Indian Giver

 

Not exactly sure how to use this post. I was inspired by the Monday Mug's theme this week of "Dinner."  But since it's no longer Monday here in Northern Wisconsin I'm hoping with time zones and the international date line that it's still Monday somewhere in the world.

Besides Monday Mugs is more for pictures. This is a full blown story, so I'm also linking up with Rachel at Once Upon a Miracle for True Story Tuesday. 

If you just want a Monday Mugs pictures, here it is.

Now I know this isn't the most interesting picture you've ever seen, but I couldn't fit everyone in. We had a lot of people over for dinner Sunday afternoon and people are lined like this all around the room while we're making introductions before filing into the kitchen for food. 

If you want the extended version, please read on. 

Christina invited friends over for Sunday lunch/dinner or whatever the noon meal is called where you live. Said to expect seven guests which added to our eight totals 15 people. No problem. Easy Breezy. Piece of cake. 

Kiah and Anna

We fix three pans of lasagna, a humungous bowl of salad, homemade bread, and a mint chocolate ice cream cake. Sunday morning Christina says the number has jumped to 19. I take a deep breath and try not to panic. 19 is only four more than 15. I can do this.

In church I make mental to-do lists while listening to the sermon (sorry Keith). I mentally count available chairs, step-stool, Keith's office chair, and the piano bench hoping we have enough seating. I plot the quickest escape route from church knowing I need to dash home and make sure everyone picked up their underwear. 

I spit shine the bathroom, make two salad dressings, and conscript every person in the house to work on last minute things. 

I look over at our adopted college student "Eric" who I'd sweet talked into slicing the bread and say, "I'm sorry for being uptight. I'll calm down as soon as everything's ready. I promise." 

Eric comments that this is a side of me he hasn't seen before but says he doesn't mind helping as it beats just sitting there doing nothing.

Kiah and "Eric"

Guests start arriving including people who weren't included in the original count. Normally I'm a "more the merrier kind of person" but we're soon not going to have enough chairs and I'm starting to worry about having enough food.

Someone counted 22 people plus a set of infant twins. 

Christina

I know Jesus once multiplied loaves and fishes so I'm hoping He'll make sure the food doesn't run out. 

I spread a sheet on the floor in the family room and ask the five youngest girls to eat in back. The twins need to be nursed so their Mama goes in the back room to feed them. I go back to check on her, mortified to find her sitting on the floor. 

"Don't you want to sit in the chair?"

"Oh no," she says. "This works better. I do it all the time." I cringe knowing the floor hasn't been vacuumed in a few weeks and she'll be picking dog hair off her backside for days. 

Don't get me wrong. I love company and we enjoy getting to know our children's friends. I just get uptight with the logistics of feeding that many people.

I'm relieved to see there's enough food. There usually is but I seem programmed to worry. 

Tall guest. Look, he's taller than the hutch!

Finally there's one piece of lasagna left. Eric eyes the pan. He's already been back for seconds but I offer him the last piece anyway. He mulls it over, not sure he has room for more.

He decides to take the piece saying he'd hate for me to have to go through the trouble of finding a container to put it in. Just as he dishes up more salad and the last piece of lasagna, another guest walks in. 

The guest apologizes for being late and I say that's okay and ask if he'd like something to eat, sort of at this point hoping he'd already eaten as I'd just given away the last piece of lasagna.

He said, "Sure." so I did what any hostess would do...

"Psst, "Eric. I'm sorry but I need that piece of lasagna back."

Eric discreetly slides the lasagna on to a clean plate and our guest was none the wiser. I offer to make it up to Eric but he says he was full and didn't need the extra piece. Besides he'd already single-handedly eaten three quarters of a loaf of homemade bread.

I smile when I think of how good God is. I asked Him to make sure there was enough food and He did. Right down to the last piece.

The moral of this story is when visiting our house to eat your food fast because the hostess might change her mind and ask for it back. 

Check out more Monday Mugs at Oswald Cuties and more True Story Tuesdays at Once Upon a Miracle.