Soup Night

We have a family tradition that is only five years old, but has seemed to have been around forever.

Soup Night takes place on the third week of every month at my mother-in-law's house.  JoAnn, who is a wonderful cook, usually makes a pot of soup and a salad.  She coordinates the rest of the food by calling her daughters and her daughter-in-law, (me) and we invite whomever can make it that week.

Someone gave her a plaque that says, "Grandma's house, where cousins go to become best friends."

     The soup is always good, and we get to try out new recipes all the time.  Jackie is a great cook and everything she makes is really good.  I usually make my rolls, but it could be salad or soup as well.

Oh, we have tried a waffle or potato bar, but it usually comes back to soup and salad.  It's easy to dish up, and we enjoy just chatting with each other about the month's events. 

     I made rolls and chicken noodle soup tonight, and Jan made clam chowder.  Jackie made a delicious  cheese and broccoli, and Kathy brought some really good banana bread with mini chocolate chips in it, YUM!!  Then you have a few babies and kids running around and it makes for a nice end to a Sabbath day.  The older I become, the more I realize it is all about family.  Especially now that I don't have extended family around me and have been an orphan these past twelve years.  I love that Jerry's family has accepted me as one of their own.   I am a little strange at times, but seeing as his family is also a little odd, I fit right in!!

    We like to invite other people in to share, and tonight my friend and co-worker came to visit.  Jed went on a mission to Portland and speaks beautiful spanish.  I wanted him to talk to the boys as they will both be stateside, spanish speaking as well.  He brought his friend, Derica, and they both ate quite a few of my rolls.

      Ross and Joy came with Kate, their three year old, and their fourteen months twins, Jack and Sophie.  They are becoming quite a handful, and are so fun to watch.  It brings back happy? memories of when my twins (both sets) were that age.  It seems a blur now because I can hardly think of being able to take care of the craziness that comes with double babies, let alone the other kids.  Joy is doing a great job, and Ross really rises to the occasion and helps out.  Joy said tonight that the babies are mini-me's....Jack is Ross, and Sophie is Joy.  I took pictures of them tonight with the boys and Rachel because this could very well be their last soup night for awhile.

     I took pictures because I again wanted to capture the memories.  My baby twin boys holding Joy's twins.  I become so very melancholy because life goes by in such a blur.  I am starting to feel like I am fast forwarding everything and don't have time to push the pause button.  I hear Mark on the piano, and I want to run for the video camera.  Who knows when I will hear that piece again?  When will I hear Matthew play his violin and accompany Mark on some really cool piece where they are improvising?  I am so not good at capturing memories.  Yeah, I know some of you out there have dvd's and flash drives meticulously labeled.   I do not.  I don't get smart phones, and hard drives and tablets.  I     am not organized, or technologically savvy.  I am trying to become better so that my kids don't roll their eyes at me, and hiss under their breath, "Mom!, I have showed you this a hundred times!" Heck, I don't even scrapbook!  The kid's baby pictures are under the bed in assorted shoe boxes.  It's been so long I can't always identify kids.  I get them out periodically and peer at them, finally tossing them back.  I am easily defeated, and become way overwhelmed at the thought of putting them into any recognizable order let alone labeling them.  People have said, "just scan them into the computer!?  Oh , puleeeze!!!

This is me, and I do not scan.  I am still trying to find time to look at the top shelf in my bedroom.  It's been so long that I don't remember what is up there, and I am waiting until my curiosity is a little greater.  Because...right now...I don't care so much, and I don't dust what I can't see!!

    And so..my memories are the ones I create at events like soup night, and talks with kids way into the night. Family prayers where we talk about who brushed the cats last, and why we have them anyway.

Trips to Bear Lake where we walk to LeBeau's for a raspberry shake on a hot summer evening.

All those library trips years ago to try to develop a love of reading.  Saturday matinee at the movies, and 

Sunday chocolate chip cookie making.  

    I must remember that life is all about making new memories, but I am having such a hard time relinquishing those old ones to the scrapbook of my mind.  I am not sure I can pull them out whenever I want to, and I am reluctant to move on to this new phase of my life.  

  Here's to the soup night's of the future, and the many memories waiting to be made.  I will hold forever the sweet remembrances of the past and tuck them into my heart to be brought out on another cold winter's day.