Simpler life

There was a time not too many years ago when my life was simpler.  There was no internet or cell phone to constantly distract me.  I raised my sons the old fashioned way, no video games and very little TV.  I spent almost all of my free time with my my sons.  I took them on outings everyday, did crafts with them, taught them science, cooked with them and took them on nature walks. They had lots of pets to learn about and care for.  They had a neighborhood full of kids to play and play dates with others from school. We celebrated every holiday known to man, I tried to make each day special. In the summer months we went to the lake to swim, watched fireflies, shooting stars and the winter we snowboarded, went sleigh riding, ice skating and sledding.  All year long we took them on vacations and weekends away.  We went on two dream trips to Disney, and when they were older we took  a few great trips out west to show them natures finest masterpieces.  Every Spring we stayed in a tiny cabin upstate, and took them to see our college town, sometimes they went to reunions with us.  We camped on the Islands at Lake George every summer and went to the coast of Maine for another week, where we worked our way up to Canada staying in a different sea coast town each time we visited.  Weekends at home we almost always went somewhere, like hikes, museums, zoos and shows, we rented movies and got takeout.  We sat down and had dinner together every night of the week, we didn't allow anything but happy conversation.   Gone are those simple days for most American families.  They have busied themselves up too much, each family member having a couple of activities that they do after school and work. Many families need a double income to make ends meet and those that don't, spread their ends so far apart that they also need the second income to pay for luxuries that aren't necessities. Others want self satisfaction instead of spending the time to raise their own children.   I am forever grateful that hubby and I decided that the most important job I'd ever do in this lifetime was to raise my sons. My hubby is amazing and he worked very hard to make that happen.  I am so blessed that my child rearing time  was before the computer age, that there was no addictive distraction for me to fall in to. My only personal outlets were to be artistically creative and make things for my kids,  to work out at home, run in the early ams or do nature study. Once they were all in nursery school I adopted a dog and took to the woods while they were in school.  My hobbies were mentally and physically healthy for me.  I miss those days!  How can I find my way back to the good old days?  I don't have small children any longer, but I could waste less time online.  I could spend more time working out, volunteering at my animal shelter, reading books on nature, cooking gourmet meals, working in the garden the possibilities are endless.  Tomorrow is a new day full of opportunities......I aim to do it right!