BFF

I just woke up from a delicious nap. Actually, I might need to exchange 'delicious' for 'glutenous,' - it was 4 hours long. Late afternoon is my favorite nap time. Although, usually there is no time during this time to even consider a nap, and I am usually one who does not nap on Sunday's! I guess I lived the exception today. It must have been a combination of a sore throat, a stressed-out week, and my diet, that has played into my body needing these extra hours of rest.....(notice I use the verb need instead of want, hee). And now I think I shall retire early...maybe after this blog has been composed and published. I just am feeling flung out over the universe, and sleep is what gathers me in all together. But tomorrow is the 11th, a good day wouldn't you say? A good day for the stars and planets to align and for me to arise at 6:29 and keep to my schedule. I feel change coming on, I need change. I'll start by rearranging everything in my apartment, each room will function differently now. And then when the funds allow, I'll go with a haircut, maybe just the bangs - as I have been threatening for so long. Then what's next? I'll start my book.

Today was a beautiful day in all aspects. It started early and by 8:30am I was in my seat for a meeting that was to start at 10:00am. My dad was being released from his calling in the church as stake president, and we - my mom and all eleven kids and their respective spouses and kids were all in attendance, and practically sitting together, and on the soft benches even! The meeting was absolutely wonderful. The words that were spoken were inspirational and many will stay with me for a good while, and even more so, will affect me in my life for a good while.

Last Thursday my brother returned home from serving a mission (previous post), and now that he is home, bless his heart, we are all together for the first time in five years, my parents, and all eleven kids with their families. I didn't necessarily feel a void while my brother was gone, I was grateful he was serving and we were blessed for it. But since his return, there has been an abundance of warmth and love that has abounded between us as a family. All of the sudden, I felt a completeness, a wholeness - a feeling I want to keep forever.

Since Thursday we have gone out to dinner together, played games together, sat around and laughed and talked together, all of us - in one place at one time. It's just plain fun! And you know - it's rather marvelous that we all get along as well as we do. Of course, we don't always agree, we all have our opinions, and we are not timid in sharing them. And many times our opinions are different. But we work through them, together. We laugh together, we think together, we mourn together, we pray together, we live and love together. Some might say we are just so lucky to get along so well, as if it just...happens...poof. But there's a lot of work that goes into a family that 'gets along.' We have had our moments, no doubt. We have all done and said things that we regret, at least I do, but we have become better and stronger for it. We have learned how to apologize, and to try to understand one another, and to love one another. It's hard work, but we want it - and so we do it. Our family relationships are centered in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we include the teachings of the Master into our daily living and conversation, and into our hearts. I believe that this, our belief and our testimonies in God and Christ and his Church, is what binds my family together. We are going to be together for a long time - forever even! My family is most dear to me, and I love them inexpressibly. I am glad to be stuck with such a lot for eternity.