"Family Night"

For as long as I can remember, we have had “Family Night.” If my memory serves me well, I think “Family Night” started out of necessity. My husband was a student in a ministers training institute which required him to be away from home quite a bit. In our attempt to establish some priorities, “Family Night” was born. Amazingly, “Family Night” has survived through the many seasons in our life: job changes, moves, teenage years, college years, empty nest, wedding, grandchild, the return of the daughters and nothing has yet to detour us. In case you are wondering at this point what “Family Night” is, I should explain. Our family members come together one night each week to spend time together. The purpose is always the same—to be an active part of each others lives. It usually entails a meal (that we all take turns preparing), some type of learning experience (like Dave Ramsey DVDs), or something fun like a game. Occasionally, the agenda is planned but we are spontaneous. Though we guard “Family Night” from intruders, we have been known to occasionally invite someone from the outside to join us. After all, it is “Family Night.” This week was extra fun because we had a visitor. I’ll share a little bit of what went on. It was mine and Tim’s turn to cook so we whipped up a big pot of turkey necks, chicken, and sausage gumbo. We also had rice, potato salad, and some cupcakes that our daughter Mary brought over. As you can see in the picture, our guest really enjoyed the turkey necks. It was such a wonderful evening! After dinner, we all went outside and played a round of “Big Bootie.” Then, we came back inside for a game of Nertz before we called it a night. Nothing is more special to me than spending time with my family and friends. Jane Howard said, “Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.” There are many things we take for granted in this life, one being family. It’s easy to assume they will always be there. Our family is open for new ideas so please leave a comment and share what you do for fun in your family. Making memories, Maime