7.6.10

Family Time

I am reposting this from June of 2010 because I really needed to read it again and because I just can't believe how much my children have grown in just one short year!  Enjoy

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Family time is one of the ultra important times.  A time to connect with each other, share your thoughts, remember why you are doing what you're doing.  It's when you at just be you with the one God made for you.  It is as important as food to a marriage and family life.  Why is it then that we push it on a back burner?


Why do we put cleaning the kitchen and mowing the lawn before family time??  Why is to so important to have short grass and not so important to hug your babies while they are still babies.  Why do I stress over planting my herb garden when Matt and the kids are playing on the swings?


How is it that I can look into these beautiful blue and green eyes and not stop all the other humbug and just be with them?  Why?


This is what's important. My relationship with God.   My marriage to Matthew.  My children.  Who cares if my herb garden isn't  perfect or that there are some dishes in the sink?


Moments like these are too far and few in between. 


Matt and I have decided as a couple to spend more time with each other and our children as a family.   He has been working on building a 12x24 shed and I have been dabbling in a bunch of stuff and we both agree that we are spending too much time doing everything else and not enough time with each other.


He made the comment to me that his building was "too big of an investment" to not spend time working on it.  I kindly reminded him that I am a bigger investment.  That analogy spoken honestly and in love hit a chord with both of us.  I was able to see that I too was too involved in things and not involved enough with Matt.  Why am I not out there handing him nails?  Why am I off doing my own thing?  Priorities people, I needed to get my priorities in line!


The kids and I are always doing fun things together as a group and separately in one on one time.  Matt however, works 6 days and week and is left with very little time to spend with his family.  Add to that, helping his parents and doing all house and car upkeep and we rarely see him not working or in a comma like state on the couch.


He is such a wonderful husband and I can tell he cherishes me.  Really truly, he just loves me to pieces.  I know that and yet when we spend so little time together, I forget.  I need his company, his touch, his presence.  I need to see him interacting with our children, loving on them, and enjoying what I get to experience with them on a daily basis.

 
The children adore him and light up when he comes home.  They run to the door to greet him (sadly much like I used to...why did I stop greeting him with a huge smile, hug and a kiss?  Why do I now greet him with a quick kiss and "how was your day?")  Wes begs for his attention and when he does not get it, he ends up getting in trouble for touching or jumping on what Matt is trying to work on. 


Something had change.  We had to actually make the change and not just think about how "he" should change or how "she" should change.  We are making that change!  We started just over a week ago.  It has been amazing and not nearly as difficult as we thought it might be. 


The benefits are far more rewarding than going about our own business on our own.  Together we accomplish so much more.  Together we are happy, we are we not just me and we is a beautiful thing!   Family is a beautiful thing!


God has entrusted us with beautiful treasures in our children and how dare we neglect them!  And when we neglect our spouse, are neglecting our children.  We can not show them how to be caring and loving spouses if we are not setting a good example for them to follow.  A family is such a wonderful unit.  And united we will be! 


So here's to family time.  To hanging with the kids time.  To spending time with your husband while he does something you find boring but not being bored because you see the greater good.  To leaving the dishes and ironing for a little while and doing something besides watching tv together!   To running into the arms of your love at the end of his work day! (And I can honestly say that doing this one single act can dramatically effect the remainder of your day!) To laying in the grass and finding animals in the clouds as a family.
Bring on the family time! 

10 comments:

~Trema~ said...

So true, we are actually at this point in our lives also. Just making time, instead of whining daily how we should, could, would.
Amen!! And congrats on finding your family time!
These days vanish too quickly!

Unknown said...

Amen!!! We are exactly in the same place. Daily, we have to remind ourselves that we would rather have a great family than a clean house. It is refreshing, for sure. So glad to see other families making time together a priority.

alicia said...

More great pics. How do you get the sun ones to look so good? Please share your tricks.

Bird's Eye View Photography said...

Amen. I really TRULY could have written this post. You said it perfectly.

The Mommy said...

I just love the way you play with light, gets me tingly all over!

Kate said...

I like your analogy to an investment. And the way you photograph with the light is amazing! I think I may give that a shot this weekend at the beach. Thanks for the inspiration.

Victoria said...

This is so true, we are working on this too. It is so easy to get caught up in day to day routine, but family time is so important. Loved the post, and the pictures!

Maura said...

Your pictures are breathtaking! I love the one in the middle of you and Matt!

Julie said...

What a beautiful reminder. I'm gonna greet my husband with a big wet kiss..and hug when he gets home today!! ;)

Rachel said...

I love this!
And your pictures are beautiful, as always. =)

I love the header picture...but how did you get the sky to look so blue??

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