Back to School Feast

Our yearly Back to School Feast has become one of my favorite traditions. Each year I get closer and closer to what I would like it to be and I am happy about that.

Feast

It’s become such a wonderful way to kick off our new year. We have a nice “feast” for dinner where we talk about all of the things we are excited for in the upcoming school year.

Jacob was most looking forward to math. Sarah was excited to ‘learn how to read’. When we asked Ben what he was excited for he had no comment. When we pushed him further and asked him if he was excited to start preschool, he simply said, “Yep.” So there we are!

Theme

“Be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you.”

Doctrine and Covenants 68:6

Each year we have picked a theme for our family to focus on. And even after only a couple days of school under our belt, I have loved it. We now have a table (YAY!) where we can ALL sit around and it has been a total gamechanger. So instead of starting on the couch and then moving to the schoolroom, we can all be in the schoolroom from the get-go. And each day, we have started by saying our theme together. And let me just say, hearing my kids echo these words back to me is just what my heart needs right now.

I am not sure if the family needs this theme or just me, but it’s been wonderful. We will memorize it together and continue to recite it each day. It’s been a great way to set the tone.

Symbol

This is a NEW thing for this year. I wanted to have a symbol for our year. Something in picture form to remind them of some of the things that we are learning. Besides focusing on our theme, as well as our Come Follow Me studies, I am adding another spiritual learning block to our foundation.

This summer, I have felt the pull to do more in helping my children to have a strong foundation. And I was directed to something pretty incredible.

I don’t really remember how I discovered this, but I came across this relatively new publication that is just amazing. It is called The Millennium Instructor. It is a ‘magazine’ you could say. There have been three that have been released so far. The project was started and continues forward from a woman who is a direct descendant of George Q. Cannon. George Q. Cannon, who during his time, created a magazine for young people filled with uplifting poetry and all of the good and edifying things. When she learned this she felt compelled to continue his legacy and these are just amazing.

So our plan is on Friday to dive a little deeper into these magazines. We are starting with the bee. We will not only be learning about the bee as an insect, but how it relates to matters of spirituality. I can’t wait.

Our little bee symbol is pretty darn cute and something I painted earlier this summer before I even knew anything about this! It was meant to be.

Positive Affirmations

I have heard and read about positive affirmations for years but have never done anything with them. And this was a last minute addition I decided to add to our evening (and ultimately, our school year) that I am really grateful for.

Words have power and I hope that I can teach my children (and myself) to use that power to uplift and inspire and never tear down. So I thought about each of us and came together with five positive affirmations that we say every day, right after our theme. As I said about the theme, even though it has only been a few days, it’s been amazing to hear my kiddos echo these statements back to me. I hope they soak into their souls this year.

Priesthood Blessings

The finale of the night is always my favorite. Once everyone is in their jammies and settled down, Mark gave each one of us a priesthood blessing for our upcoming year. It was Benjamin’s first year and he was so excited to be sitting on the chair, with his little feet crossed, and arms folded. The kids just beam and it starts our year just as it should, with our Father in Heaven first.

It’s going to be an amazing year. I can feel it.

Past Back to School Feasts

• 2019: Come, Follow Me “Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, ‘Ye lackest thou one thing: sell all thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.” (Luke 18:22)
• 2018: Light “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
• 2017: Kindness “Kindness is the essence of greatness.” – Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
• 2016: Choices “May we ever choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong.” – President Thomas S. Monson