Because we're good for business

After a year and a half of going, we finally joined our church on Sunday.

Now, I'm not exactly sure why they accepted us. Today of all days, we weren't exactly on our best behavior. And since I'm still a little unsure of God's opinion on gameboys and Ipods as distractions during the service, I just gotta deal with what they give me. Which was a little more than usual this time.

We walked in wanting to sit a little closer than our usual back row. Emma wanted to sit in the very front, I chose pew 4, she threw a fit, in front of everyone. The girls went down for the children's lesson and then Kathryn was upset that she had to come and sit back with us instead of attending Children's Church. It was a very long, very loud episode. I finally calmed her down and was cuddling her when Emma decided it would be great fun to poke at her sister and pull her pigtails. All during the Lord's Prayer. And of course during the sermon, Emma decided to continually open and shut the Hymnal as loudly as she could. And there might have been a few mean looks, a few loud shushes, a few I swear I will give you a case of red booty, and a few Dear God, please grant me the patience.

But I did not turn around. Not once. I was too afraid.

The thing is, I've been trying to sweet talk the pastor into just making us members without all the pomp and circumstance. The little girls are in the choir, I do a bible study, the big girls attend the youth group, we go to potlucks. Crap, I even dressed up as a cow for the Fallejuah festival. We're up there at least twice a week. We're pretty much involved and are members in every way except the actual title. But it was a no go, he told me we had to stand up there and do it the right way.

Which, with our family has been hard to do. It's rare that someone isn't sick, or wearing jeans, or we're in town, or Alli and Abby aren't at their dad's, or we're not at a game. And the big thing for me is that we were to join as a family. And as outgoing as you might think I am, I don't really dig being in front of a crowd. At least not without a karaoke mike and a few kamikaze shots. And thank God, literally, that I was in a good place for him to hear my prayers that I didn't pass out. He doesn't hear me so much in a bar when I'm hoping not to make a fool of myself singing a little Young MC.

But we finally did it and I'm thrilled to be an official part of the family now. I'm happy to give my girls this opportunity to learn and grow in their faith. And the same goes for me and Steven.

After the service we got to shake hands with a bajillion people all welcoming us. And it was really nice to be told that we have such a beautiful family. Especially by the sweet old lady who had told me she was admiring my girls during the service. Really? She must have been in the way back ;-) So many nice people, and again I'm thinking they don't really know what they're taking on here and why exactly are they letting us in. And I remembered what the pastor said about us during his introduction...

"Four girls, they'll keep us busy with weddings for quite a while."

Yep, that explains it. This wacky family is good for business!