With the new year came a new church time, 11am instead of 9am. It's only a two hour difference but it makes a world of a difference with what I can do with the kids. I am always in a better mood before church (and attempts at napping) than I am after so this schedule has been great for me. The kids still get up between 630-730 and we all eat breakfast together, clean up and get coats and shoes on for our "hike". Since we have three hours of church, and the first hour they are expected to sit in their seats, I try my best to not have the TV/shows on at all so that we get as much energy out of them as possible beforehand. Our "hike" is really just a walk over to our neighborhood park, which is still as of yet incomplete (I cannot wait to let them get out more energy ON the playground instead of just walking around it! but I am not holding my breath for it to be done by summer), and includes a little hill with a beautiful overlook of our neighborhood.
The last few weeks the kids have alternated between walking, taking bikes or scooters or wiggle cars, and this past sunday Kev joined us (our evening walk is usually around the neighborhood and he almost always follows us on that one) for the first time! He even made it up the hill and I am so grateful for him because it was so cold but he was a nice distraction.
Then we come home, I bathe all the kids and take a shower, we change and get ready for church (I pack lunches for the kids to eat either before, on the way or while sitting in church). It's not a perfect habit or pattern yet, some weeks are easier than others to get up and get going but I never regret doing it when we make it to church and the kids are actually excited to sit and eat or color a picture for Elder Kron.
"someday"
and the walk around our neighborhood... perfect sunsets lately!
