Our weekend wasn’t anything special – just normal family times, normal family happenings and traditions.  But I thought I would share them with you…

Our weekends start with Friday nights – especially if the big kids don’t have youth group. We generally have pizza and a movie but this Friday we were in town late in the afternoon and did not feel up to making pizza so we bought meat pies on our way home. Not particularly healthy choice, but Friday night isn’t about health – it is about relaxation! We watched an episode of All Creatures Great and Small – remember James Herriot the Vet? Since Peter is a vet the kids thought it all hilarious – especially when Siegfried didn’t use a glove for a very yucky job.

Each Saturday morning the kids have extra chores to do. These are generally weekly house cleaning type of chores – the idea is that if they do these chores during the week, they have less to do on Saturday. We usually do a bedroom bless on Saturdays – weekly clean in each of the bedrooms – but I gave them the day off (just because I can!!). The kids spent the rest of the day just being or just doing. They listened to stories, watched a dvd, worked or played on the computer, talked together, played outside, practiced the piano, worked on projects etc. It was a quiet day with everyone just doing what they felt like doing. It was nice.

Saturday nights we try and have dinner with a little more effort given. We set the table nicely and I try and cook a dinner which is a little extra nice/special. This Saturday was steak and salad – a favourite meal. I had got caught up in my lesson planning so I ran out of time to make dessert but everyone seemed to enjoy plain ol’ icecream.

Sunday mornings is a special family time – Peter cooks breakfast out on the BBQ – bacon, onion, tomato and mushrooms (I cook eggs, toast and coffee inside). Kids set the table out on the veranda and help get anything else ready. We enjoy an hour or so together before we get ready for church. This Sunday morning though we had run out of bread and there was no time for me to make some so Jess made a batch of pancakes – it truly was a spread this week. One of the things I’ve started to notice and be very aware of is how family life changes as the kids grow. Initially our breakfast was about Pete giving me some time out – he’d cook the whole breakfast and the kids would set the table, that was that. We went through a time where we were needed in town for church things earlier so in order to make it quicker I started to do the toast and eggs inside. Then as the kids have got older we all work together. I love our Sunday mornings.

After Church we all just blob – Sundays (unless we have someone join us for lunch) is our blobbing time – we don’t have to do “nuff’n!”. Then comes 4.00pm – we get in and get the house tidy (technically shouldn’t be too bad as nobody has done nothing but as you know, it doesn’t work that way!). Then at 5.00pm we sit and watch a ‘thinking’ DVD followed by dinner up at the table as we discuss the DVD. Last night we watched “Scottish Covenanters”. It was a bit tough going in spots especially for the younger ones. Daniel felt they were speaking in another language – just the Scottish accent! But once we could summarise it up at the table and begin to discuss why it was important, even to us today, it was a worthwhile time. The older two do the dishes, the younger two get to bed. I put in another hour or so in the office – I’m so close to finishing my lesson planning.

And there ends our weekend. It seems as if a lot of it revolves around food – and maybe it does. Food seems to pull people together doesn’t it. Food seems to make you pause and slow down and concentrate on the people around you. Seeing food in this light makes menu planning a little less mundane doesn’t it?