How can the Fed Gov spend more than it received every year, whereas as family would have a hard time doing the same thing year in and year out?The...

There are a number of ways to answer
this:

First of all, the average household is actually in
debt to some extent.  The average household does not run a deficit each year, but it is
in debt.  For example, lots of people (me included) have mortgages.  Such people are in
debt just like the federal government is but we do not think they are
insolvent.

Second, the federal government can do this
because, so far, there are plenty of people willing to lend to them.  No one really
worries about the ability of the federal government to pay back the money that they
borrow.  Because of that, they can keep borrowing every
year.

Third (related to the second), the debt and deficit
have been relatively low compared to how much the country makes each year (our GDP). 
That is a major reason why investors have not been afraid to lend money to the US
government.