Big Family

I LOVE to have people over.  Neighbors.  New people at Church.  The boy's friends and their families.  It is not uncommon at Thanksgiving to have the house packed with 30 or more people.  I love a happy crowd.  We've have "We're not watching the Super Bowl Super Bowl Parties," and "Adventure Races," and lots and lots of game nights.  Just last week we had two big families for dinner:  six adults and 16 kids.  It was awesome.  

I can remember one night in Flagstaff spontaneously inviting the Fisher Family of 7 (their oldest was serving a mission) over for dinner.  

"Really?  Really?  Are you sure?"  Sister Fisher asked again and again and again.  At that moment there was an excitement about them that I had never seen and an hour later we were really enjoying our dinner and conversation with them.  What great, wonderful folk that Fisher Family is. . . absolutely dynamite.  

It would be about 5 years later that I would really understand their excitement.  Big Families do not get invited for dinners.  Big Families do not get invited for dessert.  Big families do not get invited to play games.  When we were a family of 2 adults and 4 kids, we invited and got invited to do things all the time.  Then along came #5.  Our invites dropped drastically, probably 75%.  But we still got the occasional brave family who would welcome us into their home.  When #6 made his arrival, we continued to invite families over at least two or three times a month and the invites in return disappeared.  In the past two years, aside from our very best friends (we love you Speaks!!) and the Mauger's/Neighbors we have been invited over for dinner once. 

I get it.  I do.  Big Families are BIG and scary and noisy.  I've heard the comments, "Where will they all sit?   and how many times do I have to double this recipe?  and you have kids that are older/younger than our kids, what will they do?"    

In so many ways we are our own party, and I love that.  I love that we fill every seat in our own living room and that we don't need extra bodies to play hearts or rook or blockus or kickball.  I love that dinner conversation has improved 100 fold over the last six months. . . the twins are becoming inquisitive and enjoy engaging in adult-ish conversations.  It is great that some of our best company is found within the walls of our home.

But with that said, can I be honest. . . every now and then I'd love to be invited over. . . even just for hot chocolate . . . or cookies . . .  or cards.  

[this isn't a call for action. . . my blog it not intended for people in Alaska. . . so I'm not expecting my phone to ring . . .  it is more of a personal reminder to ME that in the years to come when we become comfortable with "small,"  to reach out occasionally and embrace the "big."]