We’ve had our dining room table for a long time, actually since before we had kids.  With the leaf in it does seat 8, though its better for 6.  As you can see from the picture, when set up for 8 there isn’t much space for food.

Dinner last night was tacos.  We had hard shells & flour tortillas; salsa; cheddar cheese; ground turkey with home-mixed seasoning; corn; tomato; avocado; tabasco; and lime slices.  Normally we have sour cream also, but I haven’t replaced that since we moved.

This isn’t a huge meal – Thanksgiving or Christmas would have more serving dishes, even without guests.  And, it pretty much covers the table.  In our previous houses it was tight fitting this one in the dining room.  Not the case now!  So, I’m looking to get something somewhat bigger – both longer and wider.  Ideally, it would be something that wouldn’t be too huge for us to use on a daily basis, but could sit 14 for family gatherings without everyone feeling overly cramped.  I haven’t seen such a table at a store yet, though I’ll keep looking.  I’ve also been referred to two custom table builders so I’ll explore them.  This isn’t a near term item.  I’d love to have it by Thanksgiving, but I don’t think the stars will align to make that happen.