Famly Ome Eening ... Yeah!!!!

Two weeks ago we were on an airplane on Monday. Eden had an ear infection and screamed the whole flight. Not exactly the kind of Family Home Evening that makes for good memories. One week ago was a chemo day and I got to drive home through a yucky storm. Not a great Family Home Evening there either.

The last real Family Home Evening we had was at my parents' house on December 22. We celebrated the birthday of Joseph Smith* and it was a nice time with a few of my siblings and parents.

So, it has been a while since we've had a Kesler Family Home Evening. Our Family Home Evenings are pretty basic. They usually follow this format:

Opening Song - usually played by Heidi on the right hand, Phil on the left hand, and Eden playing descant. Sung by all.

Opening Prayer

Flag Salute - Eden holds the flag and we stand and recite the pledge. Eden LOVES being responsible for such an important task.

Kesler Kudos - we recognize good things in each other and acts of accomplishment and kindness. It is a great time to clap and cheer and Eden is beginning to really get into it.

Activity Song - a silly song time to get the wiggles out.

Lesson - we LOVE the new nursery manual. We were having a hard time knowing how to create lessons for Eden before it came out, now we use it and have a 2-3 minute lesson and she usually makes it through it and even grasps some of it. We have taped the visual aids from these lessons in our family room at her eye-level as a reminder of what she has learned about prayer and Heavenly Father and family and Jesus, etc.

Closing Prayer

Activity/Game - Hide and Seek has been a popular one lately.

Treats - a family favorite, of course. (Look for tonight's delicious treat on this week's Food Friday.)

Well, since it has been a while since we've had a Kesler FHE, we weren't sure how Eden would do. Then at dinner tonight I was saying the prayer and said something about "Family Home Evening" toward the end of the prayer. Eden waited for my "amen" and then said (with both hands flying triumphantly into the air): "Famly Ome Eening, Yeah!!!! Flag!" It was so cute!

She was so, so, so excited to hold the flag and then proudly put her right hand over her belly button (the heart isn't too far from there) while we recited the pledge.

For our activity, Phil had printed out squares of colors and then folded up the papers. His idea was to have Eden pick out a piece of paper, open it up, and then find a book with that color on it. Eden could totally see through the paper though and said, "I want lellow" then picked the yellow paper and found a book that was yellow. After that he had to hold the bowl of paper slips above her head so she had to pick "blind." It was a fun game and she LOVED it (and I loved putting all the books away just now).

What a fun, fun Family Home Evening. We are so glad that we have been given the advice from modern prophets to set aside one evening a week to spend with the family in gospel learning and fun.

Famly Ome Eening ... YEAH!!!!!


*Since before I was born, my parents have had a celebration of the birth of Joseph Smith on or around December 23 (his birthday). It is such a fun, meaningful tradition. We so appreciate his life and the sacrifices that he made in order to bring about The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ as well as the restoration of the gospel as taught by Christ. I love that his birthday is so near Christmas because it just seems fitting to take an hour out of the Christmas season to celebrate the life of a man who loves the Savior so deeply.