Last night, we hosted our annual Harvest Party, where we invite the church over to enjoy an autumn evening by the fire while eating hot dogs, chili, and s'mores. This was our third year to have it, and I think this was the best year yet!
We had originally planned the gathering for last weekend (Friday, October 4th). However, Brooke was sick the better part of last week, so we decided to postpone until Friday, October 11th. It ended up working out better, as it rained last Friday. The first year we hosted our Harvest Party, we had also planned for the first Friday in October and had to postpone it one week. I think from now on we just need to plan for the second Friday in October!
The first three photos in this post I took to remember how we had everything set up. We've tweaked it from year to year, and this year worked even better than last year. We pushed all our living room furniture to the perimeter of the room to set up two tables with seating for 12.
This year, we decided to serve food from the bar and island so that the children could have the dining room table. We also moved our play kitchen to the garage in order to set up a smaller table for the smaller kids. As it turned out, we ended up serving all the food from the island and the counters (not the bar), and the weather was beautiful so all the big kids ate outside (which is better than what we had planned).
My kids love it when we have parties, so they couldn't wait for guests to start arriving!
Brianna and Brecklyn
I think we had 24 guests, plus our family. It was a great crowd, and small enough that we could still accommodate everyone since it was too chilly for some people to go outside. We provided the chili, hot dogs, drinks, and supplies for s'mores. We asked our guests to bring a side or a dessert. I think the majority of people brought dessert :-). Lisa brought her delicious apple cider which has become a staple for this party. If ever she isn't able to make it, I'm going to have to step up my game!
Once Chris said a few words and a prayer, we all started getting food to eat. Some guests chose to cook their hot dogs over the fire, which was nice because it relieved congestion in the kitchen. It worked out perfectly that we had plenty of inside seating for those who wanted it, and didn't even have to use the garage (which we had set up with a table and chairs just in case).
Ed & Sherry
Lisa & Russ
Dad & Vance
Michele & Darla
Brecklyn, Sadie, Brooke, and Caroline
Bren was all about the food and being outside by the fire!
People were great to take turns in the kitchen, so serving everything from the counters instead of the table worked out just fine (I was concerned about the flow which is perfect when serving from the table).
Several of those who cooked their hot dogs at the fire ate on the back patio.
Doyle, Chris, & Paul
And, of course, the kids wanted to be outside since the weather was so nice! After eating, they all played outside until after dark.
Hayden, Brooke, Chloe, Brianna, Brenson, & Avery
Last year we weren't able to have a fire because it was cold and raining. I was thankful that we had one this year because it's something so many enjoy!
Doyle, Dicie, Brooke, Sadie, Ross, & Hayden
Bren loves his s'mores!
Tia & Dan
Doyle & Russ
I was trying to manage things inside, so I didn't end up going out to the fire until well after dark. Dana joined us with Stormi and Spencer, so I got to love on Spencer while Dana ate!
Caroline, Spencer, and Stormi enjoyed playing with the twins' toys!
Dicie and Doyle dressed for the occasion!
We love hosting . . . it's a lot of work, but so rewarding!
Once things settled down with the food (meaning things weren't really needing refilled and such), I went out and enjoyed the fire. There was a whole group of us laughing, storytelling, and visiting around the fire, and we could hear another whole group doing the same thing inside. It made my heart happy!
When Sadie found out it was time for her to go, she and Brecklyn were both sad. They shared a pitiful little good-bye hug.
Dan & Michele
Paul, Avery, Rebekah, & Hayden
Mom & Dad
The great thing about hosting our church family is that they are family. It's pretty laid back, and Chris and I get to really visit and enjoy ourselves. AND - Lisa's apple cider can't be beat. I think we were each on our third cup in the photo below :-).
Before every gathering we host - when I'm in that place of feeling a little overwhelmed and tired from trying to get everything ready - I often think to myself, "WHY do I do this?" Then, the guests arrive and we have such a great time that I remember the WHY. We love it, and so many people expressed their sincere thanks for us hosting. We were told several times that people had a great time and appreciate us hosting. I hope we can continue to host this event for years to come!
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