the party is over. Our guests for the Epiphany Feasts have left. We had a relatively large Feast this year– 20 people, 8 adults and 12 children. This is much much larger than we’ve normally done. We’ve had family feasts, feasts with close friends, sisters. Small. Tiny. Cozy. Small f feasts.

This year, way back at the beginning of December, I decided we ought to really Feast at this year’s feast. We invited two families, a couple and a medical student. We were going to party! Woo-hoo!

Then Christmas came and kicked my heiney all over west Texas. It was really exhausting. Then we got bad news about my grandpa. And, really, I started thinking that having a Big F Feast was really a dumb idea.

But it’s tradition and the (oral) invitations were out, so Feast we must. I made a boatload of lasagna and we hunted down the last two packages of crackers in North Texas. We cleaned and scrubbed and put the monopoly piece in the King Cake.

Aside: Yes, we use a monopoly piece. The first year, I couldn’t find a baby and didn’t have any dried beans on hand, so we used a top hat. I couldn’t find the top hat this year, so we used the horse and rider. I figure we’ll go through them all then hit Goodwill for another Monopoly game in a few years. Also, isn’t it a bit creepy to put a baby, albeit plastic, in a cake? It gives me the wiggins. Also, I realize that traditionally, crackers are a Christmas thing and King Cake has become a Mardi Gras thing. Well, I like the crackers for Epiphany and a King Cake just makes more sense at this Feast, too. Back to the program.

We were technically ready to party, but still. . . The minerals included in these supplements are in the form of tablets and this was followed in cheap cialis canada jelly form. When you have had spicy food, it irritates your digestive tract and http://cute-n-tiny.com/cute-animals/giant-anteater-mom-and-baby/ online cialis leads to congestion in urinary tract, which easily induces constipation. Sexual debilities, work pressure, buy levitra from canada browse description diabetes, drug abuse, irregular sleep patterns and positions. Hand practice once or twice is healthy and it relieves males from fatigue and offers effective cure for buy viagra in canada PE to last longer in bed and offer her mesmerizing sexual pleasure. I haven’t felt the same about any of our festivities this year. Perhaps it’s the move and being in a new place. Maybe it’s the fact that we’ve had small, just us Christmases for the past 3 years and this year we traveled and had a big family Christmas. The family Christmas was great, just not what we’ve become accustomed to. Whatever the reason (my heart or my shoes), I’ve felt off this year.

Change is hard. It messes with your assumptions and your expectations. It causes bad hair days and ingrown toenails. Change makes you (me) let go of my precious plans and traditions and “way we do things.” More than once over the past month, I’ve wanted to drag my family back to Virgina, throw the nice family out of our townhouse, and do things the way they are supposed to be done. **stomp** I’m a little change averse.

I am not saying we had a bad Christmas. Quite the contrary, it was really nice being with my whole family for the first time in forever. But it was hectic and loud and crazy and traveling with kids adds an extra measure of exhaustion. So I’m tired and thinking that Big F feasts are big S stupid.

Hold on tight, here we go.

I had fun. A lot of fun. It was a great big F feast, loud and boisterous. In this balmy January(?!?) weather, the kids played outside with flashlights most of the evening. (Yes, MTG has enough flashlights to equip 10 kids.) We ate and laughed and exchanged wrecked car stories, and bad DC cop stories. We pulled crackers and wore paper hats and sang every last word of “We Three Kings of Orient Are.” Our porch light is out, so our kids escorted the crowd out with a plethora of flash lights. We have feasted our Epiphany.

With young kids, the parents pulled out fairly early and the others left with the crowd, so maybe our big F wasn’t as big as I’m making it out to be. But it was definitely a f, as opposed to an f. I sent left overs home for a dad who couldn’t be here and with the student. (That’s a huge plus for me. Left overs tend to take over my fridge. And you know, they start with your fridge, they end up taking your identity, buying a convertible and skipping town with the bulk toilet paper.)

But the point, and I do have one, is that despite my expectations and my grumpy, whiny self, God blessed our Feast. Food and friends and a celebration of God Came Near, God blessed it despite my attitude. Which was pretty amazing of Him, don’t ya think?

Hmm, maybe we’ll do something really big for Ascension Day.