Another Family Weekend has come and gone, my last one. And while I complained that I couldn’t go out and party with my friends this weekend since my family was here, I really did enjoy the weekend.

The weekend was fun for the obvious reasons. Having your parents in town means you don’t have to cook, and better yet, they buy you food. That’s always good for a poor college student’s pocketbook.

And my parents surprised me with their generosity. They bought me a lot of stuff, more than I expected to get out of them. I think they’re getting sentimental or something.

Of course, by the end of the weekend, I was somewhat relieved that 250 miles separate us.

I started the weekend on Friday taking in the movie “Scooby Doo” with my 11-year-old brother and 9-year-old sister. It was not a movie I was intent on seeing, but it turned out to be mildly amusing. The kids were talking about nothing but “Scooby Doo” for the rest of the weekend.

Instead of sticking around campus for the university’s activities on Saturday, my family and I headed to Arcola, to Rockome Gardens for a day in the Amish country, complete with a meal at an Amish family-style restaurant. The park was an interesting place and had free admission with only a nominal fee for certain attractions. And the food was excellent.

Even though we aren’t in Chicago or another metropolitan area, this area does have tourist attractions, and it was fun to just be a tourist for once. My 9-year-old sister said this was the best weekend vacation she had ever been on.

While I was at work on Sunday, my family was able to check out Lincoln Log Cabin Historical Site. They were very impressed, and I was mad they went without me. We later went to a craft show at the round barn outside Charleston.

There is so much more around here that we didn’t get to see this weekend. And I would really like to see it before graduating in May. My family wants to come back and see it all too.

Aside from being a tourist, this weekend made me realize I should appreciate my family more than I do. Some people have families that are dysfunctional or parents who control everything they do. Some families are broken up by divorces and spend years fighting about custody.

My family has none of that. My family is made up of eight kids, a mother and an adopted father who voluntarily took on the eight kids following my father’s death nine years ago.

With five children still at home and six during the summers, running the household is no easy task. Money becomes a problem, but my parents will do anything they can to help me, even give me money if I need it and they can spare some. But when they can’t, I understand. My parents care about what I’m up to, but they don’t run my life. In fact, they never call me. I have to call them if I want to talk to them.

I don’t think I tell my family enough how much I appreciate them.

Even though I’ll be graduating in nine months and hopefully starting my own life and family, I’m realizing more and more that I need to appreciate the one I have while I still have them.

Of course, that doesn’t change my relief at being 250 miles away from them.