F.A.M.I.L.Y.

Faith-  Family is all about faith.  Faith in your spouse.  Faith that your hubby will help with a few chores.  Faith that your spouse will surprise you with a date night every so often.  Faith in your children.  Faith that they will actually clean up after their selves (Ha ha ha- this rarely happens, but a girl can dream).  Faith in God.  Faith that even on the cloudy and stormy days of life that good will eventually shine through.  Faith that no matter what someone loves you.  Faith that no matter how bad you mess something up that someone will be there that understands.  Faith of love, family, and friends definitely make the world go round.

Adventure-  With family you have built-in adventures.  Even a trip outside the house can be an adventure.  Last Saturday I saw a pumpkin that was starting to get a little mushy on our back porch.  So I decided to place it under a tree so the animals in the neighborhood could eat it.  As I approached the tree. . . . whump!  Down I went.  The pumpkin sailed through the air.  I had step in a hole that the kids had dug over the summer while looking for earthworms.  Unfortunately for me it had not been filled in and said hole was covered in leaves.  Of course the kids thought it was a fun adventure and ran circles around me laughing and playing as I laid on the ground.  You know the saying: The taller they are, the harder they fall.  That is so true!  I ended up spraining my ankle and twisting my knee in the fall.  I called my grandma (hubby was at work) and she came over.  Grandma and Pumpkin carried a chair over to me so I had some leverage to get off the ground.  Needless to say hubby has now filled the hole in temporarily with hickory nut hulls until we can get some dirt to fill the hole in with.  My ankle is still mending and I will definitely have to be careful when it comes to black ice this winter. 

Meaningful- When you have family to share with even the simplest things become more meaningful.  New family traditions are started and old ones are carried on.  On Thanksgiving we always have Hawaiian sweet rolls.  Mom would always ensure it while growing up, so I have continued this tradition.  Typically the day after Thanksgiving we decorate our Christmas tree.  Each year we make simple paper ornaments and applesauce ornaments to adorn the tree along the with the tried and true ornaments.  On Christmas Eve everyone gets to open ONE present an hour or two before bedtime.  Hubby and I got engaged on Christmas Eve.  So we also drink a bottle of sparkling grape juice every year on Christmas Eve.  On New Year's Day we take down all of the holiday adornment from around the house.  We have turned Valentine's Day into family game night.  I am sure that as the years go and the kids get bigger family traditions will come and go, but the togetherness is the meaningful part of the experience.

Imagination-  Imagination and a sense of humor is a must when it comes to family.  The kids really enjoy it when I pretend to be a hungry tickle monster chasing them through the house.  They scream with joy as they dodge me and laugh hysterically when I capture and tickle them to death.  They enjoy building forts and destroying the sun room in the process.  They definitely use their imaginations when they draw and color to create their own beautiful masterpieces.

Love-  Love is must when it comes to family.  As a parent we are to have unconditional love for our children.  Sometimes this is easier said than done.  Children are easy to love when they are minding their p's and q's.  They are easy to love when they are sick or injured.  Sometimes it is more of a challenge when they have been causing mischief.  We love our kids unconditionally, but that is not to say that we are disappointed when they tell a tall tell. Or when they have a behavior note sent home from school.  We try to sit down with them and try to think about what we should do differently next time.  With Pumpkin we have to have him repeat his solutions several times to help ensure that he takes responsibility for what we talked about.  For example "Listen to the teacher." "Eye contact." "No swinging hats." "Respect authority." "No running in the classroom."  Etc . . . . . Kids can try their parent's patience at times.  Sometimes with Pumpkin I need a break to cool down before looking for a solution to the problem.  I am big on hugs.  Hugs help with all problems and are a great way to say "I love you!"

Youthful-  Spending time with those you love keeps you youthful.  You are only as young as you feel and children definitely keep a person feeling young.  Kids have very interesting perspectives on life and you NEVER know what they are going to say or do.    I always hear a few kidisms a day but right now I can not think of any to share.  I'll have to remember to write some down to share at another time.

What does F.A.M.I.L.Y. mean to you?