New Beginnings

This week we finally began our family nights. I have wanted to have a family night for a long time now, but I just kept talking about it and doing nothing. Jeremy and I had a nice long talk Sunday night...you know those don't go to sleep until 3:30am kinda talks...about everything and anything. The result being that we both want to focus more on the quality of our family. We know we have been blessed to build some great memories with our children, but they've been more about big vacations. They are great, but we want to build great day to day, little moment, memories, too. I kept thinking that it was too late...Austin is 12yrs old...we should've started this stuff years ago. And I still wish we had.
But I finally realized that it's never too late.
So we talked and decided what we wanted from our family nights and what the "rules" would be.
We've agreed that Thursdays will be our family nights. One of my big "rules" was that I wanted to spend time together that matters...not just occupying the same space. So for me this meant no TV. We can sit in front of the TV for days and never connect at all. We do have certain shows we enjoy watching together and I don't think it's a bad thing to enjoy them, but that is not quality family time.
We also agreed that family nights should begin with a nice family dinner at the table.
(I know...we should be eating together at the table every night and we're gonna work on that. One thing at a time...lol)
Then we'll do whatever activity we chose together...they don't always have to be at home, but they have to be together.
This first one was fun. We still have a few bugs to work out...
Like this week we decided to have Digorno pizzas for dinner. No problem, except that we make two different kinds because I don't like the one the boys like. We sat down at the table and started playing a game while the 1st pizza was cooking. When it was ready the boys could eat, but mine still had to cook. So we didn't quite get the eating together thing. It was also kinda hard to play games with pizza fingers...lol.
So revision #1: We will have a dinner that we ALL like...together...Before we begin our game or activity.
We'll see how this week's family night goes and what new bugs arise.

Now with our 2nd date night and our 1st family night under our belts I think we're making progress.

Even with the bugs...I am very glad that we are taking these steps toward making our family stronger.