My Fantabulous Family...

I was sitting there thinking tonight about how I always blog about my sweet children and dear husband..and I do feel very grateful for them.... but it just hit me that I haven't blogged much about the family I grew up in...and how AMAZING they are...and I just felt the urge to spill all about my siblings and parents.

"WARNING: If you are prone to fits of jealousy, proceed with caution."

Consider yourself warned.

My father...what a guy. I know of an endless array of terminology that people have used to describe their fathers, everything from "Sperm-donor" to "Dead-beat" to "Barely there" to "Warm and loving" and on and on. If I had to describe my dad in a few words, it would be "The Best". Seriously, I could only wish that everyone would be so lucky as to have a father even HALF as great as mine. (This is coming from the bottom of my heart, Dad, and I don't even want anything from you...although I am sure you would give it to me if I did!)
My father was the oldest boy in a large family and has been an example to so many people around the entire world in his lifetime. He had an amazing mission as a youth, then served as a young mission president with lots of little kids and then as a General Authority for the Church for so many years. People always would ask me "What is it like to have a G.A. as a father?" I never knew quite how to answer that question, because quite frankly I never knew different. He was called as a G.A. when I was less than a year old...so I always thought to myself, "What is it like to have a dad who isn't a G.A.?" (But I never actually asked that question back). He has written/published 3 books so far and is working on another one! (And I get tired just posting to a silly blog!) He is as healthy as the day is young and I am sure that he will likely outlive me at the rate he is going!

My father has great taste in music, in art, in literature, and in life. He was always the one that I would go to with deep questions and the one who would laugh at my very immature adventures in life. He would help me on my history or geography or math. He would loan give me money when needed wanted and taught me the importance of giving to others and of true Christlike love. He always told me how much confidence he had in me...and that, in great measure, has gotten me through A LOT!

My dad wouldn't be who he is without my mother. (It's a corroborated fact) She is an amazing person as well. (Yup - just plan on reading that word 'amazing' quite a few more times before I am done with my soliloquy on my family).

She is the best housekeeper, cook, seamstress, missionary, friend, grandmother, etc. etc. Basically, everything that I lack, as far as admirable attributes go, my mother has! They say to young men to really study the mother of the person you are dating to see what type of a woman/mother you will have, and unfortunately for Greg, he followed that bit of advice only to be fooled in the long run! (Poor guy is still wondering what hit him!)

My mother gave birth to and raised 11 children. The number astounds me to this day - so it is something that is said in reverence and awe when constantly asked about.

Mom is frugal and kind and hard-working and smart. She is always the last person to bed (because she can't sleep with a single dish in the sink) and the first one up and out of bed (because there are mouths to be fed and scriptures to be read). She was even awake and waiting to read scriptures with me at 3 am when I came home from senior prom - wearing a beautiful dress that she sewed for me herself! It is sad to think of those sweet things that my children will not get to experience. (Seriously - I am way too selfish to spend that much time and money on a dress that will be worn for only a few hours, sorry Maelynn and Sadie).

I think that by the time my mom had me/was raising me, she was exhausted and genuinely over-worked. So all of the little 'extras' that she did for me mean that much more. She didn't have to get up with me every time I would get a high fever and throw up (when I was old enough to take care of it myself)...but she did. She didn't have to hold my head tenderly in her lap and stroke my hair when I was having a terrible asthma attack and secretly wishing to die...but she did. She didn't have to have a fresh healthy snack waiting for me every day after school...but she did. She didn't have to sew all those difficult prom dresses for me...but she did. She didn't have to care for me when I was on bed rest with a hard pregnancy...but she did. She didn't have to cry with me when I lost a baby...but she did. She didn't have pray for me every single day of my life...but I know she did, and still does!

NANCY is my oldest sister. She is over 50 (don't tell her where you heard that from)...but doesn't look over 40. She is young at heart and it amazes me that even though we technically grew up in different eras, and never really lived together much - she is still so easy to talk to and we have so much in common. She is a very intelligent person. (That was unintentional placing that sentence right after 'we have so much in common' but I'm gonna go with it!) She has a bachelor's degree, 5 beautiful and sweet children, more financial common-sense than lots of people, knows how to do her own taxes from scratch, is very well read and cultured, and would give you the shirt off her back (you know - if she were still modest after that).

She has been a "second mother" to the bottom half of the family and has literally hosted the majority of her siblings as "extra-live-ins" at one point or another. She is a great cook and an amazing quilter. She has been the Relief Society Pres. (Ward and Stake) so many times I've lost count. She is the type of girl who actually understand football and is a big BYU fan, and I am one of her biggest fans!

LIZ - a.k.a. Elizabeth. At least I am pretty sure that is her real name. I don't think I have ever actually called her that in my entire life...she has always been Liz to me. She is one of the few "blond beauties" of the clan. She is an amazing soul. She has a musical gift that I can't begin to describe. She can play the piano like no other. She is one of the top teachers in all of AZ, and probably the country for all I know. She composes music and sings like an angel and on top of that she is still totally down-to-earth and funny and likes to watch TV and just talk and eat and hang out with me (when I am lucky enough to spend time with her). She has a poet's bone in her and can pretty much turn anything in the English language into poetry. She is the best cross-word puzzler there is and has a fun-loving and caring heart. I only wish I lived closer to her - cause she is one person who I know I could call at 2 am for anything and she wouldn't even care!


MARILYN.... the third daughter and affectionately named 'the favorite' by many of us other siblings! She has way too many talents to list. She is married to a state judge, and is a mother to 7, yup SEVEN amazing kids. She is actually a grandmother - but looks like she is only a few years older than me. If it were possible to somehow bottle up all of the musical talent that has come from her family, herself included, then we would be talking MEGA SAM'S CLUB/COSTCO sized building to hold all the bottles. Piano, stringed instruments, musical plays, musical scholarships to BYU, members of famed orchestras, bands, etc. I don't think that there are enough DVD's in the world to record all of the music that this Earth has been blessed with from her family. She is great at keeping the word of wisdom (even the grobergy-mormony part of 'no coke'), keeping a testimony, keeping a healthy body, and keeping a sense of humor. I don't remember a time in my life when I haven't absolutely admired her.

JANE - Doesn't that name just sound like someone who is sweet and who you would want to have around? Well, she is both of those. My early memories of her are from when I was a young and impressionable little girl and she was this gorgeous teenager who would spend time "laying out" on the tramp to get tan and 'bleaching' her hair with lemon juice in the sunlight! Over the years I have had the privilege of getting to know her even more - and I am still looking up to her in so many ways. She is the most creative person ever. She has been published in scrap booking magazines and can make the cutest wooden or paper crafts ever. She sets the "cuteness" and "creativity" standards in our family. She is a person who guffaws at 'store-bought' frosting (my stand-by 99% of the time thanks to my innate laziness factor), and can decorate or paint or bake amazing things. She never forgets a single birthday - honestly - each of my children looks forward to getting that special card from her. She is the most giving person and has driven many hours by herself at various times to come and help me when I have moved. She drove to St. George when Greg and I moved there to help me out, and she drove to Wyoming when we moved there to help me out. Those were special moments when I got to just get to know her better and I long for more days like those. (Though I don't long to move again anytime soon!) One night she stayed up most of the night helping me finish a crazy Christmas craft that I was working on...and she is naturally an 'early sleeper' so that meant a lot to me that she would do that for me.


GAYLE - The tallest and prettiest of the lot of us girls by far. She is always going going going. I love going on walks with her, because you really have to move to keep up with her. She is so smart and has this amazing testimony that she radiates. She was the first sister to serve a full-time mission and helped to seal the desire to serve in my heart. She was always the one who was popular - not just because of her sex-appeal and charismatic smile, but because she was a genuine friend to others and was always happy. Even though she is blessed with so many natural gifts - she has fun with lots of aspects of life and always tries new things. She has some of the cutest kids ever (yes, they are honest-to-goodness-real-life-paid MODELS)...and even though she could be very worldly if she wanted - she doesn't ever flaunt anything and she is one of the most down-to-earth people there is. She even drinks diet coke with me...how cool is that? (I am pretty sure she is the one who got me hooked on it in the first place...thanks for those trips to the Maverick at the 5 Points Mall, Gayle.. you are the best!)

JOHN - The first boy of the family, and therefore my eldest brother, was always a protector of us "Three little girls". He would protect us from the fist falls of Tom or other sisters during squabbles. He was pretty much a nerd when I was growing up (it sounds so "cruel" to say that, but now that I have children of my own, it is actually something I would want them to be - if I had to pick monikers for them). Then he left for his mission and he totally changed. He came home and he dressed all spiffy and had done a near 360 on his personality and ability to socially reach out. We all teased him for being so "G.Q."... then he met Bev and she was this breath of fresh air for our family. John is so intelligent and smart and has more entrepreneurial spirit than anyone I've ever met. I honestly could not begin to name all of the business he has had his hand in. He has a bachelors and a masters degree! In recent years I have been discovering more coolness to this man...he is an amazing artist and a philosopher. He has 6 children and is as patient as the day is long. He even puts up with my corny jokes and one-liners at family gatherings. He also served a mission to the same beloved country as I did - so he made me feel right at home speaking Portuguese to me when I got back from Brazil. He was sort of a 'father figure' after my mission as my parents were in Asia and he let me get engaged to Greg, and make out with Greg, all while staying at his house! (oops - he probably didn't know that part! In all fairness...I DID walk in on he and Bev smooching it up in MY bedroom once when I was in High School!)

SUE - a.k.a. Susan - Sue has always been my friend. She is someone who I can talk to about anything, someone who respects my opinions and puts up with my quirky-ness, someone who has been through a lot of experiences with me. She used to peel my scabs and see my surgical scars - and it doesn't get much closer than that! She helped me so much when we first moved to Argentina and we were struggling with the language. She set goals with me and helped me push through the accompanying frustrations of it all. She has 5 beautiful children and is always willing to play a game or eat a bowl of ice-cream with me. She is the one who dreamed about me having my second child and even about when he would be born. I think that she got a sort of hard spot in the line-up - being in the middle of the only 2 boys, with the "3 little girls" at the bottom and the "first 5" at the top...but she has reached out from her perch in the middle of the family tree to embrace all of her siblings and I am so grateful for that. We used to call her "big momma" sometimes when we were little and she was babysitting us - only because she was a stickler for the rules and wanted to be just like mom. I hope she has forgiven us for those teasing years, because I can now see how great of a mom she truly is and how she always desires to be a wonderful person like our mother is. There are myriads of admirable qualities that ooze from Sue, but one amazing one is her journaling fortitude. She has kept a DAILY journal for (nearly) decades...Not.Even. Kidding. - she is more faithful at that 'commandment' than anyone I know, and I hope to someday get that dedication in my life.

TOM - One time when I was younger, I went downstairs to tell the boys to come up for dinner and they were arguing about something. I was standing behind Tom and when John threw something at him, he instinctively ducked to miss it. Well, I acted as a back-board for Tom and therefore didn't see the pencil coming straight at my eye! After a quick trip to the hospital for a bleeding eyeball and a cool patch, I was home again in no time. Tom came up to me and gave me a candy-bar. You might say "Big deal. It's a stinkin' candy bar." But then you didn't grow up in my home where sugar was pretty much forbidden and as precious a treasure as gold. So for him to give that to me meant a lot. That was only the first of many memories I have of Tom. Truth be known, my very first memory of my entire life is of him climbing a tree in our front yard in Hawaii. Tom and I became natural 'walking buddies' and we would 'speedwalk' all around Buenos Aires for hours on end. He would let me follow him around and I was always glad to have a tall brave brother with me. When I went to BYU and was heart-broken my first Valentine's Day, he arranged for a friend of his to come over to my on-campus apartment and bring me flowers and dip me over with a kiss. How sweet is that? He is another smartypants who can boast both a bachelors and a masters degree. I am lucky to get to live near him again at this point in my life and I am so grateful because not only do I have a fellow "late-nighter" like myself, but someone who I can talk about politics and movies and life in general with. He even sat on the edge of my bed with me when I was on bed rest just to "chat". Some body's gonna be lucky to snag him up!

JENNIE - It is so hard to begin to say how many ways this person is amazing. Literally, she has excelled in every area of life. Being only about 20 months or so older than I am, one would think that we were super close growing up. Unfortunately, there was a gap to bridge filled with about 20 years worth of jealousies...all on my part. What's not to be jealous about? She can do it all. She is physically beautiful, emotionally well rounded, intelligent as ever, and super fun to boot. She was the valedictorian/sterling scholar/every guys dream girl...a lot to be jealous of. But she still let me hang out with her and her friends and would confide in me like a true sister does. She and I have had more experiences together in our short 25 years of life (yup...we are both that young, don't ask!)...I couldn't begin to name them all, but she has! Recently she has begun writing stories from our child-hood and she is a great writer, I must say. She has the creative bone that Jane has when it comes to crafts... she is so good at scrap booking - that people pay her to make pages to be published. She can see something at a store that she likes and then just go home and make it herself. She has run a marathon - even through bursitis and pain, and sets outlandish goals like doing the splits or running a gazillion miles a year and then follows through and DOES them. She has the cutest kids and she is like the Primary President (or somethin') and is just an all-around great mom. She is one of the smartest people I know - she has a bachelors and a masters degree and she is so frugal with money it is not even funny! She is always fun to be around and I still hope to be more like her someday!

EMILY - The youngest of the family, the baby, the last of the famed "3 little girls". You know how you think a movie is really good when there is a "twist" plot or an "ending you didn't see coming"? Well, my relationship with Emily in mortality has been that way - at least for those who raised us from birth. I am pretty sure from photographic evidences that we were close friends as young toddlers, but then something happened and we just couldn't stand each other for quite a few years. We would fight like crazy. I remember drawing imaginary lines on the bench seat of the car in between us to make sure that neither of us would cross the line or touch each other. One day on the way to school - I was in like 2nd grade and she was a tiny kindergartner...well, she must have crossed that line and committed the cardinal sin of touching me. I just reached over across her and opened her door as my dad was driving us to school, and rounding a corner (luckily going very slowly). She fell out of the car and into the gutter in front of the field of horses. Yes - that was the type of sister I was to her. Not my proudest moment. But, Emily is the type of person who has a heart of charity and has completely forgiven me all those years and has become one of my dearest friends in the world. She is a person who would give anyone anything. If people asked me to name the top 5 most generous people I know - she would make the cut. She is always looking for the good in others and for ways to give and serve. Starting over in High School, we renewed our long-lost friendship/sisterhood and it has only grown from there. I love to spend time with her and know I can confide in her. Greg says "I really like that girl" about 99% of the time when we leave after spending time with her. She is a very hard worker and an example to me and I can't believe that I get to have her for my little sis!

I am truly humbled and filled with gratitude as I think of my family and my parents and my siblings and all that they do in life. It hardly seems fair that I was so greatly blessed with the NEARLY-PERFECT siblings that I have here in mortality when there are so many people who don't get what I got!

Nearly 16 years ago I had the blessing of recieveing my endowments in the Salt Lake Temple. My parents and every single one of my siblings that was endowed at the time was there with me. It made such a great impression upon my heart. I remember to this day the feelings of love and peace that I had standing there in the Celestial Room with everyone I loved so much. I just knew right then and there 'THIS is what HEAVEN is going to be like.'

I still think it is.