Back To School Feast

Monday, the night before school, we had our annual back to school feast.  I saw the idea on a blog several years ago and knew it was a tradition I wanted to do for my kids.  It is something they look forward to each year. 

This year our "feast" consisted of steak, baked potatoes, jello, and garlic toast with ginger ale to drink in our fancy glasses and chocolate cupcakes for dessert. I also had a gold crown for each of the kids. Sometimes I decorate them. This year I didn't get around to it so they were just plain.  The kids didn't seem to mind. 

I started mulling over ideas for our theme at the beginning of August and was happy when Jason helped me decide on 'Did you think to pray?' We both liked that it was simple enough that even Kinlee could understand it. 

I made each of the kids a prayer rock and gave them a key with a tag that said "prayer is your personal key to heaven" which came from a talk by Boyd K. Packer. They each hung their keys on their backpack zippers to remind them of our theme while they are at school. I also printed the theme up in a poster to hang by the garage door. Hopefully they will get the idea that prayer is such a vital part of the day and their spiritual well being. 

We had a little family home evening after everyone finished eating and talked about how it is okay to pray anytime anywhere, but that it is also important to take the time to kneel and speak to Heavenly Father. I read a story from the Friend that emphasized the point of telling Heavenly Father about our day instead of just repeating the same old phrases every time we pray. Kinlee and Dallin were having a hard time sitting for much longer so I closed by challenging them to focus on the subject of prayer while reading their scriptures.  

We ended the night with a candle in each chocolate cupcake so they could make a wish for the new school year and blow it out.  Of course they asked to relight them about 10 times each so they could make just one more wish. 

We didn't practice back to school bedtime like we have in years past, so it was really hard to get everyone settled down and into bed by 8:30. That feels so early when you're used to going to bed around 10:00. I spent the rest of the night cleaning up while the kids came out of their room with a million different excuses.  Finally everyone dozed off and slept pretty peacefully through the night. 

BTS Feast 2015

BTS Feast 2014

Apparently I skipped 2013 :(

BTS Feast 2012