Glimpses of Parenthood...Part 1


This past Wednesday, Nate's family arrived all the way from Maine and Mass to come visit for Thanksgiving. This was only the second Thanksgiving we have ever hosted (the first was with two of our friends from Kansas City that I was in seminary with...ask me about that some time!), so I was a little anxious! We survived Wednesday night with a meal on the table ready to go. Nate and I woke up bright and early the next morning and for the day....I felt like we had our own family. Nate and I had been invited to go to a breakfast at a church that was being hosted by some students from our FCA we work with. We woke up at 6am and decided to venture out with two of our three nephews, Noah and Isaac.

We arrived at the church (which had very few seats left), and found ourselves sitting in a row, Nate, Noah (age 9), Auntie Ang (that's me), and Isaac (age 3). The food began being passed and the lady next to me asked, "Does he like eggs (Isaac)?" "Uh...I have no idea what he likes...he's not mine! He just got here from Massachusetts!" She laughed at me, graciously scooped some eggs on his plate, and I couldn't help but think, "Oh my word...this is what it's going to be like when we bring our kids home, only they won't speak our language!"

We survived breakfast and moved onto the grocery store. Isaac immediately decided he wanted to ride in the cart with the kids car attached to it. Noah also wanted to ride in it...I thought about that, but realized he was a little too big! Then began the navigation. Have you ever tried to drive one of those things? Thankfully, there were hardly any people in that store, we were able to get our egg and chocolate pudding, and we managed to get out accident free.

We took the boys home and decorated sugar cookies and then took a drive down to the nursing home we visit with our youth group, and went door to door delivering Thanksgiving cheer. I'm not sure if the boys loved it, but it was one of the highlights of the day.

The rest of the day I experienced what it was like to cook and clean up for a family. There were 8 of us in total and I made a TON of food. I realized a few things in the cooking...I hate touching turkeys (seriously, the neck, the giblets, the skin...it's just gross), I love baking, I love making food for a big family, and cooking all day is liking taking Nyquil...it sucks the life out of you! The nephews are pretty selective eaters (I think they ate a roll and corn), but for the rest of us, we had enough food to feed an army.

Nate and I bought a "new" kitchen table several months ago at a yard sale. I know it sounds weird, but one of the greatest aspects of that day was sitting around our new table, eating together. My heart just felt full, as my mind began to wander and imagine what our own family would someday look like around that table.

The next 24 hours were filled with shopping, eating meals together, playing games, going hiking, and more. By Friday I felt exhausted! I had about an hour of quiet in the afternoon as Nate took the boys out for awhile, and I am not sure I have ever loved silence that much! We were watching a movie together in our living room Friday night, when there was a knock on the door. We opened it, there stood two "kids" (they are now 21 and 22) that graduated out from my youth group several years ago, Kaitlyn and Sean. Kaitlyn quickly introduced herself to our family as "first generation youth group kids!" I thought that was cute.

For the next hour, we listened to Kaitlyn and Sean fill us in on life as 20 somethings. I remember both of them as 9th graders and it blows my mind how fast they have grown up. As we sat together, I had one of those "proud" parent moments I guess. While they aren't my kids, in many ways, I consider them family. I have watched them as they have made major life decisions, navigated through high school, dealt with jobs, school work, disappointing days, days filled with joy, and I truly consider them family. Again, my mind began to wander and I couldn't help but imagine what it will be like to parent our kids, and stand across from them feeling so proud of the people they have become and the accomplishments they have achieved.

While I wait in this process, I am incredibly grateful this Thanksgiving that God allows me to feel what it is like to have a family, even in the smallest of ways.

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