Ideas for Family Time

Activities we do as a family listed below

How many times over do you find yourself saying, "my kids are growing up so fast" or "I can't believe my child is already (fill in the blank)?  I look at my kids, excited about watching them grow, yet I just want to stay in some moments forever.  I think about how I always want them to run to me with hugs or be excited to see me after I've been gone or come up to me and say "will you play with me?"  Although every mom needs a break at times, I love being so important to my little ones now.  I almost never (almost) want to be apart from them.  It's nice to be loved.  How can we make this last forever...

My mom and dad are both great examples when it comes to making efforts to stay close to the family.  They both call their parents often.  My mom and her 5 siblings all call each other and seem to feel very comfortable sharing thoughts and feelings with each other.  My dad's family has always lived very near each other.  My husband's family is also a great example.  Every year they gather at the family lake house and do tubing, skiing, cooking, and talking with very little media use. They also eat all the meals together and pray together.  They are so close. Not that either of our families are perfect or don't have issues...but there is definitely a connection.  Now I am trying to do the same for my family.  

We have thousands of responsibilities, interests, goals, and tasks to do in our lifetime.  If anyone reads my Pinterest description they will find that I admit to being interested in having "more hobbies than I can handle".  Fortunately for my family, one of my hobbies IS family itself.  We are all learning how difficult it can be to juggle schedules whether a family is new or old. When we WANT to be close and hang out with each other it's easier to make time since you look forward to it.  So now I'm doing my best to build the bond so we get to that point.

I want my kids to feel like they belong and that they are secure.  I hope that they will feel like they can trust us.  I want them to feel comfortable coming to us when they need to talk.  I want them to know that we love them unconditionally.  So here is to family time and developing strong bonds. 

A great quote from my college priest which is one of my all time favorites- "The most intimate form of community is family" -- Fr. Stephen Payne

So what kinds of things do you like to do with your family? Especially the things that are cheap?

Here is a list of some things that we enjoy doing. 

1. Family Dinner and telling what we are thankful for
2. Family game night on Sundays (especially helps when the weekend coming to an end feels like a downer!)
3. Family music time (dancing, singing or playing instruments)
4. Family walks or hikes around the city
5. Picnic lunch
6. Baking or making new snacks
7. Playing sports
8. Gardening
9. Craft time (whether it's the same craft or we all do different ones. We just walk around Hobby Lobby and get thousands of ideas)
10. See plays 
11. Act out stories
12. Reading a story or chapter book together (maybe add some hot chocolate during the winter)
13. Go to the library
14. Family movie night
15. Camping- (for real, for dinner in the backyard, under the dining room table)
16. Bowling (Kids bowl free program is available during the summers nationwide)
17. Family Wii time
18. House projects (early intervention for young children!)

Here are Things I want to do in the Future

1. Attend random highschool band, choir, orchestra concerts. Many are probably reasonable or free
2. Planetarium 
3. Fruit picking