Preparing for the Arrival of "Family"

Preparing for the arrival of any family member can usually be a bit of a challenge – at least, it is for us, because we have four dogs, seven cats, a small cabin and a lot of dirt, mud and leaves to be swept, scraped and removed.

But preparing for the arrival of chosen family – those folks who love you no matter what your house looks like – now, that's always a lot easier. Sure, you still straighten up and hide the big messes in a drawer (which typically it takes both of us to get shut again) and doing a light sweeping, you don't have to go quite as crazy as, say, when MOM is coming to visit. That's when the toothbrushes for the floorboards come out and the husband goes into hiding in the woods...with the dogs...

And so it is the former we are preparing for today, cleaning up, straightening up and preparing for the arrival of chosen family who will come and spend a long weekend with us, laughing around the fire, sharing stories and songs, telling tales (most of the times on each other to great comic effect) and basically relaxing and de-stressing from the chaos of our mundane lives.

I have to admit, this is the only time I find myself smiling and humming while do anything resembling housework. The excitement starts to build, knowing not only will there be some days away from the daily grind, but those days will also be filled with loved ones who make the daily grind worthwhile.