By far, one of the greatest blessings of our new life is having family dinner together.

Our house is small and cozy, making it easier to corral the chaos that is our children around a table for a meal. Every day, we sit around our small wooden table, and say grace, and eat dinner together.

In Portland, our kitchen was big, and open, and also served as a hallway. The energy was constantly being flushed out into the school, and it was so uncomfortable to sit in that room that we rarely ate together. If we did, it was hurried and chaotic.

Now our dining table is in its own corner of the house, and when plates are served and everyone is seated, we all say grace together:

Bless this meal

That it may nourish

Our minds, bodies, and spirits.

Amen.

Every night, I watch my children repeating this simple prayer, marveling at how much they have grown, and grateful for how happy our life has become.