FHE

Last night was such a fun simple FHE.  I want to remember how easy it can be, but how important it is. 

Our laundry room and my bedroom had become large piles of laundry lately.  It was about as bad as it can get.  It was like a tornado hit and I just felt sick to my stomach every time I went out to the laundry room.  It was everywhere, asking to be sorted and washed and organized top to bottom.  So Yesterday was laundry day.  I would set the alarm on my phone and keep it in my pocket and change the loads on the hour.  I made a point to put away each load as it came out of the dryer.  Thank goodness for the community closet for the kids, that made it so much easier.  I don't really have an excuse for being that far behind, I just know I don't want to be there again.

The exhausting part is keeping the kids going all day while trying to multitask this big project.  Especially with a one and two year old determined to keep me mentally over the edge.  But I focused on taking care of them AND kept to the grindstone.

 But then Peter worked late and didn't get home until 6:30.  I was so far past the edge by then, that I was doing all I could to keep myself together.  Peter called when he was nearly home and cheerfully said, "So what do you want to do for FHE?"  I mumbled something about I don't know, but I am so tired and done.  I think he took that as his cue that he was going to have to take over if it was to happen.

Peter came home and I went and rested for about 5 minutes, ready to surrender the day.  Then I heard Peter gathering the kids and lots of whining about what activity we were going to do.  Dallin really wanted to to Wii bowling.  Peter didn't want to go to the trouble of cleaning the basement, finding all the remotes and game and getting it all set up.  Then he said, "Okay guys, we are going to do our own bowling."  I joined them as they gathered plastic cups and a heavy ball (you know the ones filled with water and glitter).  The kids set up the "pins" and started taking turns knocking them down.

At first it was just a lot of whining, but then the magic of FHE happened. Everyone started to enjoy one another.  Every time someone knocked the pins down, everyone would cheer and hug and high five.  Even Lily took her turn from point blank range and everyone had to smile at how cute she was.  She would sit down and clap and yell "Yay!" with everyone when she got them all and soaked up the praise from her family.  Tanner and Eden would do huge celebratory hugs by lifting each other off the ground in excitement.  Dallin didn't want anything to do with that at first, but by the end he was right with them. 

I am so grateful that Peter pulled it together when I was giving in to weakness and that we didn't miss such a wonderful bonding experience.  So simple, yet one of the best FHEs we have had in a long time.  What a great commandment to do this once a week. What a blessing it is to have family.  By the end I had forgotten how long my day had been and remembered what life is really all about.  Not laundry!