Getting Ready for the BIG Weekend

I don't know why it is that during the weekdays life can plug along nice and quiet, but once a month we invariably will have a super busy weekend. I mean much busier than our normal busy, church, kids, etc weekend. This weekend is going to be one of those hyper speed weekends for me. I have written here before that I really don't think God has given me a gift of hospitality....but I guess He's trying to teach me in that area LOL.

This weekend actually started off yesterday!! Allie, Josh, and Jason [Josh's big brother from Oklahoma] met here to unload some furniture that we've been storing for them. They are doing a big move this weekend to a much larger apartment and they now have room for all Allie's inherited furniture. Sooo....that was the way the weekend started. A lot of sweaty lifting and packing. Oh and Allie brought me some hot pepper and pumpkins seedling that I can't wait to get in the ground. She has a remarkable green thumb.

Tonight we are hosting relatives. Hutch is running a race with an out of town cousin's teenaged son [did you follow that???]. That son [John Dean] is spending the night with us so they can get an early start to get to the race site in the morning. Then tomorrow our kids start showing up for a big Father's Day sleepover.

That's what we like to do to celebrate- hold a family pajama party. We'll probably start on the porches- swinging, talking, playing guitars, & watching the lightning bugs staccato sparkles. Then we'll end up staying awake most of the night watching movies together and of course there will be talking....lots of talking & catching up. We have a unique way of picking what movies to watch as well....but that's another post.

Because this is Hutch's day [Father's Day] he got to pick all the foods. He chose Low Country Boil, Homemade Peach Ice Cream, & Boiled Peanuts. I know....it's an....hmmmm.... eclectic menu....but its his day and he gets to choose. I've got the peanuts boiling already, they take a long time to cook. I've made the cocktail sauce too. And later today I'll need to make the custard for the ice cream so it can sit over night in the frig. Tomorrow I'll make refrigerator dough for cinnamon rolls Sunday morning. I think everybody has to leave by early Sunday afternoon to get back to their own lives, so I want to make sure breakfast is big.

We lived in Savannah [Wilmington Island really, where Paula Dean lives] for several years, I still miss it! There I learned rather quickly that you don't buy bottled cocktail sauce- ever. Inviting somebody to your home and serving bottled cocktail sauce will start nasty rumors circulating about you at church. You may think I'm joking, but I assure you- I'm dead serious. Most of our Sunday School get togethers started with the guys spending the day out on their boats crabbing and shrimping. Then we'd either meet at somebody's house or all go to a State Park and have Low Country Boil and Crab Boil with the day's catch. For Christmas we'd all get together for an Oyster Roast on the marsh...but that's another post too. 

I'll post my quick and easy cocktail sauce today, if I get a chance. I'll look and make sure Low Country Boil is posted here too as well as boiled peanuts.

Got to run, I've still got loads to do before things really heat up around here. Hope you and yours have a great Father's Day!