Good morning!
Last night, I was going through my list of things that need to be done before Easter Sunday. I find it funny at how there is always so much to do when you plan to have family over. For years, I have done Thanksgiving and Christmas for my family. After my dad passed away, I have been trying my hardest in keeping some sense of family unity. It is well known that once a parent passes away, the family fold becomes weaker. Well, at least when it came to my family. As for DH's family.... well, they even try to gather together a little more and both his parents are still alive. His family, being bigger than mine, seemed to always be a little strained. Probably because there is still resentment between the siblings.... always one trying to be "the favorite" above the rest. Fortunately, DH does not hold as high of regard to being a favorite in his family. He loves his parents, no matter how frustrating they can be, and is quite happy that they are around.
Well, this year I decided to take on having the family gather at our house for Easter. My mother-in-law usually handles this, but a recent mini vacation with my father-in-law puts her in a serious time crunch to plan for the family to gather at their home, so in the spirit of keeping the family united, I took the initiative and decided to host the Easter gathering here. In fact, I am having both sides of the family (well, those that chose to attend) in my home at one time. After the invites were sent out, the RSVP's came pouring in. Out of all the local family from DH's and my side... we are going to have roughly 13 people (including DH, DD, and I) attending. While our home is not all that big, I am actually thrilled to see all of them. With my experience planning Thanksgiving and Christmas (for my side of the family), I figured I had a good grasp on what needs to be done. Interesting thing..... Planned events that include food become more complicated when the number of people attending increases. While cooking for just the 3 of us on a daily basis is a snap, it is far more complicated to figuring how much food to make when there is more than just us 3. I know that I will be overdoing everything and will have a ton of leftovers. My guesstimating skills are not as sharp as they used to be. Last year's little party while DH was away for his fishing trip resulted in eating a lot of leftover brats, burgers and hot dogs. To this day.... the idea of having those foods has been far less appealing than they should be when the weather is warm and the grill is being used. Sigh, I sure hope I like ham, polish sausage, bread, potato salad and all the other stuff I am making for this if these people do not come by with a serious appetite.
As I am going through my pre-made list of things to do so I am not frantically racing around on Easter, I wonder if I figured everything. I ordered the ham, I got the sausage, I bought the eggs, I dyed the eggs, I found a lamb-shaped cake (which saved me from baking one), I am on perpetual ice cube duty, the housework is just about caught up, the weekly shopping list has been made for Saturday night, I have a cooking schedule in place (of which I will be making some things the night before), and I filled the biggest basket known to man with candy for the family to share. I think I have it all figured out, but alas, my shopping list is getting bigger. How and I forgetting things? I am a planning junkie! After standing in line for almost an hour to get 2 kinds of Polish sausage, I really do not want to forget anything. I am even doubting my decisions over how much food we will actually need. I am on the verge of almost thinking of going back to the Polish deli for more sausage and I have not even started cooking. I am even unsure if the ham I selected will be enough...UGH! Today's scheduled plans have changed and somehow I am ahead of schedule? I am figuring where to put all this food and figure where everyone can sit to eat...YIKES! Am I missing something? I swear, I worry about the most ridiculous things. I want everything to be perfect! This is a multifamily event I have going on. While my family is not overly critical over gatherings like these... it is DH's family I am worried about. My mother-in-law has stuff like this down to a science. After years of going to their gatherings, I just wonder how she does it. Will my efforts be remotely near where hers has been?
I know that I should not stress over stuff like that. What I manage to achieve is the best I can do and that should be sufficient, but maybe I have gotten myself all wrapped up in that battle that DH's siblings play.... being looked upon as a favorite. Well, not exactly a favorite, but to feel a little more accepted into their family fold. Family is important to me and I hope I am instilling that in DD, but with her current preteen angst... I feel I am even missing the mark when it comes to her. The only saving grace I have when it comes to this event is that I stated that it is a casual event. I do not own a room that I can fill with tables so everyone can sit all together at one table. They need to fix their plate and sit wherever they can find a spot. Between the large amount of food taking over every table I own, the limited seating, and the forecast of cooler weather.... I sure hope everyone is okay with eating wherever they find a spot to sit. It is far too late to rent a tent and tables to eat outside... especially a heated tent. I sure won't be utilizing my picnic table any time soon.
Oh well... biting the bullet and as Larry the Cable Guy says.... I am gonna "git er done". Stressing over what has not happened yet is not going to make this enjoyable for me as I have planned. The countdown has begun... it is crunch time. No regrets if it is not perfect, but I will enjoy having family here.
Have a great day everyone!
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