Saturday Night Tradition

Since moving back to my hometown earlier this year, I realized that our family has developed a new tradition.  Every two or three weeks, we get all the kids over for dinner here at the house. 

It's not hard to get them all together.  Just mention a free, homecooked meal to two single young men and they're there!  And for Bonnie, a busy single mother, the prospect of a sit-down dinner without having to prepare it in the confines of her tiny apartment kitchen while keeping an eye on two busy kids is sheer delight. 

We usually get together on a Saturday evening, so Ed and I have the day to prepare.  This past weekend, Ed had a slew of catfish in the freezer that needed to be cooked up.  So, he set up his deep-fryer on the back patio and went at it.  We supplemented the fried catfish with some boiled crawfish, hushpuppies, home fries and pasta salad (because, face it, some of us are just not big fans of fried fish!).

Chef Eddie.....master of the kitchen, grill and deep-fryer!

 
May I just say that the food was absolutely scrumptious!  Ed had previously prepared crawfish for the boys and they were already big fans.  But, this was a new food experience for Bonnie and she took right to 'em, after she got past their antennae and beady little eyes staring at her! 

Of course, the kids, every last one of them, got goofy when the camera made an appearance....

I really hope they don't act like this at work.....

Since they work in the same office!

Don't even ask......

Even Trayden and Ansleigh had trouble sitting still for me...

If Trayden sat still, Ansleigh got silly....and vice versa!

And Ed made a big production of eating his crawfish, or "sucking bugs" as he says....

I'm not sure what to think of this.....

Honestly, I thought I would never get a decent shot!  But, as I look at the images now, I realize that they are perfect!  Perfect because they capture the spirit of the evening....they reflect the fun and laughter that filled our home on this evening. 

We are so blessed to have a home where they still love to come and hang out.   And I love that we are building this new tradition as a family!

And, by the way, I did get some really decent new photos out of the evening.  No doubt, some of them will be making their way over to my sidebar in the coming days. 

Do you have a similar tradition with your family?  A special time during the busy week to sit down for a meal together and reconnect? I would love to hear about other family's traditions!  

And finally.......are your kids as dang silly as mine?!?!?!? 

Feeling so blessed, even with the empty nest....

Jane