One of my favorite pieces of advice for having quality time (and quality bonding and attachment opportunities) for adoptive families is to get out side. When you get out of the house and in to the fresh air and do something fun together as a family, the results can be almost magical.

Our kids have been back in school for almost two months now (how did that happen??) and we have gotten into a good school-year groove. However with the kids getting home, doing homework, eating an early dinner, getting bathed and getting into bed nice and early, and with the sun going down earlier and earlier each day, there is not much time during the week to get outside and play as a family, especially now that soccer is over.

Yesterday the kids had a day off from school. Technically it was for hunting season, but since it isn't politically correct for the school board to call it a "hunting holiday", it was officially "fall break". The weather was gorgeous. We had blue skies, bright sun shine and temperatures in the upper sixties. I quickly scrapped the plans I had of working on the computer and keeping the kids occupied in doors for some family fun outside.

We decided to move our "family night" up to "family afternoon", and after lunch we had a quick family meeting, lesson, prayer and scripture, and then we loaded up the van with kids, balls, snacks, toys and the dog, and headed up to the park. We spent a few hours out in the sunshine, playing games and soaking up the sun. We played soccer, volleyball, football and tag. Kids chased the dog. The dog chased the kids. We swung on swings and slid down slides. There was lots of running and even more laughing (especially when Dad ripped his pants during a heated volleyball match).

When we came home late that afternoon, everyone was in a great mood. With the care free days of summer behind us for now, it was great to have a care free afternoon together, in what was surely one of our last beautiful weather days of the year.

So, if you get to feeling like you are stuck in a rut, or that your family could use a boost and some quality time, I say load them up and go do something outside.