Did you ever have a family home evening that was just great?
Let me give you some insight to our normal home evenings. We're always running behind schedule, dinner gets started late, dishes take to long, hubby's home late, whatever the reason, we NEVER start at 7:00. Then there's the fight as to what song to sing. The older children don't know the primary songs, and the younger ones don't know the hymns. The prayer fight follows, of course. (I really need a chart!) The lesson, often done by a not so enthusiastic teenager, drags a little, Bekkah throws things, Emily starts giggling, Ammon can't sit still to save his life and Zach is poking someone. If the spirit was felt at all, it is now gone. Then the fighting starts up again, what song and who's turn for prayer. 8:00 hits, there's no time for a game, and the crying begins.
Ok, maybe it's not always that bad, but it's not often that it's "great".
Last night was great! I didn't spend hours preparing like I should, and we still didn't start on time, but we felt the spirit. The object lesson, and talk on individual worth were fun and interesting (Thank you lds living! The lesson is automatically emailed to me on Monday mornings) Everyone, even Zach, was well behaved and took part when called upon. We had time to play Fruit Basket (a form of musical chairs) and everyone loved it. Even the songs were easily chosen (Popcorn Popping and Sunbeam, cause they love to watch Bekkah try and do it)
I'm grateful for the wise counsel given to us to hold FHE every week and for a family that supports me in following this counsel. And even though they are not always "great", I know that my family is closer because we take the time to make it happen.
Every once and a while we get this kind of fluke in our FHE's too. THey get me through the regular ones -- much like what you described.
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