Family

It is nearly midnight. I can hardly keep my eyes open, let alone write a blog. But, in Mormon terminology, 'my heart is full'.

We had a 'family day' today. Monday really does not work for our family. Chad works way too late for us to have a family home evening, not to mention, he and I REALLY try to make it to the gym absolutely as often as we can. So, typically, after our chores, Saturday afternoons are our family time adventures.

Today's adventure was to Salt Lake City to visit the Planetarium. We watched "The Dawning of the Space Age" in the Dome Imax. The domes are awesome! I thought it would be so boring, but it was truly fantastic. I am so thrilled to have found a love of history. I came to the realization that I actually loved history when I visited Theresa in Hopewell, Virginia several years ago and we visited several famous plantations, as well as Jamestown. (I HATED history in school...maybe it was due to the intimidating Mr. Mudra...hmmm...)

Anyway, at the Planetarium, we had popcorn and sodas, watched the show, checked out our weights on different planets, and then went out to dinner. Dinner for six, (three being growing, hearty eating teens and pre-teen), is quite spendy, but I would throw away all the money in the world for more uninterrupted, happy, relaxed TIME with my family.
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As the sun was setting and our day, our precious free time TOGETHER, grew closer to an end, I found myself feeling very meloncholy, if you will; almost sad. Life is too busy for people, for friends, for loved ones...or so we it seems by the choices we make. We choose BIG houses and fancy cars and gadgets...which create needs for more money...instead of choosing TIME.

Forgive me if I am offending anyone. My finger is pointing only in the mirror. I am 40. Two of my four babies are teenagers, one's teen days are just around the corner. How often I long for simpler days...days without tvs, computers, cell phones, and playstations...days without aeropostale, hollister (expensive teen favorite clothing stores), and manicures...

...Hold that thought...My six year old wants a snuggle before she heads up to bed...(yes my six year old is still up after midnight...yurk...at least our church meetings don't start until 11am...yeh!)...

...ok, snuggle time ended. She couldn't keep her eyes open any longer... (smile)

I guess what I am trying to say, is that sometimes, well maybe more often than that, I feel the words in my heart, "If only..." You know. 'If only' I had made better choices when I was younger. 'If only' I had enjoyed exercise in my teens. 'If only' I had finished college. 'If only' I had never discovered the ease and temptation of using credit cards. 'If only' I had appreciated every precious moment with my babies (before they turned into greedy, arrogant, selfish, snotty teenagers-I mean...)Scratch that last thought...he he...

I read books about the pioneers of our country, and find myself envying them. They endured so many extremely difficult hardships-very physical hardships, it is true. BUT, they were free of so many temptations of our modern society. They played outside...the WHOLE family, not just the kids. They read the Bible together. They worked hard for EVERYTHING they had...and the children were grateful...

Oh, as I have said in previous blogs, I tend to babble when I am so tired. Life is not as bad or sad as perhaps I am making it sound. It's just that sometimes, I remember to be grateful. And I am grateful for those times. Today is one of those times.

You know those water fountain things that many towns now have where the kids run around in them and the parents stand around the outside smiling and laughing and taking pictures? Our kids played in one of those today too. As I watched them, I remembered when we used to take them to a similar fountain in Reno, NV when Annie was just a baby. It was a free family activity that we all just LOVED. I loved remembering them at that age in the same setting, laughing and calling out,'Mommy! Daddy! Look at me!' (Well, Annie still does that. :) ) But I also loved watching them today, fully dressed (whereas half the tiny children out there were in their underwear. ha ha), trying to coil their way through the fountain maze without getting wet. It was cute and funny. We had a great time.

On the way home in the car we played a few word games: One game was the game where each family member says two words to create a story. It was hilarious! The wittiest one of all was the six year old! Annie had us all laughing so hard we were bauling! I won't go into details on the internet...there was a little bit of potty talk involved...he he... The other game was a memory game. Each of us had to say an item we would take on a hike in our back packs. We had to say the previous people's items before each of our own and keep getting the list bigger and bigger. To make the game a little more interesting, we used the alphabet backwords. That was hilarious too! We came up with things like, "Victor, the Underminer's, toe" and "the queen pooping octopus noodles"...

Ok, ok, don't ask.

Well, I guess I should go to bed. I have a lesson to teach tomorrow. I am teaching a very rambunchious (sp?!) group of TEN 3-year olds that families can be together forever. I think today's experience was good preparation. I am thankful for my family. I am VERY richly blessed with a husband who is loving and loyal and four children who love me despite my 'not-even-close' to perfect parenting skills. I fall down often. I am grateful to have a family to pick me up over and over again. I hope I do the same for them. For the most part, I think I am doing ok.

I love the thought of God saying, "I did not say it would be easy. I only said it would be worth it."

Good night all my friends and loved ones! May your week be filled with TIME for each other.