a blessing for young men

So be strong, show yourself a man, 

and observe what the Lord your God requires: 

Walk in his ways, 

and keep his decrees and commands, 

his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, 

so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go. 

I Kings 2:1-3

geocaching

 

Geocaching is a new family addiction,  game hobby?

It's a lot of fun and creates lovely family memories.

The picture above is a recent find, a micro geocache--which means a really, super, tiny, small 'cache'....there was even a 'log' to sign *inside* that!

be goofy

 

When you're with your family--fun and laughter must be a key component. There is plenty of time for serious child training, discussions about finances, moments of dying to self, laundry, dishes, math books...you get the idea. All that seriousness needs to be balanced with love.  What has worked for our family is to infuse our lives with as much positive interaction, by way of goofiness, as possible.  We are not (obviously) afraid to laugh at ourselves. It bonds us together in immeasurable ways that create lifetime memories of big smiles and funny faces.

Memories of laughter are lovely memories indeed.

hooray for hollywood

 

Sometimes when my husband or one of the kids has an audition, we all go together. Traffic can be gnarly so we'll take some time to hang out and/or see some sights. Someday we'll get closer to the sign...but this was ok for now. We stopped right below this spot at a nice little park and the kiddos ran around a bit. 

Squeezing in family time when you can is a lovely priority to have.

 When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses.  ~Joyce Brothers

do nothing

On Thursdays, I have my 'long' day at school then I don't go back until Monday.  So Thursday is my 'Friday'. I always come home & just do NOTHING. Literally. I can never stop smiling on those Thursday evening drives home. I wonder sometimes if I should feel guilty? It's so relaxing, enjoying the end of my week, I know I have no reason to feel guilty. ;-)

I usually feel I *must* be doing something productive every minute of the day. I forget that rest IS productive. Tonight I came home, took a deep breathe as I opened the door and walked in with a big smile, greeting my family with an enthusiastic shout out to them. I called for hugs.....then sat down and did absolutely nothing. 

Doing nothing can be blissfully lovely.