Back to School

I have been seeing lots of Back to School pins on Pinterest lately.  I have been wanting to do a fun Back to School dinner for our family, so I was appreciating many of the pins I saw.  As I started looking for ideas, I found what I was (unknowingly) looking for.

Jared and I decided that we needed a family motto for the coming year.  So we had a fun family dinner…

 

…complete with lunch tray plates, Capri Suns and a few fun school things!

 

I used our family motto as part of the centerpiece on the table, and the kids really had no clue!  They were too involved in the excitement of something completely different.

 

We talked about our family motto at home evening, specifically about having courage to do what is right.  It was truly enlightening to hear their thoughts about courage and strength.  We watched a movie clip about Capt. Moroni.  He was so courageous, and obviously God was with him because of his righteousness.

I also made some keychains for each of them that have charms to remind them of courage.  There is an arrow, which represents Capt. Moroni, as well as staying on the straight and narrow.  A lion represents Daniel in the lions’ den, who was a man of great courage.  There is also a storybook charm, representing a fictional character who had great strength and courage.  (None of this was my original idea.  I copied from a blog I found, and I’m so glad I found it.)  The kids loved the keychains, and I hope they look at them every day and remember what we’re striving for this year.

Tomorrow is the big day for all the kids except Caleb, who has to wait a week to start, and Daniel.  It’s such a big year for everyone and I’m terribly anxious for them all.  I’m sure I’ll find myself reciting our motto all school year!!