Family Smith: Kings and Queens Of The Hill

I have a large family made up of my wife and five children. We rarely get to go out together as a family, because the cost of living is so expensive. But, there are occasions when we discover what I like to call “hidden treasures”. These are places we come across in passing that cost us little to no money, but grant lasting memories for us all. One such place was a little sledding hill close to our home. We happened upon it, back in February, immediately following a particularly nasty Michigan snow storm.

Psalm 127:3-5 says:

“Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.”

My quiver is quite full, and each one of our children possess a distinguishing personality. It was amazing to see them all tackle the steep, snow covered hill using different techniques. Tomas, our 22 year-old son, tended to use brute strength to muscle his way up the hill and propel himself down on an inner-tube, like a cannonball. Nate, our family genius, took the hill from a pure engineering standpoint by using compacted snow to climb up. He then launched down the hill aerodynamically flat against his plastic sled. Jordynn and Dominique, our two girls, chose to co-op climb the hill. While they stumbled hilariously several times, eventually they made it to the top and launched together on tandem round sleds. Isaiah, our fearless 9 year-old son, stormed the hill like a grunt in battle. Though he fell and tumble (a lot), he successfully crested the hill. Before even setting himself atop the sled, he launched. Somehow, he made it down the hill before his sled. Even Momma climbed the hill daintily, and carefully slid down in a dignified manner.

There was a point during the festivities when Momma and I stood back and watched our children laughing and playing together. In that moment, we realized how blessed we are to have children in our lives. Family entertainment doesn’t have to cost you anything. We found out some of the best family memories come from free entertainment.