Gratitude: Day 18

Day 18

Me and My Uncle Mike

I am grateful for this guy. I am grateful for the blessing that he has been to me all my life. I will miss him every single day. A bright and vibrant star is gone from our family and we will never be the same.

Words cannot express what my Uncle Mike meant to me and my family but is my attempt:

We lost one of the great ones last night. Our family is heartbroken. There is a gigantic hole in our hearts. My Uncle Mike was the most amazing man. He was strong and handsome and brave. He fought until the end and set such an example of courage for our entire family...we are forever changed. He was one of the most charismatic people I have ever known. He could light up an entire room. He was hilarious...no one could make me laugh more than Uncle Mike with his stories and teasing. He showed me what noble fatherhood looked like and what a loving husband looked like. Tyler and I have looked to he and Bonnie's example in so many ways. I hope that someday when we are grandparents that we can be half the grandparents that they are to their grandchildren. They are amazing!! They are wonderful parents to their children and an incredible uncle and aunt to their many nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews. Uncle Mike has been a rock of support in my life and always one of the very first calls to me when hard and difficult things have happened and also when joyous things have happened. He will never know how much that has meant to me all these years. His zest for life, humor, always having fun, and not taking yourself too seriously has been something that I have always admired and tried to emulate. I adore him. Thank you for being the best uncle a girl could have...for showing love to my husband and children who also adore you...for teaching me the importance of family and unconditional love through your amazing example. Thanks for late night talks around the table at the lake. Thanks for always taking the time to tell me that you loved me. Thank you for raising four fantastic children who enrich my life. Thank you for marrying Aunt Bonnie and bringing her into our family. She is a blessing to me. The greatest compliment that I can give you is that you are your father's son in every way. I take great comfort in knowing that you two are together again. I look forward to the day when we are all together and laughing once more. I love you Uncle Mike.


Jesus said..."I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live...and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." (John 11:25-26)

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Gratitude: Day 13

Day 13

I am grateful for impromptu family dance parties. I live in a house full of dancing girls so dance parties aren't all that uncommon. But what I REALLY love is when a dance party breaks out with the whole family. Take last night for instance, we had just finished dinner and were just sitting around talking, and clearing the dishes. Reilly was waiting to be picked up to go to a pizza party. People were talking, then music was playing, and then the whole family was up and dancing...including Tyler and Kameron. For the next 20-30 minutes some serious moves were busted in our kitchen. I love that my family does this on occasion. We were all up and laughing and having a great time together before everyone went off in six different directions. And...Kameron got some valuable advice as he will be attending his first Stake Dance THIS Saturday Night!! Woohoo!! Oh yes, I am grateful for impromptu family dance parties!!

Gratitude: Day 3

Day 3: Heroes

Today I am grateful for heroes. The world might say that they are just ordinary people but I say that they are extraordinary heroes and they have inspired me more than anyone famous ever could. They are not famous actors, or athletes, or rock stars, or musicians, or politicians. They are so much more than that. Their shining examples of courage, hope, selflessness, strength, service, unconditional love, perseverance, kindness, devotion, faithfulness, loyalty, grace, and humor shine more brightly than any star, celestial or otherwise, ever could. I am grateful to be their niece.

Uncle Mike and Aunt Bonnie

Uncle John 

Uncle Mike, Aunt Bonnie, and Uncle John I am grateful for you. Who you are, who you have been, and who you will be. You have set shining examples that will ripple through our family for generations. We are forever changed for the better. I love you.

"...Although I may not be my brother's keeper, I am my brother's brother..." ~ Elder Jeffery R. Holland 

Family Reunion

Family Reunion 2013

We just got back from our family's week at the lake. Everyone except for Jordin and her family were able to come. It was great to be together and to spend time just hanging out. That said there was the requisite amount of drama, arguments, laughter, joking, sharing, reconnecting, eating, playing, and relaxing. The spirit of the lake always glues our family together for another year as it has done for five generations now.

Here's some of what we did:

We went for morning walks to the bridge, had great chats, and marveled in the beauty of the lake.

Reilly on the bridge

We fished, fished, and fished some more...every morning and every evening.

Reilly is a fabulous fisherwoman...but alas...this was not her finest catch. Ha ha.

We had Polyester Parties on the dock in the dress-up clothes!!

The stuffed Loon adds that special je ne sais quoi...n'est pas?

We ate and ate and ate. In the whole week that we were there, I never found myself feeling hungry even once...and yet I ate. So much good food.

Kelley making breakfast one morning...Kirk NOT making breakfast.

Lunch on the deck

Kelley and Stacey on dinner duty...ham, green salad, and homemade biscuits. Delish. We divided up all the meals so each family only had to cook one day. It was hellish the day that you had to cook but the rest of the time was pure relaxation and the enjoyment of eating other people's tasty dinners.

Reilly, Elle, Bryn

We drew names for Christmas: the cousin exchange and the adult exchange.

Dane

Kids sat in the fish bucket. Don't ask me why but this was THE toy of the reunion. They couldn't wait to sit in that bucket. Sometimes there would be two or three kids in that bucket. Weirdos.

River, Ailey, Kaiden, Bryn, Dane

The kids played and played and played with their cousins. These kiddos sure do love each other. There was absolutely zero fighting (can't say the same among siblings) and they just loved and supported and cheered each other on. It was a beautiful thing.

Kaiden and Bryn

Kaiden, Reilly, Ailey, Dane, River

River

Dane

Ailey

Elle and Bryn

Kaiden

We did lots and lots of swimming...

Kameron helping Bryn with her back float

Ailey and Reilly

Kameron

We boated and did water sports...

Elle, Kelley, Bryn

Kirk

We napped...

We wore swimsuits all day long. I wore no make-up and pretty much never got ready...it was great!!

We hung out on the dock, played, lounged, waited for the boat, talked, laughed and relaxed.

Kirk (sporting Ailey's sunglasses), Stacey, Me, and Kaiden

Elle, Bryn, Kaiden

Kaiden

Ailey

Kirk and his little twin...right down to the dress-up tattoo arm sleeve found by Kelley.

Dane, Stacey, River

These girls love their Uncle Kirky

Brynnie kept us entertained with her singing, dancing, and cheerleading moves!!

Kaiden channeling Aunt Ladye. She would've gotten a real kick out of all these crazy kiddos!!

We tried to squash Kelley

We delighted in bedtime so that we could head outside to do this...one night until 2:30am.

John, Stacey, Kirk

There is nothing better than sitting around a bonfire and laughing with your mom, brothers and sisters, and husband until the wee hours of the morning. We did it every single night. :)

And...then we had to say good-bye and it sucked and we cried...and we looked forward to next year.

We said good-bye to Daddy who headed out on a quick road trip to Salt Lake to help Kirk move.

Kaiden and Uncle Tyler

We delighted in coming home. The beauty of vacation...while wonderful...is coming home. When you come home you truly appreciate it. Your house has never been so beautiful or clean. Your bed has never been so comfy. It's nice to be home. They reveled in it by being weird. :)