Chit Chat: Family Time

Spending time with my family- parents, siblings, grandma, etc- is important to me. Isn't it amazing how you can go from feeling like your family is driving you absolutely crazy to having a blast with them in a matter of minutes? Family is very important to me and I strongly believe you have to spend a lot of time with your family or communicating with your family if distance is an issue. This week has been packed with family moments for me that I know I will cherish for a long time.

A while back my mom and I joined a sewing group that a lady my mom works with started. Neither of us knew how to sew or quilt, but I have always been interested in it because one of my grandma's was an excellent quilter. She was one of my favorite people to spend time with and I still have a quilt from her that I cherish. Because of her I have always wanted to learn to quilt. I think homemade quilts are beautiful and show just how much you care about someone if you make one for them. Anyway, my mom and I attend class once a week and we have a blast. It is a small group of women who are my mom's age and older and then my mom and me. This is a great way for my mom and I to spend time together and to learn a new skill. Quilting this week was fun because I am currently working on several top secret projects that will be gifts for family members in the upcoming future and my mom is sworn to secrecy.

Also this week I had a shopping excursion with Tracy and our mom and grandma. Months ago we took our grandma to Lexington shopping and we ate at Olive Garden, which was a first for my grandma. Several weeks ago we overheard her say that Olive Garden was her favorite restaurant, so we knew we needed to take her again. So off we went shopping. We spent hours searching stores for a dress for our grandma. She is always looking for a new dress but rarely finds one that meets her criteria. She has a very specific taste and she is also a petite woman, so it is very hard to find things that fit. At times I was frustrated because she was constantly refusing dresses but at others it was hilarious what she would say about them.

Our weekend was busy with family affairs as well. We helped our mom and dad paint all day on Saturday. After breakfast we did nothing but clean and paint all day. After spending hours doing the same exhausting task tempers tend to flare a little, but no one is ever upset for very long. We spent the majority of the time laughing and cutting up with each other. At one point mom drop a huge blob of paint on my hand and I just gasped and then wiped it across her shirt to get it off me. This happened right when we first started so the running joke for the rest of the day was to not get paint on Jessica because she will wipe it on you, it is not an idle threat.

Sunday was Father's Day and we all gathered to have a home-cooked meal for Dad. We made a bunch of his favorites like pineapple glazed ham (which we call All Night Ham because it bakes all night), meat loaf, and chocolate cake. We enjoyed a delicious meal and gave him his gifts. His cards are currently proudly displayed on the mantle. Then we played board games and had a great evening.

I guess what I am really learning during all of these events is the importance of family time. Even though no one can drive me crazy like my family can, no one can also have as much fun with me as my family can.


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