Family Togetherness

I have been wanting to do things together as a family that will create memories for the kids and allow us to become closer as a family. My goal for 2009 is to once a month find one thing that our family can do together that will make us closer and stronger. January is becoming the month of "RISK". Last Sunday we sat down together and played the game Risk. Seth taught us the rules and how to play and 3 hours later the kids could not get enough. The kids ask every day, "Can we play risk?" We have not turned on our TV once this week due to this game. What I like about this game is that:

1. We play for 3 hours minimum (when the game is over they want to play again)
2. We laugh at each other and with each other
3. Everyday distractions are forgotten — phones, TV, video games, etc.
4. And it's not Chutes and Ladders, Candyland or Pretty Pretty Princess — we have evolved to the next level of game playing

I have started making a list of the things we like to do together, so when we are wondering, "What should we do," I can look at my list and remember the things we have done in the past and do something off that list.

FHE-Funnies

We had Family Home Evening the other night and Seth talked to the kids about prayer and what kinds of things we should pray for. I decided to share an experience that I just recently had with prayer. I told the kids that I was having bad feelings about someone and that this person was annoying me and I felt bad about these feelings I was having cause I knew they were wrong. I decided to say a prayer and ask Heavenly Father to help take these bad feelings away and twenty minutes later I felt better and by the end of the day I wasn't even thinking about that person. While I'm trying to be spiritual and share my experience during FHE and teach them by example I get these responses: Alex looks at me and says: "Mom, was it me?" No it wasn't you. Rachel: "Was it me?" No it wasn't you. Seth: "Was it me?" No it wasn't you. Seth: "Oh, I know who it was" (Jeremy wasn't here that night but it wasn't him, either! And for anyone reading this right now, NO it wasn't you either!!! Seriously. Especially if you're related or in a Ray ward! It's not you.)