As you are well aware, this weekend was quite a stormy one for us. It was just plain nasty outside and most people only went out if necessary. I found the storm gave my family something that is hard to find these days, an excuse to do nothing.

My husband and I marveled at the fact that there was nothing on our calendar. There was not the obligation to do yardwork or errands. We just had time to spend with our children. We spent time playing card games, making cookies, watching football, reading books and just truly enjoyed being with each other.

Reflecting on this weekend, it gave me not only the chance to realize how relaxing of a time I had, but also made me realize how precious this type of weekend is. All too often my weekend is filled with many "have-tos" and not many "want-tos". The "have-tos" include sporting events, yardwork, errands, homework help and work. Granted, these things are not all drudgery, but they are things that are scheduled or have deadlines and keep our weekend filled with "busy"ness.

Having an open-ended weekend, without guilt, was a wonderful reminder that our family really enjoys being around each other. It was great to see the younger children have uninterrupted playtime and the older kids be able to relax, albeit T., one of my older sons, who did have to travel to a soccer tournament on Saturday, but that is a topic for another blog. It gave me a sense of gratitude that even though there was a storm raging outside, inside my family was sheltered. Not just physically sheltered, but I think everyone felt emotionally sheltered. It was a time to just be.

I think we will have to try to have more of these weekends if we can. It will just have to become a "have-to"!

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