I LOVE my Family

I am hoping to post a few more pictures of my family during my sister's wedding weekend, but the sentiments are the same so here we go.

I am absolutely 100% in love with my family. The little family I have now, that's a given, but this post is dedicated to the family I was born into. I remember a time in high school when most of my siblings either still lived at home or were at least remotely close by. We played a lot of games, laughed and just enjoyed each other's company. I remember being sad that this time of our lives couldn't last forever. Now flash forward, oh heavens, twenty years, and I am even more fiercely in love with my family now than I was then. I love my nieces and nephews, I adore my in-laws, but there is something special about having time with just your siblings (even if I was trucking around my children the entire weekend). I drank in every second I had with them. Conversation amongst us was often entertaining, sometimes thought-provoking but always good-natured. And to make matters even better all of my siblings were extra super duper kind to my children.

• I loved that my brother Paul brought his daughter who is Wee Boy's age so our children could play and get into mischief together. I also loved that Paul didn't yell at my son for jumping into his daughter's crib right after he had put her down for a nap.
• I loved that my sister Megan was so very kind to allow Paul and I to leave our almost two year-olds behind with her so the rest of us could go gallivanting through Virginia. And I loved that she graciously let me drop her off at the airport WELL before her scheduled departure so I could get my babies home.
• I loved that my brother Jared thoughtfully donated to my gasoline fund.
• I loved that my brother Joshua chivalrously donated a shirt to my daughter who was embarrassingly without clothes once she threw up all over them. (Hence her unusual attire above)
• I loved that my brother Phillip who has been going through some serious Job-esque trials was discharged from the hospital that weekend and was willing to let us spend some time with him despite his obvious fatigue.
• Again, I loved that all my siblings fed, held and all around loved on my children.
• I loved that I felt the Spirit the entire weekend and wet my pillow after I got home with tears of gratitude for my family. They mean the world to me and I am grateful they are mine for eternity. Families can truly be Together Forever.

Thank you parents for raising wonderful children and being such good examples of love, kindness and humor for us to follow. You are definitely parents to emulate and I love love LOVE you.

Nichole gets Married

My beautiful sister got married!! To me she is hope and faithfulness personified as she virtuously waited upon the Lord and His timing. She didn't settle nor did she sit and wait for life to happen. I am so proud to be able to call her my sister and marvel at the large number of men, women and especially children she has loved and served through the years. She is truly a blessing and her husband Lloyd is her perfect match. I couldn't be more ecstatic for her. The whole evening before, morning of and afternoon after I wanted to jump, squeal, and shout for joy that "our" girl was getting married. It was all I could do to contain my excitement and stay as reverent as possible in the temple.

It made me think of when I got pregnant with the Wee Boy and so many people who had known of my challenges with infertility shed tears of joy on my behalf. I felt so overwhelmed at the love of dear friends and family knowing they had prayed and sometimes fasted for me. And now Nichole was getting her moment to bask in that overwhelming love and support. But this is about her not me.

I love my darling sister and wish her every joy in this new chapter of her life. I am positive she will approach it with as much thoughtfulness, faith and love as she does everything else. Wahoo!!

 

Special note - Phillip was in the hospital for Nichole's wedding but we were able to stop by the hospital on the way to the reception and get some pictures with him. 

Wearing Shoes is a Phase I Love

There are phases I love and some I don't, but Wee Boy wearing his father's and my shoes is definitely one of the good ones. Just needed to document it.

I LOVE this Age, Mostly . . .

Just this morning, I was adoring my young son and wishing he could stay this age forever. I was already dreading when Cheeks is past this age and I don't have an almost 2 year-old. They are just so sweet and lovey I wanted to freeze time.

But then when he had wandered away and I finally got around to searching for him, I found this. Oh sweetness. Yep that's lipstick, mascara, and under-eye cream. And then it hit me, there is a reason why children age. It's definitely part of the plan. And I am okay with it, because with each age I am sure I will find phases I absolutely adore (like wearing his parents' shoes) and phases I will be glad to part with (like destroying my makeup). I am just grateful for the gift of this blog that lets me keep hold of it all.

Super Random Photo Shoot

Just a few pictures of the the two babes after Cheeks' naptime. Someday little girl won't sleep in a pack n' play. Don't judge me.

I kind of love how no matter what Wee Boy is doing, Cheeks always has the same expression. That's not to say she is a dull girl, but for some reason, she pulls this blank look anytime a camera comes out. But as we've seen time and time again, Wee Boy does not have the same issue.