Blessing #4

You know those moments when you just miss the past? Different things have been triggering those moments for me lately. It's usually a song or a situation that reminds me of a certain family member or event from my past and nostalgia sets in. I miss living with my family. I miss my brothers. My oldest brother Joel got married when I was in 9th grade. Daniel followed his footsteps during my freshman year of college, and Matt and Bruce continued the trend just months later in 2006....three weddings in one year for my family! I remember that time as being both bitter and sweet. I knew my family would never be the same after all my brothers were married, which is obviously a good thing with all the amazing sisters I’ve gained, but I sometimes just long for those days again where we all lived under the same roof.

I miss so many things. I miss hearing my dad ring that awful bell each morning at 6:30 to signal that it was time for family prayer and scripture study. I miss having a real family home evening each Monday (not the made up single’s ward family home evenings) :) I miss my mom putting curlers in my hair every Saturday night while watching the Boston Pops in preparation for church the next day. I miss Bruce and Matt asking me to make a TCT or a chicken ranch wrap because I "make them the best," when really they just didn't want to have to do it themselves...ha ha. I miss watching all my brothers wrestle in the front room, each one thinking they were so tough, and then watching my dad step in and kick everyone's trash :) I miss the trash talk whenever a sporting event was about to commence. I miss family vacations. I miss Joel's corny jokes and his "big brother" protective instincts even when it was my other brothers who were teasing me. I miss watching Pocahontas with Bruce. I miss Dan teaching me how to break a guy's arm just in case I ever got attacked :) I miss playing catch with Matt in the backyard or having him try to teach me the correct way to shoot a basketball over and over again. I miss listening to music with him and talking about his latest embarrassing moment on his date with Brooke. Heck, I even miss not being able to get a word in at the dinner table because of all the sports talk!

Each member of my family represents blessing #4 for me tonight. My family is incredible! My brothers are all so amazing and I look up to each one of them for a million different reasons. I can't express how much joy my parents and brothers bring to my life. It is so great to know that even when I feel lonely at times, I can feel a sense of love, acceptance, and belonging when in the company of my family. I look forward to the day when I have a family of my own here on this earth as well. It's sometimes hard to be single when you long for the blessings that come with a spouse and children, especially when you see the happiness that such a situation brings to immediate family members. Until that blessing arrives for me though, I will find happiness in being a part of each of my family member's lives. I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father provided us with families here upon the earth. I find so much comfort as I think about the doctrine of eternal families....for those that I love so deeply in this life will forever be mine.

Blessing #3

Orange Starbursts...yes, that's right...ORANGE. Last night I realized I hadn't finished a bag of Starbursts that I had purchased for my trip to Florida. This is quite shocking. I rarely buy candy because I know how fast I'll eat it...so trust me; it's a miracle this bag was still in my pantry. Anyway, as I took out the first mouth-watering fruit chew, I found myself to be somewhat distraught. Why?...It was orange. I'm a pretty average Starburst connoisseur so yellow and orange aren't necessarily located at the top of my favorite Starburst flavor list. So you may be asking yourself, "Okay, why did she find this to be a blessing?"

 

Reason: I found out on Sunday that orange Starbursts are my nephew's favorite flavor and this thought brought a smile to my face. His primary teacher brought each child in his class three of the fun size Starburst packages. My nephew wanted to eat them right away, but we were headed to the airport so his parents asked him to wait til they got home. I decided, however, to take on the "favorite aunt" role so once he asked me, I opened a package for him and hid the wrappers in my purse. Sorry Becky...sometimes he asks questions way too sweetly for me to say no :)



Anyway, this story is really only part of blessing #3. I would count my whole experience in San Antonio as a blessing. I had the opportunity to watch my nieces and nephew while my sister-in-law attended my brother's JAG training graduation in Alabama. It was a sweet experience. I gained a much greater appreciation for all the mothers out there...watching 3 kids was hard work even for just 3 days, but boy, it was so rewarding at the same time! I had a blast and the kids were so sweet. One night, they took turns complimenting my cooking, my pony tail, my shirt, my "skirt" (basketball shorts), and even my talking voice...ha ha. I had no idea where it all came from and I definitely looked like a slob, but hey, who would complain? :) All of the random hugs and "I love you Aunt Kaitlyn"'s were enough for me to counter any tantrum or fight that broke out. So I just want to give a shout out to those cute kids in San Antonio and tell them thanks for all the fun! I miss you kiddos! Same goes to all my other nieces and nephews in Utah. I am a better and happier person because I have all of you in my life!

Andrew, Emma, and Olivia

James and Jenna

Hunter

Luke and Lila