Celestial Chaos

Tonight Matt, Aubrey, and I went to Sunday dinner at Matt's parent's house (which we do every other week). This is something that we've been doing ever since we were married. And over the years the family has grown and grown and grown.

Let me start by saying that Matt is the youngest of six children. All of his siblings are married, and they all have children. The majority of them live close, so these are people that we get to spend a lot of time with. These Sunday dinners are a tradition that has forced me (in a good way) to become ingrained with Matt's family. Tonight, amid all the chaos, I took a mental inventory of all the "celestial chaos", as Matt's mom would say.

Here are my observations.

We come in, and get to work. Matt holds Bree and talks to his siblings while I wash fresh berries and put them in a serving bowl. Jan (Matt's mom) is throwing together a beautiful and delicious meal...enough food to feed an army, all the while chatting away about her anxiety over her new gospel doctrine calling and the latest steal she found at Costco.

Joy's family is the last to arrive (but with 5 children, who expects them to be early?). The cousins greet one another as though they haven't been together for years. Screaming. Lots and lots of noise. Toys are out in a matter of seconds. Someone is already crying. Jonah (age 3) is telling me all about the birthday card he made for Aubrey and all the letters that spell her name. Aubrey is sucking on her fingers as though her life depends on it.

The meal is ready, and in order to gain some semblance of calm and control Jan Directs all the children (I lost count of how many) to sit on the kitchen floor for prayer. I don't know why...but it works. Grandpa asks Corbin (6) to bless the food. He blesses it, and I am surprised at how his prayers have changed and matured. He is getting so big, I think!

But Jonah also insists on praying.

"Dear Henly Fader. Thankyou Brama and Granpa. Thank you dis day. Thank you dis food. Pweez bless Aubrey's body to get all better. Name of Jesus Christ, amen."

My heart melts a little.

We go through 2 more children's prayers before Grandma finally announces that the food is getting cold, and we can pray more later!

Somehow, Matt and I end up sitting with all the children in the dining room. All the other adults are having their adult conversations across the kitchen at the other table. Matt remarks "how did we get stuck at the kid table?" Jaden remarks "what do you mean stuck!" We sit and eat and feed Aubrey all while listening to Corbin and Addie make farting sounds with their armpits, and Kylie teasing Jaden about his crush on Hannah Montanna. We can do nothing but look at each other and smile.

As dinner dies down Grandma and Grandpa join our table and talk to the kids about the big food fight they're planning this summer. The kids are informed that before the food fight they will be required to show up in their best dress, and have a very civilized and polite meal (complete with good manners...which means no arm-pit farting sounds). Then they can go outside and have their food fight.

Someone is crying, and someone tooted, and someone else is pounding on the piano. Several children are being told that they haven't consumed enough of their meal to warrant dessert. I look across the table at Matt's mom. She is calm. She is eating and enjoying herself. She is happy. I ask her something about having six little kids and how did she survive through it all.

"I call it Celestial Chaos" she says.

Later I listen as Grandma practices singing "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Ava and Aubrey, happy birthday to you" with the kids. I talk to Katie about digital scrap booking. Then the women talk about taking an all girls trip. Uncle little Matt (my Matt who is 6'2") and Uncle big Matt (6'7") talk about Suing a certain Insurance company.

Our little family headed out just as the blanket toss began. As we walked away from the house it hit me, how much I love these people. Not the obligatory kind of love that some people feel for their in-laws, but the kind of love that makes me never want to use the term in-laws ever again. The kind of love that makes you want to pray for each and every one by name. The kind of love that makes you hurt for the ones who are hurting and celebrate with the ones who are overcoming.

How can one be blessed with 2 such wonderful families? We will never be able to offer enough thanks to our Heavenly Father.