Family Home Evening: Family Coat of Arms Edition

I remember back when I was in a teenager and my family took a trip to the beach. We stayed up most of the night talking about how important family is. My dad talked about how families are like links in a chain and that our goal is to be a strong link in that chain versus, say a paperclip. We talked about how our choices impact our children and our grandchildren and the incalculable number of people that will follow us in this chain.  And then we designed a family crest or coat of arms. 

This is something I have always wanted to do with my little family. A coat of arms was very significant back in the day! It let people know who you were and where you came from. It is what you would put on your shield when you went into battle. The symbols used just drip with meaning and purpose.

So we found a free Coat of Arms Generator. Came up with a family motto. Picked our charges and VIOLA! Our family crest was born!

We chose blue because it represents steadfastness, loyalty and strength. All things we want our family to have. Red is for warriors. We explained to the boys that Satan wants nothing more than to split our family up and that every day we are fighting a battle to keep it together. The blue X is for protection. The band down the center is for bravery. The silver in the shield itself represents cleanliness, wisdom, joy and peace. The crescent in the center was used to represent our hope for greater honor or in other words our hope for exaltation as a family. Our family motto is of course written in Latin but means: Heaven not Earth. Meaning our family is meant for something more. It is forever. It doesn't end here. Clayton chose the dragon which represents how a dragon protects its treasures. Which he is definitely protective so it fits! I chose the bear because I very much am a mommy bear. I will protect and care for my children at all costs. It's also a symbol of health and bravery. Things I want! Little Man chose a snake because he loves them. Snakes symbolize wisdom which fits him very well. Baby Boy chose the lion because he loves tigers. But the lion fits him very well as it represents bravery. This kid has very little fear. 

My plan is to paint it and then frame it so it looks a little more legit and so we have it as a reminder of our goals as a family. It is no secret how important I believe family is. And I love that we now have this crest! So if you need an idea for FHE next week, here you go!

For a great list of what these symbols mean go HERE!!

The Family Night App Review:

I love sharing. Especially when I stumble across something as great as this!

I am not the first Mormon mother to admit that maybe her family's FHE's are less than spectacular. Recently a friend introduced me to a new app she did the design for and it is just what my family nights needed!! It's called "The Family Night App" and it is amazing!

Last night was our first Family Home Evening back from vacation and I was super excited to try out. 

To start you make a profile for every person in your family! You can add pictures for each person. Then you can also customize your agenda. The app automatically assigns members to the tasks you've added to your agenda! 

 Now the coolest parts about this app is in the agenda portion:

For the opening and closing songs, you can click on the music notes and it will take you to the in app music section complete with songs from the Hymnal and the Children's Song Book. And MY FAVORITE part? Click on the song you choose and up pops the sheet music and you can play the accompaniment right from your mobile device! 

Next you can click on the calendar and go over the coming events for the week! It will then take you to your mobile device's calendar! 

The lesson's feature is another huge plus for me! Once you click on the lessons section you can choose  "Gospel" and that will take you to the app's Pinterest page of FHE lesson ideas. Or select "By Topic" if you want ideas for a specific topic. Selecting "FHE Manual" will take you directly to the church's official family night manual! (I didn't even know they had one!!) Lessons right at your finger tips!! A HUGE blessing!! 

Select "Activities" and you will taken to the app's Pinterest page for activity ideas!!

Finally, we of course can not forget dessert and the creators of this app didn't either! Select treats and you will be taken to the growing selection of dessert ideas from many of your favorites like "Creme de la Crumb" and "Oh Sweet Basil!"

This app is so much fun and easy to use!! It definitely helped me plan our family night and bringing all those resources into one convenient place is SUCH a time saver!! I am so excited for Monday nights now!! This app is available for Apple devices and is only $1.99!!  Definitely check it out!! And be sure to like the Facebook Page for updates!!