Family Reunions

Lots of you probably already know that we're back in Utah for the summer. Grant's got a great internship lined up, so we're back under the shadow of the beautiful, still snow-capped Mount Timpanogos, which means being reunited with family and friends for a few months of summer fun. We're looking forward to wave running (which I missed last summer because I was a new mommy!), barbecues, celebrating the 4th with family, not to mention getting to celebrate Eliot's first birthday party with his "twin" cousin Mikey and lots of adoring grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. As much as we're already missing beautiful Oregon and our wonderful friends there, we're already realizing how nice it is to be surrounded by family and loved ones.

As I've been back with family the past few days, I've realized how grateful I am for them. I feel so blessed by the small and simple moments we've gotten to share in the past few days -- getting to hold my brand new nephew Cole and remembering that Eliot was that tiny less than a year ago; seeing my dad ("Ampy" to Eliot and all the other grandkids) push Eliot in the swing and being absolutely delighted by Eliot's happy squeals; having a much-needed heart-to-heart with my sister Melissa who was sweet enough to stop by on her way home from Women's Conference just to see her "Moosie baby" (and in the process lift me with the light and inspiration she had just been filled with), and on and on with sweet and wonderful little experiences that have served as a reminder that my family is my greatest blessing.

I would hope that after the life-changing events of this past year that I'm more grateful for my family. I hope I'm not as prone to take them and their love for me for granted. I hope I'm more prone to express my appreciation for the kind things they do. I hope I am becoming more attentive to their needs and concerns and quicker to celebrate their joys and accomplishments. I hope I'm a more involved and interested aunt. I hope I'm a more appreciative and helpful daughter. I hope I'm a more supportive and sensitive sister. I hope I am at least in part to my family what they are to me. They are my world. They are what make the refiner's fire periods of my life worth it. They are my inspiration and my joy and my happiness. They are everything to me. Everything.

After this past year, I can attest to the fact that my family relationships have brought me the greatest joy but also the greatest anguish. At this very moment some of my most fundamental beliefs about families and their eternal nature are being tested and tried in ways that I never would have imagined. I guess maybe that's why I've been so grateful for the past few days of laughter, late-night talks, playing with babies and catching up on each other's lives. It's all served as a much-needed to reminder that it's all worth it. Every ache and sorrow and bump and hiccup that come with our sometimes seemingly very dysfunctional families IS worth it.

I love these words from Sister Barbara Thompson of the General Relief Society presidency from last October's General Conference: "The greatest help we will have in strengthening families is to know and follow the doctrines of Christ and rely on Him to help us. . . . Christ has suffered everything we could possibly imagine. He knows how we feel. He understands. He will help. . . . President Hinckley said, 'It is imperative that you not neglect your families. Nothing you have is more precious. . . . When all is said and done, it is this family relationship which we will take with us into the life beyond.' Remember the great love of our Savior. He said in Isaiah 41:10, 'Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee.' Then in verse 13 He says again, 'I will help thee.' And once more in verse 14 He says, 'I will help thee.' Believe the Savior. He will help us. He loves us. He wants us to be happy."

Love ya, fam. To quote one of the road trip songs of our childhood, "Hey it's good to be back home again."