The Icing

I blog a lot about my friends and my life in Fresno, but today it's all about family. I've been in Utah for a few days, working at the new library at Utah State with my dad, going to the Stokes Nature Center up Logan Canyon with my brother Matt and his family, eating Aggie ice cream, and otherwise enjoying family.

Kathee, Maddie, Carrie, Jake and Sam

Today we all met at a park in North Ogden, Utah underneath a peak that a great great grandmother dubbed Ben Lomond because it reminded her of the mountain close by her home in Scotland.

Front: Mom, Dad, Kathee
Back: Ted, Matt, David, Jim

I hadn't seen the whole family together since my grandfather's funeral last year. This year, everyone was able to make it except my niece Kelli's husband Kevin (who had to work), my sister-in-law Angie and my niece Natalie, who is still in the hospital. I was really glad I could see most of my family before I take off for Europe--they are so important to me. It meant a lot that my two grown up nephews, Nate and Zac, both came. Nate was on his way to Bear Lake to spend the weekend with friends--but he stayed at the park quite awhile chatting. He's been working as an apprentice to an electrician but is trying to decide what to do with the rest of his life. Zac will graduate college this year and will apply for Ph.D. programs in Political Theory. He's a great student and I hope he'll get into the schools in California that he is considering--although I think he'd probably rather go back east.

My sister-in-law Emily, Mom, Nate

Zac, Kathee, Ashlie

It also meant a lot that I could see Kelli, who is a Political Science major at Weber State, and Steven who just graduated from high school and is on his way to Utah State University this fall. It's really wonderful to see these kids become adults, to see them make grown up decisions as they venture out in the world.

Kathee and Kelli

Kenny and Steven

I'm also really proud of my teenaged nieces and nephews. Ashlie has been taking care of her sister Rylann this summer while Natalie's been in the hospital. She'll be in eighth grade this year but was so responsible as she watched Ry play today. This has been a rough summer for my brother Ted's family--but they are all so loving to each other and have worked hard to make sure that Ry, who is just four, is taken care of.

Addie enjoyed reading Stephanie Meyer's new book today and talking with Ash. Maddie also enjoyed reading today, a Henry Reed book. And the younger kids, Ry, Jason, Kenny, Rachel, Josh, Jake, and Sam played on the jungle gym and even had a water fight.

Since I grew up with four brothers, their wives have become an important part of my life. They are such good women--and a lot of fun to be around. They've given me a taste of how much I missed by growing up without sisters. At least I have four wonderful sisters now (we missed you today, Angie).

Front: Kathee and Emily
Back: Carrie and Diane

Since the majority of the pictures I have are ones I took, I wanted to make sure I was in the pictures with my family this time. I'll want to have these pictures with me over the next year when I'm so far apart from them. And I realized that we didn't really have a picture of all the siblings all grown up.

Front: Jim, Kathee
Back: Ted, Matt, David

The only complaint I have about days like today is that I can't spend a lot of time with each person getting caught up on the more personal stuff. I tried to make sure to talk to everyone, but there's never enough time--and with so many people around it's a little distracting.

So. Family. I really love each and every one of you.