Family Home Evening

Dear Posterity,
Tonight is the most wonderful night of the week (Sunday is the greatest day, but Monday is the greatest night- just to be clear). Tonight is Family Home Evening. We like to start Family Home Evening around the dinner table, as to maximize our time together. We start with Family Prayer and then go around the table and everyone shares where they're at in their personal scripture study. This generally takes about an hour given that there are 15 children, plus Peter and I. After we joyfully clean up dinner together we move to the sitting room where whomever's turn it is to accompany this week (all of the children begin piano lessons at the age of 2 1/2) chooses an opening song. One of our favorites is 'We Are All Enlisted' since we do feel like we're in a constant battle for our salvation.

We have the cutest Family Home Evening board that shows rotation for who's turn it is to do what. We had to get creative with some of our 'assignments' since there are 16 of us (for now!) but there are a couple of extra pegs for 'additions' that may still be coming.

Our Family Home Evening assignments are as follows:
-Opening Prayer
-Opening Song Pianist
-Opening Song Chorister
-Hymn Practice Pianist
-Hymn Practice Chorister
-Hymn Practice Teacher (they teach about the Hymn we're learning that week and teach the harmonies so we're ready for a Sacrament Meeting Family Musical Number at any time- "Be Prepared" is something we take seriously here at the Jones house!)
-Inspirational Pioneer Story and Genealogy update (Genealogy, we're doing it!)
-Talent
-Wiggle Activity (for our younger children)
-Lesson
-Lesson Assistant
-Game chooser
-Treat maker
-Closing Hymn Pianist
-Closing Hymn Chorister
-Closing Prayer

Of course our board is a little bigger then most in the church, but so is our family! We love Family Home Evening and feel that it brings us closer together. Tonight my job is the Talent. I think I'm going to show the violin piece I've been working on in my spare time. It's an adaptation of 'Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief' (all verses).

Love, Molly