The Brownie Sin!!!

We had a really fun FHE (Family Home Evening) last night!

Confession Time: We really have not been good about doing FHE. I could tell you all my excuses... but seriously... we have had A LOT going on for a very long time. Life finally feels leveled-off and normal, and all our kids now understand most English, so that helps too!

FHE is really important right now! #1 Because the kids are old enough and it is time. #2 Because we are commanded to do it. #3 Is because since Yonas has never been legally 8 years old he was legally too young for baptism and now he is 9 so he has to have the missionary discussions (He has never been legally 8 years old). So we need to do teenie-tiny teach-the-son-with-limited-English steps to get him ready to even have the first missionary discussion. (We tried to do the first discussion, but when he answered every question with "Be good and help mommy and daddy and be nice" we realized he has gotten by at church on Sunday School answers. He would even say that when asked "Do you know what a prophet is?").

So we started with a lesson that focused on the key words "Prophet" & "Repentance" with a little "Holy Ghost" thrown in there. Then we were going to play a game and then we were going to eat brownies.

So I talked about what a prophet does. Talked about how we know things are true with the Holy Ghost. Then I talked about Samuel the Lamanite and how he told the people to repent and say they are sorry and do better because they sinned. But the people were angry and threw stones and shot arrows at him but they did not touch him because Heavenly Father protected them. Then I realized I needed to explain what sin meant. So I told them it was when you did something Heavenly Father does not want you to do. Then I gave examples and if it was a sin they had to yell "Sin" and if it was not a sin they had to yell "Good Thing"!

-Go to church!
-Good Thing
-Hit your sister!
-Sin
-Don't listen to mom and dad!
-Sin
-Give hugs!
-Good Thing
....
I went through a few examples and because we were having brownies as a dessert I jokingly threw in:
"Eat the Brownies when mom is not looking"
and they all yelled

SIN!
Then right on cue...
Someone I did not realize was missing came around the corner...
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.
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SIN!!!

I just said, "Oh no Callie! What did you do?!?"

Then, We all cracked up! It was hilarious and the timing was PERFECT!

The perfect object lesson!

But she said "Sawey" and Repented!

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Here is how the rest of the FHE went! We went to the table and everyone drew a Sin on a piece of paper while they ate their brownies.

Lettie drew Callie getting into the brownies!
Silas drew people throwing stones and arrows at Samuel the Lamanite.

Yonas drew someone kicking someone else.

Ruby drew someone pushing someone at school.

Nolan drew himself using the computer and then when he leaves to go to the bathroom someone hops on the computer and plays his computer game.

Then they made their pictures into either a arrow (paper airplane)

or a stone (balled the paper up).

Then someone would stand on the ottoman and cry repentance to the people and as soon as they said "Repent" we threw our "stones" and "arrows" at them.

Repent!

Repent!

Repent!

Repent!

Repent!

Repent!

Repent!

After we were done in turned into a free-for-all of kids crying repentance and getting pelted with paper! They ran around the house laughing, giggling, and squealing until it was time for bed! Moments like that make me happy to have such a big bunch of happy kids!

I think sometimes I would put off making FHE part of our life because I was making it too complicated. FHE assignment wheels, home-made object lessons, visual aids. Not that all that stuff is bad. I just have a hard time not being a perfectionist and just being satisfied with what I can do right now, so I decided I was just going to do it. Even if it is haphazardly planned and I am winging it. Which I was. I decided on the paper throwing while making dinner. I decided I was going to do FHE, plan or not, I was going to do something. Then the lesson just came to me. But I must say it came together nicely, the kids are still talking about it this morning, and I may turn in to the queen of 10 min. preparation FHEs!