SIMPLICITY: Reality check.....

You know those pictures that show how you THINK you look when your running and then the way you REALLY look?
Well, I want to be the first to admit that I am the person who sees the lovely picture and ...well.. the REAL picture...I never really see that. LOL
It gets me thru a lot of stuff, so it doesn't really bother me...probably drives my family crazy.

Anyway- so maybe for a second or two when you didnt know us very well, you imagined a sweet,little family out here on Providence- one kinda like this-

Well read on for the REAL picture!
( My daughter,Sara wrote this to our family today- its completely on point!!!!!)

"It's funny, I was thinking about my folks and that I was gonna miss being with them for another crazy, busy, loud, funny thanksgiving and how every single year we have some new tradition that never happens again but we love the idea and how mom always cries at some point in the day and all five of us kids seem to huddle around to see why, if she's sad crying or happy crying or just tired. and dad always says something he shouldn't and we all fuss and laugh and argue about nothing, all the boys hide outside with cigarettes and talk about something manly I'm sure, and all the girls are inside bumping into each other trying to put the finishing touch on our meal, and mawmaw's watching us like we're insane cause she did all her work the night before, and dad's trying to help mom but isn't quite doing it her way of course he doesn't know that!
Kids are everywhere! Playing, crying, getting into food before it's time, the guys rush in through the front door past the kitchen and out the back door talking about building something that will burn, go really fast or hurt... and we don't even try to stop them cause it's crunch time and they would get in the way if they stopped... The last thing comes out of the oven and mom says to "round everyone up" and after only five seconds the whole family 20+ are ALL in the kitchen/dining room and dad's quiet voice hushes the whole group when he asks one of the boys to "offer thanks" and the room is quiet and we are all just standing there together, and at the close of the prayer the sounds errupt from the bottom up and all the noise that was spread out has all joined into one room.
Mommas fixing kids plates, guys fixing guys plates, kids spilling drinks, shuffling kids and plates out side to the porch and eating for a long time, and after eating you would think naps all around... Well more like, potato guns, a ride on the mule, some dessert, coffee, a few naps that don't last, someone doing handstands in the yard, a fire always shows up whether it be mom starting one for marshmallows or the boys burning a spider, some one on the porch swing, and a never ending hum of talking until the last moment that the last door on the last car shuts...
And that's basically just cutting off a continual conversation we have been having for years, and will start right back the moment the first door opens on the first car that pull in when daddy greets you with bare feet a big grin and a skip in his step as he walks on over already talking about something....And that's not even thanksgiving day ... It's always at the Carroll's family gathering... I love our imperfection... It's fun! "