little girl-Jasmin is Ethan's girlfriend). They both ran to the fridge to get a can of whipped cream for the pumpkin pie and I told them, "no, I make whip cream." Audrina was shocked, "wait, this isn't real whipped cream?" "No," I said, "Would you like to learn how to make whipped cream?" Her face lit up, and Brandon stood in shock and asked, "REAL Whipped cream?"

So, I sat at the dining table with the 2 little ones as they helped me blend heavy whipping cream with a touch of honey to make a lustrous "real" whipped cream. After, they each got a beater with a dollop of whipped cream, and the shenanigans began:

Whipped cream everywhere!!!! Was it worth it? Look at those faces!!! Yes! So worth it!
I had that moment where I realized that this is what family is about-craziness, frustration, messes, but in the end, I love them all and it's all worth it. My kids even reminded me that I'm worth it-they love and value what I do for them. Wow!

Don't get me wrong--our lives are not perfect. There's tons of crappy stuff going on and times when I just don't want to be a mommy. I was one exhausted grandma at the end of the night and enjoyed the peace and quiet after everyone left. But I'm telling you right now: Family. Family. Family. And family comes in all shapes and sizes, not just by blood. My family is proof of that.

I am blessed.