The Fam.

      I was reading my journal tonight and came across some things I had written about my family. In re-reading them I was reminded of how incredible my family is and how much I love and appreciate the incredible family I have. Some of you may not be really interested in this post, but seeing as my blog is somewhat of a journal for me, I’m going to post this mostly for me. I’m so grateful to have been blessed with the family that I have. 

     This journal entry was back from the summer of 2008, so I’m just going to post what I wrote from back then, but I’ll add my own thoughts from the present time as well. Also, we have had members join the family since that time, so obviously those thoughts will just be from the present time! 

       We’ll start with Amy: “Amy’s strength amazes me. She is so good and pure and strong in what she believes. She’s a great leader and already a spiritual giant. I look up to her and watch her as she grows and teaches me.” Amy is gorgeous and talented and amazing. She is funny and enjoys life. She’s willing to try new things and go out on a limb. And she takes all of our excessive teasing and bugging with a smile and great attitude. One night this summer when I was having a really rough time she sat with me talking until early into the morning hours and I remember how well she listened to me. I was amazed she could understand me so well when we are really at different stages of life. But she was so understanding and even when she didn’t necessarily understand what I was going through, she was supportive and sympathetic. She gave me some great insight into my life as well. She is so wise! I know she will continue to grow and become a woman of great strength and someone the Lord can rely on.

      Jared next... “Jared is so powerful. He’s quiet, in a way, but he isn’t afraid to tell you what he thinks. He will tell someone if what they are doing is wrong. He’ll stick up for himself and the Lord, as well as those he loves. He has such a strong and powerful testimony of the Savior and the atonement. He is a strength to me.” Jared is a wonderful missionary, working hard to learn the language and to do all he can to be obedient, even when things are really tough. I’m so proud of him for serving! Jared and I have been close throughout the years, seeing as we are only 15 months apart! It was fun go to high school together and share that time. I’ve loved watching him grow and develop in his talents and his testimony. He is one strong young man that I look up to so much. What an example he is. I hope my boys will grow up to be like him! 

      

    Adam: “Adam gives us-or at least me- a new perspective on things. His opinion may be different than mine, but he gives me a fresh way of thinking about things. He’s accepting and loving of all types of people and is willing to find the good in anyone. He is humble and teachable and I appreciate him.” Adam is a lot of  fun to watch as a dad. He has really adjusted to his new lifestyle amazingly well. You would hardly guess that a little over a year ago he hadn’t even met Sarah, let alone considered being a dad so soon. But he is incredible at what he does and you know he loves those kids with his whole heart. I am amazed at his energy and ‘funness’ as a dad... this summer he would chase Aiden around and around, toss him in the air, play ball with him, and wrestle. He pushed Laila in the swing and tucked her into bed and read her stories. He is one sweet dad.

       

         Sarah: Sarah is one amazing woman. She only joined our family this year, but I feel like she’s always been there. She just fits right in. She is thoughtful and grateful and  creative. I remember from the first time I saw her with her kids I was impressed at how good she was at just going with the flow. She still is that way. Always with plenty going on in her life, going to school, planning a wedding, moving to a new apartment, working, and everything else, she is still so positive and easy-going. Nothing seems too hard for Sarah, I feel like her attitude in life is, ‘oh yeah, we can do that! No problem!’ To me that seems to make life easier for her kids. Even though they’ve gone through several transitions in their lives in the past little while, Sarah’s easy-going and happy attitude I feel like has really allowed her kids to adjust well to all that has happened. She really is an incredible woman that I am happy to call sister!

        Aiden: Aiden is the sweetest little boy. He will often randomly come up to me and say “I love you aunt Megan!” or say to his dad ‘Hey dad, I love you.’ So precious! He is a smart little boy and always surprises me with the things he tells me. I think ‘how can you know that? you’re only four!’ He says the funniest things. He loves to have people around and to play with them.  He loves stories and loves to play games. He loves to follow Grandpa around and work with him and to play with Hunter. He’s a great older brother and likes to help Laila. How great it is to have him as an addition to our family. I’m so glad to have him a part of us!

      Laila: Oh Laila, such a cutie! She talks so much. Our favorite word is “BUGGIE!” yelled at the top of her voice in the middle of church (she was playing with a little bug toy that Grandma had given her and she wanted it back from whoever took it from her). She has a lot of energy and is excited about almost anything. She loves to play outside and to do things by herself (can you say 2? :) ). She LOVES sugar and chocolate, which makes it easy to spoil her! I was just at her birthday party tonight and she is definitely a total girl. Everything was pink and all her presents were things like a princess set of jewelry, including a pink tutu, dress up shoes, clip on earrings, and pink feather gloves. She loved it all was jumping all over the place, too excited to look at just one present. I was talking to Adam afterwards about how she is just a pleasant, happy little girl. She is a sweetheart!

Krista: “Krista is so caring. She is such a giving and kind person. She is a great listener and goes out of her way to notice others and their needs. She’s very in touch with the Spirit. She is unselfish and gives of herself. She helps me to see the good in others.”  I have been amazed as I’ve watched Krista become a mother. I remember asking her when she was pregnant if she was scared and she just said ‘you know, I don’t really think about it because what good will it do to worry for 9 months? and I know it will be okay.’ I was so impressed. She is a beautiful mother. I love to watch her with Casen. She is so amazingly humble and tries so hard as a mother and as a wife. I know that she is very successful! She takes good care of her boys. :) I look up to her so much and hope I can be a mother like her some day.

Aaron: Aaron is a lot of fun. He really makes me laugh. He has been so good to just jump right into our family and accept us for all of us--the good, bad and the ugly! We love Aaron and all that he brings to the family. He is so talented--a great DJ, can work it with the break-dance moves, cook with the best of them, make beautiful flower arrangements, and withstand any family video we throw at him! He is a good dad, you can tell he’s excited to have Casen around and excited to raise him up to be a successful man. Casen will always have a fun friend around who will play with him and encourage him and show him a good example. Aaron will teach his children the gospel and always be faithful. I admire that about him. I remember how complimentary and careful of Krista Aaron always was while they were dating (not that he isn’t now, I just remember particularly while they were dating :) ). Such a good quality to see in someone about to take your sister into his life for forever! I’m grateful for his attitude toward Krista and how he loves her. He is such a great part of our family, I’ll always be grateful he joined in with us!!

Casen: Casen is just the cutest little thing! It has been so fun to watch him grow from being so very tiny to being the chubby little thing he is now. He has the cutest little puppy-dog face and this expression where he just cocks his head to one side and stares calmly at you, as though waiting for you to tell him all your troubles! He giggles and babbles with the best of them. His cheeks are so kissable, its hard to leave him alone! I can’t wait to see what kind of little boy he becomes!

Spencer: “Spencer has a deeper side to him that I don’t see very often. I don’t get to talk with him as often as I would like, but at least I get to a little. He is such a good dad. He loves his son very much [and daughter, but she wasn’t born yet when I wrote this :) ] and you can see it in how he acts with him. You know he has an understanding of the gospel that he will pass on to his children. He is funny and eases many situations with his laugh. He is also accepting of all people. He is a strength to me and a great older brother.” I am even more convinced of these qualities as I’ve seen him in the few years since I wrote this. I watched him give his kids a bath this summer when they were living with us for a few days after they moved back out here and it was just something totally comfortable for him. He knew their routine and how they liked to have things done. He knew to comfort Charlotte when he had to lay her down to rinse out her hair. I was just amazed, I feel like a lot of dads would be lost in knowing how to do everything just right for a kids bath. He is really involved in their lives and that impresses me so much. He will be such an influence for good in their lives.

Heather: “Heather adds a splash to our family. Sometimes she’s different in views and opinions but she shares these views in a way that helps all of us to open our eyes and see the world differently, not in a way that is rude or unkind or demanding. She is  strong and faithful and you can see that in her eyes. She is fun to talk with and share stories with. She adds such a great part to our family.” Heather is so fun to have in the family. She was the only in-law for awhile in our family and she handled us pretty well! She is an amazing mother as well, I love to watch her with her kids. I drove across the country with her and the kids last summer and I am simply amazed at her patience and ability to remain calm. Even on the day when she said she was totally at the end of her rope and was going to lose it, I couldn’t believe her. She didn’t yell or scream, she just sat with her head in her hands. I’m pretty sure I would not be that calm if I was at the end of my rope, stuck in a car with children who were being a tad difficult! Wow. She’s creative and always willing to try to work out problems and find solutions. She’s happy and uplifting. I’m amazed at her faith and her testimony that she shares with her children. She’s amazing!

Hunter: “Hunter is spunky. He’s crazy and fun. He is so cute when he dances or leads the music or tells us a story that we can’t understand. I love him and wish I could see him and his parents more. [they were across the country going to school at this time.] He is a good little boy and you can tell he really loves his mom and dad.” Hunter was almost 2 when I wrote that. It has been fun to watch him grow up. He is soooo funny. He is really smart and talks like he’s 25. He loves to be creative and always remembers that I made playdough with him (yes, my strategy worked!). He likes to read books and play outside. He has the cutest curly brown hair and little freckles across his nose. It’s fun to watch him and Aiden play together. And he LOVES to follow Grandpa around and dig out the mushrooms in the yard or any other chore that Grandpa is doing.

Charlotte: This little girl has the biggest,  most beautiful eyes. They look like her moms! And her dark curly hair is beautiful. When she gasps, waves at you, crinkles up her eyes, smiles at you and says “hi!” like you are the person she has been waiting and waiting to see, you just melt. She knows how to do the best puppy-dog eyes that I have seen and thinks that that can get her what she wants! She is most talented at communicating EXACTLY what she wants without using words. She loves to run up to Grandma and Grandpa and give them big hugs. And she is sure to give a hug and a kiss to everyone when she says goodbye.

     Mom: “Mom is such a teacher. She teaches me every day, through example or through words. She teaches me patience and love and support and excitement for others and life. She teaches me understanding and acceptance of others and service and giving. She teaches me happiness and joy and love of the Lord and the gospel. Her testimony is evident every day of her life.” I was reading a different journal entry a couple months ago about my mom when she cared for her sister Laura. She gave her 24 hour care and still ran a household of 6 children. Her oldest was graduating from high school and she was trying to get him ready for college. She had so much on her plate and still she gave and gave and gave, serving others every second of every day and I am in awe of this woman. I cannot believe her faith and devotion to the Lord and to those she loves. And to those she doesn’t know, for that matter. She is one of the kindest people I know and I hope to someday be even a sliver of what she is today. She will surely go straight to Heaven. I don’t know much about her mother, my Grandma who passed away before I was born, but from everything I have heard about her and the few of her journals that I have read, my mother is exactly like her. Incredible, and amazing.

Dad: “Dad has quiet strength. He is so wise. I never really realized what an anchor my dad is to me. I will always remember how safe I feel when he hugs me. He teaches me the gospel and how to follow the commandments.  He teaches me how to love and how to give your all to the Lord and those you love and serve. He offers help and love. I never felt that my dad would stop loving me if I went to him with a problem. He works so hard for all of us  and I rarely stop to say thank you. He still continues on and never once complains. My dad really is the greatest guy (and my dad’s the strongest guy of any guy you know. Maybe I’ll introduce you, then you’ll know that it’s the truth that my dad, my dad’s the greatest guy you know... sorry, a song from my childhood!). A true example for me of how Heavenly Father treats me.” Wow, this really is such an accurate depiction of my dad. He is incredible. I remember fully coming to appreciate him and his goodness once I had left for college (isn’t that how it goes with parents? sadly enough!). He is so thoughtful and careful about the things he does and says. He is a great dad, for all ages. I love laughing and joking with him. He is really so funny. I love his testimony and his love of the Lord and the gospel and my mother. He is a righteous priesthood holder and has shown all my brothers such an incredible example. He is so good. I love watching him as a Grandpa, he is so sweet and tender with the little kids and we all know Grandpa is the favorite. They all want him to tuck them into bed and read them stories. What a gentle spiritual giant my father is. If I can marry a man who is a sliver of what he is today, I will be happy.

    Well thats my family for you. Thanks for reading to the end if you did. I am grateful for my family members and their incredible strength they give to me. We have our struggles as a family--who doesn’t?-- we aren’t perfect, but we have a lot of fun with each other. And we lift and strengthen one another. Here is how I closed my 2008 journal entry: 

        “My family is the greatest in the whole world. I’m grateful for them and hope to show it more every day. That is my     blessing I’m thanking the Lord for today. And I get to keep them forever!”

    I know that families can be together forever through the power of the priesthood found in God’s holy temples. I’m grateful to have parents who knew the importance of this and chose to be sealed together in the temple to allow our family to have that opportunity. I’m grateful for siblings who have set a positive example for me to follow and who have shown me love and appreciation. I know that God loves us and sends us to families so that we can experience greater joy than we could have on our own. I know that through the atonement of Christ we can return as a family all together to enjoy the blessings of eternity. 

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.