Taco
Night. Monday Night Dinners. These terms mean a lot to our family and “family”
who participated back when. Recently we revived
the practice and had some of our kids, theirs and their friends from junior high & beyond who were regulars.
Some things
have changed. The kids are in their
twenties now; their friends have careers and college educations and fiancés or
regular steadies. Some have babies and
children which only adds to the chaos and fun.
And Paul and I have classed up the menu a bit. When Sydney
Laura was in
town (oh happy day!) so she helped me prepare the dining room table. A setting for everyone, this time totaling 12
since all the kids but baby Liam were old enough to sit at the big table. Kaelyn and Liam were already with us, Kaelyn
playing upstairs with Emily and Molly, Liam either in Aunt Lolly’s lap or
Grandma’s arms. Paul had the steaks
marinating, potatoes in the oven and grill ready to fire up. Amanda and Austin arrived first, and as she
set about preparing her awesome spinach/walnut salad she and Laura caught
up. Austin
Pretty soon
Walter and Eryn arrived, looking refreshed – amazing what a couple of kid-free
hours can do. Birthday-month boy was in
full form, already asking about presents.
Another thing that doesn’t change :)
A knock at the door and Aunt Tracy was here. She’s still and always the Cool Aunt –
another thing that doesn’t change. She
and I were looking pretty festive in our Jamaica
I kept
looking heavenward, my grateful heart overflowing as the volume inside my home
rose to include kids laughing and squealing, dogs weaving in and out of
people’s legs, girls exclaiming over the baby and taking turns holding that
precious cuddle bug, and all in the male species busying themselves with
platters of steaks and tending the grill. Amanda joked, “How many guys does it take to
grill steaks? However many there are.”
At table,
platters in place and glasses poured, Paul offered God a heartfelt prayer of
gratitude in Jesus’ name for our blessings, abundance, means to have the meal
and loved ones to share it with, and a request that our time together be
special. And it was.
Walt quickly
started the witty repartee by asking about the oversized round saucer under his
plate. I said, “Those are chargers, of
course. You know, like we always had when you were growing up….” Which made us all laugh because I wouldn’t
have known a charger if it bit me back in the day. He announced his ‘placemat’ would be the
overflow for his food. Sydney quietly asked
if she might have a fork, setting off another round of jokes and laughter
about my table setting attempt at elegance for this crew. Conversation flowed as freely
as the second servings; no silence at these meals and I loved it. Liam at one end drooling as he worked in a
tooth, Austin at the other beginning to clear the dishes that were officially
empty, and Paul and I seated in-between, feeling as happy and contented as we
looked.
During dessert I decided to give Walter his birthday present, the long awaited 6-string acoustic guitar he had hoped for. I loved seeing excitement and appreciation light up his face. Amanda asked him to play something, so he entertained us with his Song in C, which was the only chord he knew at that moment.
You know it’s
a good party when everyone shows up and stays later than they intended. But even excellent evenings must end. Hugs.
Collecting condiments and childrens’ items to be taken home. Thank-yous and goodbyes and promises to do it
again. More hugs. As I watched the last person drive away and
returned to my already-cleaned kitchen, all I could think of was Psalm 16:6. Whether we have tacos or tater-tots,
“The boundary lines have fallen for
me in pleasant places.”
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