I have been really down lately. Like “lay in my bed watching 3 hours of Keeping Up with the Kardashians while my kids run around the house doing whatever they want” down.

I saw this children’s packing idea on Pinterest and decided to try it on our last two trips. Basically, the idea is to pack 1 kid outfit per bag including underwear and socks.

Our Hotel at Home for Father’s Day was a big hit! Chad said it was the best Father’s Day ever. Read all about his day here.

Our family helped out at a local 5K run. We were in charge of the food/water at the end of the race. (Don’t think I have actually started running- that would mean the end of the world was near.) There was a big “Finish” sign at the end that inspired this family night lesson:

Long before I picked STRENGTHEN as my word for 2012, my husband and I have also been trying to STRENGTHEN the relationship between father and child. We recognized that Chad was gone a lot from our home with work and church responsibilities. We just wanted to make sure that a strong relationship between dad and kids was well established before the teenage years.

I am guilty of this: I spend a lot of time, maybe too much time, trying to raise good kids- lessons, experiences, discussions, chores, activities.  Often I view my kids through the lens of “what do I still need to teach them”?  so I take note when they are ungrateful…