July 2004 Ensign - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

LEFT: ILLUSTRATED BY JOE FLORES; RIGHT: ILLUSTRATED BY BETH WHITTAKER
Our Family
on Film
While my husband attended
meetings before church,
I needed to keep our five
young children content until it was
time for us to go. Amusing them
with books, puzzles, and games
offered limited success. Finally,
one Sunday I stumbled across an
effective activity—showing a home
video. To my delight, the children
were so excited to see themselves
and other family members on television
that they actually sat still for
an entire hour! I continued the
activity the following Sunday and
soon realized that more than watching
themselves they loved seeing
relatives who live far away. Through
this simple Sunday activity my children
can feel close to family members
they don’t often see in person.
And I enjoy having a peaceful hour
to get everyone ready for church.
Melissa Wall, Midland First Ward, Midland
Michigan Stake
Party by Post
Some 30 years ago my mother
started a long-distance, absentee
baby shower tradition,
beginning with my expectant sister
who lived in another state. Just before
the due date, Mother held a baby
shower in her home, inviting all the
FAMILY HOME EVENING HELPS
Award-Winning
Family Home Evenings
A few years ago our
daughter started working
on what was then the
Gospel in Action Award. To
help her achieve one
of her goals, we began
family night by reciting the
Articles of Faith, focusing
on one each month. Then
when our son became a
Cub Scout, we started
integrating some of
his requirements
into our lessons and
activities. We soon
realized that several of our
children’s goals could be
accomplished concurrently,
yet still result
from their own
efforts.
Together we
have achieved a variety of
nearby relatives without telling my sister.
Mother asked everyone to bring
their gifts unwrapped so we could
admire them at the shower before
wrapping them with materials she
supplied. We also played shower
games, ate refreshments, and had a
wonderful time visiting. Mother then
packaged everyone’s presents in a
large box and sent it to my sister.
Since my sister lived in a rural town
where purchasing needed baby items
was a challenge, the surprise package
was a much-needed blessing as well
as a loving reminder that we were
goals, such as serving
others, preparing for emergencies,
and discussing
finances.
The current Faith in
God Award, for children
ages 8 through 11, continues
to offer flexibility for
working on goals individually,
in groups, or as a
family.
Awards for the Young
Women and Young Men
programs can also
be worked on together.
Parental involvement is
key to your children’s
success. As you become
familiar with their goals,
you’ll soon discover a
variety of ideas to
enhance their efforts as
well as your family’s
home evenings.
Carolyn Staley, South
Bluff Ward,
Syracuse
Utah South
Stake
thinking of her. In recent years we
have photographed and videotaped
our long-distance baby showers to
add an even more personal touch. We
have also welcomed adopted children
into the family by hosting our party
after their adoptions have been finalized.
This activity would also work
well for bridal showers, birthdays,
Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day,
and many other occasions. It’s also a
great way to gather family to prepare
that occasional missionary package.
KonaDee Thomas, Heritage Branch,
Bountiful Utah South Stake
ENSIGN JULY 2004 67