Hospitality

What is hospitality? Wikipedia says - the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of being hospitable. Specifically, this includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers...

I've always thought I was a hospitable person. I really do enjoy having people in my home. I don't mind the cleaning or the fixing of snacks or even a full course meal. Since moving into our East Lake home last Oct. Ben and I made the decision that Monday nights would be our hospitality night. Each week we invite people into our home either from the neighborhood or from our faith family who are interested in serving or moving to East Lake. We also take time about with others hosting small group in our home on Thurs. nights as well as a few weekend mornings hosting small groups from Brook Hills. This past Sunday morning, we hosted (including lunch) 16 adults and 22 children. I have to say it turned out great! Little chaotic, but great!

Through this I have learned something about myself. I really do enjoy having people in our home, BUT.... on my terms. I set when people come over therefore I enjoy every minute of the process. Living in this community sometimes when there is a knock at my door, it's unexpected, I didn't plan or invite for that knock to be. Ben works with several people from the neighborhood and brings them into our home sometimes with only a 5 minute notice to his wife. I don't get upset or start to panic (we'll ok sometimes or most of the time I do - let's be honest here). However, the 5 minute "warning" is something I'm getting used to and if Ben can give more of a heads up he will. Thing is much of the "poverty culture" is spur of the moment. There is no planning that takes place. I am a planner - a month in advance planner. All these situations have really made me realize something about myself. I see my pride. My selfishness. My day is now interrupted. Past few times it's right at dinner time when we'll have a surprise guest. Therefore I'm scrounging to put something together for us to all eat. Not something anyone requires or even asks for, but as the wife/homeowner I feel it's my responsibility. They are in my home, it's dinner time and I want to serve. Even though I want to be hospitable it's NOT my attitude. I try to hide it, but sometimes I don't think I do a very good job at hiding the frustration.

I also have a very nice, big, well functioning kitchen that I said I "needed" when we bought the house. My wonderful husband worked with me and I got this.


It really has been wonderful to have when cooking for lots of people or just having the room to hold lots of people to stand around and socialize. Thing is I have offered the use of my kitchen to others in the neighborhood. Trying to be hospitable. Thinking it would be on my terms when they use it. Hasn't been the case. Yes, I have said no when they call & ask if they can cook in my kitchen, but I can't say no every time. One afternoon after hours of cooking, I was getting tired, we were having great conversation, but my mind went here....I have dinner to put on the table, baths to give, house to clean up, and kids to get in the bed and "you" are still in my kitchen cooking at 7:00pm (you got here at 2:00!). Why can't "you" go to "your" own apt. with "your" stove. Right after that this entered my mind.... in "your" apt. where there is no conversation, prob. no one to listen to what "you" have to say, and no love shown "your" way. Something I was also trying to provide, even though it was getting harder for me as the hours went by.

So at 9 p.m. when we're finally done for the day and my kitchen sink looks like this


My hospitality attitude, well it just down right stinks.
So I pray. Pray that I realize my pride, my selfishness. Pray I realize my blessings and how I am to show the love of Christ, to everyone, even when my sinfulness shows it's ugly face.

Painting

It doesn't happen very often, but Ben and I try to take each child and have one on one time with each. We absolutely treasure these moments. A couple of weekends ago, even though it wasn't one on one Ben took both boys camping and Isabel and I did our thing. I have heard stories about the camping trip, but I don't have pictures. I'm sure it was a wonderful time as they have already asked when they can go back.

What I do know is what Isabel and I's time consisted of. She loves to shop - even if it's at Publix. One of her favorite stores is Hobby Lobby, so off we went. They had canvas on sale this particular week so I had to buy one, ok several. In my spare time (I laugh as I typed that) I love to paint on canvas. In our kitchen I have 3 KJD originals.

While we were going up and down the aisles of paint, paint brushes and every other crafty thing imaginable Isabel said she wanted to paint a picture like mommies. We made our purchase and headed home - after stopping off for some yummy dinner first. There may have been an ice cream stop too :)

If you know Izzy her favorite color is pink, so what else to paint, but a pink flamingo. I drew her a picture and she went to town. I call it a mommie and me painting, because even though she did all the green & pink - I did go back and add a few blue polka dots.

It was a wonderful girly canvas painting weekend!

Not Me Monday

I have NOT started "nesting". I have NOT cleaned out every clothes drawer in our bedroom and both kids bedrooms and organized ALL the clothes. I also did NOT clean out and organize all kitchen cabinets. NOT all in the same day. I also do NOT plan on organizing all the kids books before the day is over. NOT this pregnant mom who is now 29 wks and counting.

Not Me Monday

To keep finances in line Ben and I made our monthly budget together, but I am the one who keeps it all in order. I am NOT so OCD that I have to balance to the penny every week.

Hometown Visit

Last weekend Ben and a few friends took some neighborhood guys camping. After we packed them up and sent them on their way, the kids and I took a little trip of our own. We headed to my hometown, Florence, AL to visit my parents a.k.a. Gigi & PopPop.

One place that we always seem to find ourselves during our visits is Trowbridge's. They have the best hot dogs & ice cream around!

We also got to visit with my grandparents (great grandparents) a.k.a. Meme & Gran Gran.

The kids always know that Gran Gran has a "ticket" in his pocket for them so they can go spend it at the Dollar Tree. Which they want to do immediately after receiving the money.


Florence is where Ben and I met - The University Of North Alabama. They are one of the few colleges that have live mascots on campus. The UNA Lions. What kid can resist going to see real lions? Although, I think the kids like playing on the lion statues just as much seeing the real lions.


To top off the weekend, since my dad had work on Saturday, he let the boys shoot cans with the BB gun. What a great ending to a great weekend!

The bad guy

The boys were playing in the backyard and making a fort/castle with bricks & sticks. They decided they needed a few more toys, but didn't want to come all the way back inside. So what was the obvious thing for big brothers to do, ask/tell their sister to go inside to get what they wanted. They had all their good action figures - batman, iron man, spider man, etc. So they told Izzy to go get a bad guy. This is who she brought back.


If you aren't sure of just who this bad guy is, he is Swiper the Fox. The "bad guy" from Dora the Explorer. Not really who the boys had in mind, but to Izzy that's the meanest guy around. Love it!

Date Night

Being married to a minister is a 24 hour, 7 day a week job. If he gets a call at 9 pm that needs his attention then he may have to put our family on hold for a moment. If we have plans to all head to the zoo on dad's "off day", but a member of our faith family dies and Ben needs to be there for the family or to participate in the funeral service then plans change accordingly. Two examples just from this past week.
Even though ministry can be demanding, family is really important to Ben and I and therefore we make specific times to spend together. One of the specific things Ben and I do as a couple is at least once a month we have a date night. We try for the same weekend each month, but again that has to be flexible. Some months he picks, some I pick, but most we decide together. This particular weekend I picked and Ben just went along with it. We found a new wonderful little dessert place at Brookwood Village called YOLO. Wonderful Gelato and cupcakes!

I'm all about themes and things going together, but this date didn't even come close to that and that was ok - this time :) So after the nice uppity dessert place these were a little more fitting to where we were headed next.


PBR - Professional Bulling Riding competition at the BJCC! I love to watch bull riding on tv and therefore when I found out it was coming to town I jumped on it.

The goal, stay on for 8 seconds. Most didn't, but what fun watching them try. Then getting to chear them on if they did.

What was the most entertaining you ask? I think Ben would even agree, the bulls! If they didn't want to come out of the gate they would just lay down. If the bulls decided they didn't want to go back inside the gate after the 8 seconds, they would prance around the ring. That's when the cowboy would come after the bull on his horse to lasso him in.

Even though great entertainment (to me anyway) it was a little slow at times. Made me realize why I like watching it on tv, I have a remote. It also made me really want to attend a Rodeo. May have do a little more convincing of getting Ben to attend that one with me.