T-I-M-E

My family got a "gaming" computer for Christmas from a family member (an old laptop full of hundreds of games for all ages). A few of our children don't enjoy sitting for very long and staring at a screen. Other children could sit and play for hours on end without realizing it. With this new computer, we've had a few opportunities to visit with our children about what's appropriate with regard to playing games. The principle we have focused on is how we spend our time.

As always, I was impressed with John's way of teaching the children. He's so good at helping the kids "want" to do the right thing. A few rules were established: (1) always play with another sibling (never play alone), and (2) play only after other more important things have been done-- household responsibilities, school responsibilities, physical exercise, spiritual exercise (studying scriptures), some kind of service, and spending time developing a talent.

Not surprisingly, there's not much time left to play games after completing all those other responsibilities. Mission accomplished! I'm happy to say that the gaming computer hasn't been an issue.

Here are a few great quotes about the topic:

"Another way to spell 'love' is 'T-I-M-E'."

"Every day, every hour, every minute of your span of mortal years must sometime be accounted for".

"Your time in this mortal life is a proving ground. How well you meet its challenges determines how strong your character will be."

"This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God."

"You can tell a man's character by observing how he spends his time."

I'm always wishing there were a few more hours each day to finish all the to-do's, and a few more hours each night to catch up on sleep that doesn't usually happen because I'm burning the candle at both ends. Regardless of what I do each day, there are only 24 hours. I'm the one who decides how I spend it, and I'm responsible for every minute of it. I can't ask for more time, and I can't redo how I've spent past times.

One last quote:

"We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day."

So how am I spending my time each day?

Something to think about. . .

Six Children

I've had 7 months to get used to the idea of having six children. Wherever I go, I get comments. Some people think John and I are crazy, others share their admiration in our efforts of raising a large family, then there's those who think we're doing the world a disservice. At Disneyland last Fall, we got all kinds of comments and looks. (Of course, all wearing bright red shirts made us stand out a little). Some people we passed would visibly point and count the numbers.

I love John's comment to someone once. With a smile, he said "we're only half way to our dozen". (Yea right!) But it let that person know that we love being parents and are happy with our family. Regardless of what people think, we couldn't be happier.

Even if it means that we have to drive a big 12-passenger van to fit everyone. (No, we don't have a van right now, but my kids think it would be awesome to get a van and spread out a little). Even if it means that three boys "get" to share a bedroom. Even if it means that we're not saving nearly as much as we could otherwise. Even if it means that most of the time, we don't get to do "our own thing" because family responsibilities take precedence.

We couldn't be happier. Really!