Thankful

This past week has brought so many thoughts to my mind about being thankful. I spent an evening alone at Disneyland one of our nights there, wandering through the stores and watching the Christmas Parade thinking about how our lives can change in a instant and sometimes without warning they do. When Nic and Kelsey caught up with me that night they asked me what I was doing and I told them I was making a memory. I love that line from the old movie Parent Trap when she hugs her Grandpa, breathes in the smells of tobacco and peppermint and makes her memory. When Jake and Hill were little we became good friends with the Bradford family. We became part of each others families, even our extended family. We helped the family through a divorce and tried to fill in where we were needed. Karen was a busy working single mom and at that time I was lucky enough to be able to stay at home with my kids, so we helped out with her three kids pretty much on a daily basis. Jake and Hill spent alot of time playing with Kevin and JoAnna and they seemed to make our home theirs also. This past Thursday JoAnna and her nine year old daughter Kayla were killed in a tragic car accident. Our hearts are broken and we are so sad for her husband and children, but especially for her mom, dad, brothers and grandparents whom we love dearly. SO life can change in an instant and sadly sometimes it does. So I spent a week in a place I love to be, with the people I love most, watching, listening and breathing in, making a memory to hang on to so tight. We love you Kayla and our JoAnna banana!

Happy Birthday Kels!!

Seems like the time has flown by and I swear we were just barely bringing this adorable brown eyed girl home from the hospital. She has been a complete joy to us and is such a special part of our family. Kelsey is one of those people that once you meet her and talk to her for a minute you fall in love with her. She is bright and full of fun. She is talented and beautiful. She is grounded in her testimony of the gospel and she has never allowed anyone or anything to shake that. If she is your friend you a so lucky cause she loves her friends and cares about them. She is an amazing sister and I love watching her interact with each one of the sibs. She totally loves and adores Jake and sometimes I see her watching him and I know she is thinking that she hopes she finds someone with his qualities. There is a special bond there between them that they have had from the beginning. She loves spending time with Hill and they are to the point where they have so much in common. I know that as time goes by that they will continue to be close and depend on each other. Someday when I am gone they will take my place for each other and be each others rock. She loves her sis. Kelsey and Nic have a relationship that is not to common with teenagers. They are the very best of friends but yet she mothers him, worrys about and takes care of him. They love each other so much. I was thinking about our kids and how the dynamics of our family will be changing alot in the next couple of years. Not sure what is ahead for Kelsey but I do know that it will be great and I am excited to watch her life unfold. I could never begin to express how much I love this girl and how much joy she has brought to me as a mom. Happy Birthday to my brownie girl. Hope you love your Disney Birthday!

Disneyland here I come!

After at least a couple of years of planning and waiting we are finally on our way! It is funny how at my age you can still get so excited you can't sleep and it consumes your thoughts. So I am strapping on my running shoes and heading for the happiest place on earth.