Great Day in the Morning!

I had a great aunt on my dad's side (she and her sister helped raise my dad and his siblings when their mother died. The children were aged 6, 4 and 2.)who used to use the phrase, "Great day in the morning!" any time she was excited about something. It quickly caught on in our family, especially if she had just visited. She was from the south and had a deep southern accent. She drew the syllables out to where, by the time she was finished saying it, you were excited yourself!

That's the way yesterday was. The grandkids had helped me set up tables the day before Thanksgiving. We put an 8-foot table in the garage for the kids to do their annual craft on, then we set up the 6-foot table in the basement and had to open up the kitchen table enough to insert four leafs. It was a lot of work, and Don wasn't able to help. We've found out, though, that he's quite good at supervising!

My sis and her hubby arrived first, and she was all about helping out. I had things nearly finished, but the offer made my load feel lighter. Then the rest of the family started arriving. Let me just say, I have a TERRIFIC family. My mom, at 82 years of age, had made a huge pot of chicken and dumplings (along with other yummy things). The nieces and nephews and their little ones began showing up, as well as our own kids, grandkids, and my brother and his family. By the time everyone was there, we had about 30 people at the house. It was wonderful. There's never any bickering or arguing. Everyone gets along beautifully. The older kids love helping the little ones. Even the little ones seem to enjoy the atmosphere and excitement.

When people began to leave, our son and his wife began to throw themselves into getting things put back in order, putting tables and chairs away and picking up trash. They have no idea how much I was dreading the thought of having to get it done. Before they left, the house looked like OUR house again. Sis and her hubby stayed around after everyone else had left. She helped straighten the kitchen, then we sat and chatted for a while. I felt like I should jump up, clap my hands and shout, "Great day in the morning!" Just like Aunt Betty used to do. Nothing beats having a good family. And I'm certainly one of the most blessed in that area.