“Time for Family Home Evening!” Friend, Feb. 2001, 16–17

Time for Family Home Evening!

By Carol Coles

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matt. 18:20).

Can you guess why I’m so happy? I will tell you if you’re right.

Do you want a little clue? It is time for fam’ly night!

We like going to the canyon. We roast hot dogs, eat ice cream.
We can hike with Mom and Dad, or race boats down in the stream.
Sometimes in the summertime on a perfect summer night,
If there is a wind or breeze, now and then we’ll fly a kite.

Ben likes playing in the snow. We like snowmen contests, too.
We like warming by the fire, toasting marshmallows. Do you?
We like fishing in a pond. We like boating on a lake.
We like camping in a forest. Tori likes the choc’late cake.

Sometimes Dad will make up games. Sometimes we will have a race.
Sometimes we all sit and sing. Sometimes Dad will make a face.
We like dancing in the parlor, mowing lawns, and raking leaves,
Eating fancy on nice china. “Darling, do please pass the peas.”

We like making stuff from junk. We use paper, brads, and glue,
Tin cans, crayons, paper doilies, markers, stickers, string, bamboo.
Scripture stories read the best on a blanket in the shade,
Sitting underneath a tree, as you’re sipping lemonade.

Once we found a crawfish hole. We tied chicken on a string.
We caught crawfish by the bunch. When they pinched us, we would scream.
One night Heidi popped some popcorn. Popcorn popped out everywhere.
Adam caught some in his mouth. Joe got popcorn in his hair.

Once we paddled in canoes, through the marsh and through the reeds.
There we saw a hundred birds, many species, sev’ral breeds.
We like horseback riding, too. Also hayrides in the sun.
In the winter when it snows, sleigh rides are a lot of fun.

I remember lessons taught. I could feel the Spirit there.
I like learning of the Savior, how to love and how to share.
Here’s the reason I’m so happy: I like doing what is right.
I love living with my fam’ly. I love having fam’ly night.

Above and right by Lana Leishman; posed by models

Painting by Harry Anderson