Thankful For My Kitchen Table

Day 2
I am so thankful for my kitchen table.  My table holds so many memories that I sometimes wish there was a video of all the things that have taken place around this table so I could go back and review and enjoy those times over and over again.

Most people who have visited my house know if you come over, you will seldom see me in front of the TV but you will almost always see me at my kitchen table.  This table represents so much to me and I have communicated with so many people from this kitchen table.  Either because I am sitting here on the phone talking to someone, or I am on the computer corresponding with someone thru email or facebook or my very favorite is when people are sitting here around my table with me.  We tend to call it table talk and I have shared in table talk around this table with probably hundreds of people. 

I think back of some of my favorite memories at this table. 
**We always eat our meals at our kitchen table.  Saying prayer, sharing a meal and sharing our highs and lows of the day is one of my favorite memories. 
**Sitting up late into the night with Daniel at one end of the table doing his homework and me finding something to do at the other end.  Either surfing the net, social networking, studying the word, reading a magazine, whatever I could do to keep myself awake because I have always hated going to bed and leaving anyone up with tasks left unfinished in a quiet house by themself.  I guess it was my way of showing him support for the endless hours he put into getting good grades and always giving 100%.
**My childrens friends have many a times came over and flat out told me that they just enjoy sitting around the table talking.  We have had some CRAZY conversations around this table and a lot of fun.  I hope I planted seeds in their lives so that when they are older they take the time out to just sit around and talk to teens about whats important to them. 
**Playing games around my table with my many family members and friends is one of my most treasured memories.  I spent some of my most enjoyable times with my father the last couple years he was alive, with all of us trying to beat eachother out of our quarters.  :)
**If I could count all the times my children sat down and shared things with me, their dreams for their future, things going on in their lives etc.  I bet 95% of those conversations took place at this kitchen table. 
**I can remember Derek at this table with his dice and paper, way back to when he was just a little boy.  I was always impressed with the games he would play and needed nothing but the dice and paper. The ability these games he thought of had in keeping his friends interest for hours when they would come over.
** Coloring Easter Eggs with my kids who would amuse me and continue doing this long past the age they really wanted to participate. 
**Watching Mark put so much effort into trying to polish the scratches from this table that its endured over the years, reminds me of his desire to take good care of the things in life that are important to him.  He has always put great care into taking care of things and its nice to know this table was imporant enough to him to do that.
**The projects we worked on at this kitchen table.  Either working up bids with Dan for the business or helping the kids with their school projects and probably helping more then I should.  :)
**It warmed my heart at Aarons Sr Presentation when he made mention of this table and all the table talk that he enjoyed around this table when he was growing up.  It was nice to hear that all those hours sitting up talking really mattered to him. 
**The times I spent with my close friends, sitting up till the wee hours of the morning, sharing our hearts, bouncing ideas off eachother, just not wanting to give in and call it a night because the conversation was just to enjoyable.
**I believe this kitchen table played a huge part in me getting to know the 3 women in my older boys lives that mean so much to them.  It doesnt matter if I have known them 5 years or a few months.  There is just something that happens when Paige, Beth and Emily sit down around this table.  Their abilty to open up and just be themselves is such a huge blessing to me. 
**The memory of the times spent with Tara and her g/fs around this table.  Most memorable being when they all came to rally and support her the days before she left for the guard.
**Sitting at this table putting the flowers together for Tara's wedding to Jarrod.  The great times us ladies had doing that.
**The cookie bakes and the wonderful times we had doing those around this table.
**So much of who I am and my own personal ministry to love on people and encourage people has happend around this table.

I am so thankful for this table that can be a table for 4 or made large enough that I think we have fit 12 to 14 chairs around it.  I am thankful for everything we have built in love around this table.