Families are Forever (4)

I decided that I am going to make a post that talks a little bit about my family because they are all rad and amazing examples to me. I'll just go ahead and start going down the list...

My dad is one of the greatest people have ever met. Like seriously, the guy is amazing. He somehow balances starting up a new insurance company, being a bishop, and spending time with the family and still manages to stay sane. he loves my mom unconditionally, and has shown me how a husband should respect and treat his wife. I would consider myself very lucky if in the future I found an eternal companions with a personality and testimony like my dad's.

My mom is indeed another one of the greatest people I have ever met. She has always been willing to do anything for me and my siblings. She has spent hundreds upon hundreds of hours attending every single one of my swim meets, my older brother's band competitions, my older sisters cheer competitions, and my younger sister's choir concerts an plays. She has sacrificed so much in raising me and my fours siblings, but I have to say that she has done a pretty fantastic job. I hope that one day my children can look up to me with the respect that I have always looked at my mother with.

I have always looked up to my older brother Taylor because he did a pretty phenomenal job dealing with four little sisters. I can't recall a time where he treated me or any of my sisters poorly. He is quite a bit older than me, but I have still always felt like he is willing to talk to me about anything, and he gives such good advice. He always worked hard in school and he worked hard serving the Lord on his mission in Mexico City. He married and amazing girl named Lynnea, who might possibly be the sweetest person to grace this earth, and I am so proud of the hard work he puts into school and into the gospel.

When I was little I always looked up to my sister Britta as this really cool popular person and I aspired to be like her. Now that I have visited with her about high school and her experience in college, she has assured me that indeed she was not that cool, and she was pretty weird. I guess it's just something about being older that automatically makes the younger sibling feel like they are the coolest person of all time? But nonetheless, she was still always an amazing example to me. She is now married to a fantastic guy named Austin, and they have a little baby girl named Scarlett. Seeing Britta with her family has made me so excited for what the future has in store for me.

My sister Lexee and I have always been very close. She was the only sibling that I got to experience any part of high school with. We have had many long random talks, but I love every second of them. She attends BYU-Idaho but she lived in Provo this last semester, and I was SO grateful that she did. It was so fun (somewhat) getting to experience college with her. When I am with my sister Lexee the laughing never stops and the good times never end. She is engaged to an awesome guy named Jason, and I can;t wait for him to be another part of our family.

And now on to the baby of the family. My little sister Mauri has always been a spunky little gal. I remember from the time she was a baby being a little firecracker always getting into trouble: rubbing Vaseline all throughout her hair and into the carpet, sneaking out of the house in the dead of winter with no jacket and going to our neighbor's house, scratching "MOM" into our brand new leather couches, and the list could go on. She definitely kept us on our toes. But as she has grown she has become one of the most amazing young women I have ever met. While my mom had to stay persistent with me and my two older sisters to get our Personal Progress recognition, Mauri got her done just after she turned 14. She is insanely good at singing and all things musical, and she is just so passionate and happy about life! I am amazed at how much I have learned from my sister who is four years younger than me.

See what I mean with the whole mischievous thing?

I am so grateful for the knowledge that families can be together forever. I am grateful for the amazing example each and every member of my family is to me. Heavenly Father's plan is so amazing, and the fact that he gave us families to make it through our life on earth is one of the greatest blessings I could imagine.