We took a step back from the busyness of the semester and had a night of "re-forming" with families included. Because Chris lives the furthest away and we never hold meetings at his house, we held the event at his home in Elk Ridge, Utah. Due to differing work schedules and church assignments, we met on a Monday night and had a giant family home evening with dinner and games.
By seven o'clock nearly everyone had arrived except for Daniel and Wendy. Wendy missed the exit and needed some on-the-road directions.
After dinner, the younger children found their way to the toy room. The adults played a game of spoons, although we used sponges for safety reasons. The game was filled with acrobatic maneuvers, secret sponge grabs, and a few dives on to the table. Daniel's teenage son and daughter were especially competitive. They often left the group laughing as they joked with one another. (Eric and his wife were quite competitive too!) Playing the game offered everyone an opportunity to get to know the families we never see, share family stories, and become comfortable with one another.
Then we all gathered in the living room for a spiritual message. Daniel shared a story from the Book of Mormon. Everyone was touched by the spirit that filled the room. We also sang Primary songs that the children picked out - we even did the hand motions for the song "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree!"
The evening was a great success because we got to see each other in the context of our families. It was a pleasure to meet everyone's spouses and children, which brought more insight into each others' personalities and personal lives.
