Joyful Mom Monday - Family Fun Nights

What does your family do together that helps you appreciate one another and enjoy each others company? Our family enjoys Family Fun Nights.  During the summer, the kids would usually rather be outside riding bikes and 4 wheelers and going on "an adventure" (which is really only taking a 10 minute hike through our 11 acres, but they prepare as though they may be gone for months!).  For that reason, we usually turn our Sunday afternoons into Family Days where we will go to a park or go out for ice cream.  As the evenings have begun to close in more quickly, my oldest two have already asked when we will have our Family Fun Nights again.  For this Joyful Mom Monday, I thought I would share some of the fun things we have done in the past, and I'm hoping you will link up below and give me some amazing ideas to try this fall and winter!

Some things we have done in the past are:

       *Silly night!  The kids loved this one because...well, because my kids love being silly, and they REALLY LOVED seeing Mom and Dad be silly!  Everyone had to come to supper dressed silly.  They still talk about my famous toilet paper on the rolls necklace!  I rocked it! :)  We also had dessert first and then supper.  Everyone also was required to bring a joke or act out a silly skit.  My kiddos had no problem in this area whatsoever! 

         *Tent night!  We built a huge tent in the living room and had supper inside it.  

         *Swimming!  One of the very few family activities we have close to us is an indoor natural hot springs pool. We love going there every once in awhile.  We usually go on a week night and have most of the pool completely to ourselves.

          *Surprise night! We got the kids ready for bed...pj's on, teeth brushed, even did our nightly reading and then, instead of telling them to go to bed, we told them to go to the car!  They were really confused!!!  We took them to Dairy Queen in their pajamas.  I must admit, I thought I would be considered Awesome Mom for this one, but I think going after bedtime was not good.  This may work better for older kids!

          *When all else fails, there is a movie and popcorn.  I try to only do this once a month, but it is a favorite and a great stand by when other plans fall through.  

Having a regular Family Fun Night takes planning and preparation, but I have found that setting aside that special time once a week makes me a happier, more joyful mom.  It bring me great joy to delight and surprise my children and even my Mr.  It is fun to watch them enjoy something I have created or dreamed up just for them.  It is also a great way to make sure that my kids remember me having fun with them - not just me sending them out to have fun.  

What about you?  What makes you a Joyful Mom?  Remember, you do not need to have a Family Fun Night topic to link up.  You can share anything that has helped you become more joyful as you take this journey through motherhood.  I hope you all have an amazing week sharing the joy that God has given you with those around you!

Next week's topic (for me, anyway) will be Scripture Verses that have made me a Joyful Mom!