The In-Laws are coming! The In-Laws are coming!

Have I mentioned before that I adore my in-laws? I do. And I'm not just saying that because I feel the need to chap anyone's hiney with smooches or anything...they are oblivious to the existence of this blog. They really are great! They've never been anything but sweet and kind to me...even the first time I met them...when I was 2-1/2 months pregnant with their first grandchild. ::wheeeeeeze:: And you'd think that after going through a situation like that and coming out feeling welcome and all warm and fuzzy and stuff, that I would be over this "nervous in-law" thing...but I'm just not. Each time they come to visit (*ahem* tonight), it throws a fury of panic through me. I want to run and, with my 5 extra hands, clean the bathroom, and wash the dishes (even the clean ones in the cabinets), refold and put the laundry away, etc. I want to make the best illusion, I mean impression that I'm a good homemaker, and a proper wife and mother to this family. Must. make. believe. that. our home. is. in. order. It's only for 3 days...I can keep it up that long, right? ::panting:: Right?!?! ::sob::

I'll let you in on a little secret...our house is not in order. It is instead, overloaded with stuff. I bought my teeny tiny, two bedroom house when it was just Big and I looking for a place to call home. For us it was perfect. Small, but cute and cozy...nicely sized for two people. But then, just when I thought that Big and I would be alone for a while, lo and behold, along came Hubby with his sweet face and charming ways, and...umm...his household full of stuff. And so we made room...in our hearts and our home (and garage and attic) and we did OK with the space issue after all. But then, because of that sweet face, and charming personality...heh...along came Little (an even bigger surprise!). ::gasp!:: And making room for her in our hearts was truly without effort...but making room for another person in this house was a feat! We packed some things away and donated lots of others to charities...leaving small spaces in each room to put Little's cute little baby things. (And who can complain about adding cute little baby things? Am I right?) All in all, we're making it work...but now, our house is bursting at the seams and we are done. No additional people will be allowed to enter this family until we buy a bigger house. ::knocking on wood:: As long as God, and...ummm...my birth control cooperate.

So, back to the in-laws *ahem*. They'll be arriving late tonight, and will be here until Sunday afternoon. They haven't seen the girls (or us, but let's be honest, its not like they're coming to see us anyway) since early May, so I'm certain that a majority of their time will be spent wooing one child or another...which really just makes me love them more. And I'm sure that, even though I'm feeling a rush of panic right now, as they're heading out on Sunday it will feel as if their visit has been far too short. But in the meantime, I need to seize this quiet moment of opportunity and get started shoving things into closets and sweeping dirt piles under rugs organizing and whatnot. Please pray that I don't end up suffocated under a pile of laundry somewhere...I would appreciate it.