Since Ryan and I got married in our thirties, family traditions were pretty much set on both sides of the family. Holidays were spoken for, and we just sort of merged our way in to all the parties. But last year, we tried something new: inviting both our families to our house for the one unclaimed holiday: Mother's Day. We called it
Mommapalooza, and I
thoroughly enjoyed having both our families here under one pirogi...and watching them interact with each other.
So this year...we did Mommapalooza 2.0. And....this year the weather wasn't quite as cooperative, so we had to move the extravaganza inside. Right after I finished speaking at the church, we rushed home and began madly moving furniture in our house to open up a space big enough to put up a table and some chairs so we could squeeze 13 people inside our little home!
We opted for paper plates and such...and OH MY GOODNESS. What a breeze cleanup became!! I think I have officially gotten over the need for good dishes for company.
Little area for drinks and appetizers:
We gathered around and enjoyed lunch together...Ryan's family blended with mine...and I cared far less about eating and far more about watching everyone talking together. This blending of families is lovely.
We especially enjoyed celebrating these two ladies. I'm thankful for all my mom invested in me for these last 36 years. I'm thankful she continues to invest in me...in us...and for the example she is through her integrity and commitment. And I'm thankful for Ryan's mom, who raised a FINE son. {And I mean that FINE both in looks and in character.} He is a one in a million find and so much of that is because of her investment in him.
Speaking of Mr. One in a Million...he was manning the grill:
...with some help from Allen, who saved the day with the stinkin' rolls that gave me FITS. {This is why I don't make rolls. Even from the freezer section, apparently.} Thanks for bailing me out, Allen!
One thing I
did do right was this dessert, thankyouverymuch:
Why yes, it IS as delicious as it looks.
We took some photos after lunch...
I loved it that people sat around and just rested for a couple of hours after lunch. I loved it that Ryan was the perfect hosting teammate. I loved it that the day was perfect, even though we had some imperfections {I'm looking at you, weather and stinkin' rolls!!}.
Mommapalooza 2.0 in the books!!
7 comments:
How lovely!! Sounds like a wonderful way to celebrate together.
SO nice of you and Ryan to host this special occasion. What a nice way to honor your Mothers! Everything looks/sounds perfect!
Looks great! Much better than fighting restaurant crowds. My Mom would rather grab something quick and get to napping. Subway was our dinner this year. We were
resting before most people got to a restaurant and seated
What happened with the stinking rolls?
I thought the rolls were good!! Jenna did too!! Thank you so much for the wonderful time we all shared honoring myself and your dear momma!! I LOVE this new tradition. Looking forward to Mommapalooza 3!!!
Tamar - I loved it and hope they did too!
Shari - We did enjoy getting to spoil everyone!
Odie - Napping is THE BEST!!!!!!! And Subway is one of my favorites. And now I'm craving it.
Lori - We followed the directions EXACTLY and they wouldn't finish cooking! And then they were all doughy and dense and nasty. I didn't even eat one.
Nita - I didn't mean to call them dense and nasty if you liked them! LOL!!!! Bring on 3.0!!!!! Well. In a year.
"I cared far less about eating and far more about watching everyone talking together." This sentence right here sums up my experience of hosting family celebrations so well!
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