Family

August 19, 2015

These past couple of weeks I have realized that I have been homesick. I didn’t realize it until Brennen asked me if I missed my family. That was when it hit me and I realized I really do. Getting married to Brennen was the best choice I have ever made in my life. I would never change that. Realizing that my family is so far away isn’t the coolest thing, but Brennen reminds me that one day they will be out here in the west again and we are both sealed to our families forever. Having that knowledge is more of a blessing now than it has ever been before. I don’t like being away from them, but it is part of life. We grow up with our parents and they teach us all this awesome stuff and then they send us off to live the rest of our lives. Not everybody is blessed to be able to live close to their families, but families are still forever.

With the past couple of trips we have taken to Nampa, I have realized how much Brennen’s family feels like family now. It is so awesome to be able to be apart of a new family and be able to watch his siblings grow up. It has become such a huge blessing to me and I am so grateful that I have been “adopted” – so to speak – into his family. They are so kind and loving and such good and awesome people. Each trip is exciting and I love being able to create memories with them all.

I want to give a special shoutout to my mom right now. I know that being in Illinois is not her favorite thing in the world. I know she wishes more than anything to be out here near her grandchildren and two of her daughters. I think my mom is still very lucky to have two of her middle children near her in Illinois. However, I still vote that they move out here  My mom is a pretty special lady and I hope she understands that. My mom is strong and I admire her for that. She is so courageous and she is pretty amazing. I love her so much.

Well, I guess I am just going to throw it back here a little bit.

wedding bliss

My parents and their grandchildren 

probably pretty blurry, but here is me and my 3 siblings.

here we are again  My guess this is in November of 1994 when I got my baby blessing.

and the cousins and us kids 

Time spent with family is the best. I can honestly say I miss my parents and my mom’s cooking haha. I will never forget the traditions we had, the times we spent listening to dad’s polka dotted stories, mom reading “The Work and the Glory” books to us before bed, playing GameCube with my brother (becoming professional Mario Kart racers), watching Amber play Solitaire on the computer, Stephanie breaking the bunk beds, the bunk bed falling on me, playing with Reed Hubbard, competing with the neighbors in lemonade stands, getting attacked by that dog, Michael cracking his head open, mom letting us play a little longer outside, dad getting that beehive out of his red car’s gas tank, mom driving that red car, sleeping with mom while she had pneumonia, getting in the car accident with Amber and Stephanie, seeing Ryan comfort Amber, soccer practice with Tori and the other girls, and so many other memories that I don’t have all the time in the world to write them out.

Life was good to me, and life still is good to me. I will always have the past to hold onto and I have the future to prepare for. Now I just get to do everything my parents did for me with my best friend.

.Families are Forever.