I have an uncle that lives in Texas. His name is Lex. I've only been around him a handful of times, so he's remained a fairly enigmatic part of my life. He's a music man. He's an amazing guitarist and he has fantastic naturally curly hair. He has a sweet wife that I've only met a couple of times and two beautiful daughters, my cousins, the oldest of which I've only met once, and the younger, not at all.
Through the medium of Facebook, Lex and I have been able to connect to a certain degree, be it sparsely and about fairly trivial things like discovering that we both love Imogen Heap, my straight hair vs. his curly hair, and comments on photos now and then. Those times we have interacted on Facebook are rare pearls that I've unconsciously tucked away in a safe place in my heart.
Today my mom sent me a link to a video. This video woke up an awareness of those safe heart-places and I am compelled to write about it.
I tell you that he's a music man, but that's not giving him enough credit. He's been involved in music his entire life. I don't know the whole story, and I realize as I type this that it's a story that I have a deep desire to hear, but I know he started playing the guitar when he was very young, and he never stopped. As far as I know, he's always been in one band or another. Music seems to be embedded in the fiber of his soul, filling all but the capacity of his mysterious heart.
Watching this video, my eyes smart with tears. The time I've spent with him in real life is scant. To see him moving and breathing rather than frozen in a photo gives life to so many amazing connections. In his face, I see my grandmother's eyes and my grandfather's mouth and nose. In his movements, I see my brother and my mother. In his voice, I hear that music that sings through so many generations of my family. In his eyes, I catch a glimpse of his mysterious heart, quiet and unassuming, gentle and soulful. And, as I watch him move on the screen, just singing a country song, I realize that, despite the miles between Idaho and Texas, despite the gap in our age, despite the acute lack of interaction between us, I know him. I feel a connection that goes beyond reason or cognitive understanding. I love him as though we had eaten dinner together every Sunday of my life.
In this somewhat simple, broken-hearted country song, my Uncle Lex sings his soul. And it resonates all the way to Idaho.
(He's the cute one closest to the camera with the guitar and the amazing voice)
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Sick
It's hit our household.
We've all been sick.
It started on Saturday with Ella. She had a fever. Not too high, but a fever that made her somewhat lethargic. She had nothing, aside from that fever, Saturday, Sunday and all day Monday. Then, Monday night she threw up. Tuesday she was mostly better.
Monday night, Dustin and Mac started feeling crummy and slightly feverish. Tuesday Dustin felt awful and Mac, to compliment his fever, threw up. Just before he threw up, Dustin and I heard Mac yell out, "HERE IT COMES!!" (He despises throwing up.) Dustin and I laughed at his announcement.
Rohan was showing no signs, except some chest congestion, which has been my story since about Friday.
Wednesday, Mac continued with his fever. Dustin stayed home again, still feverish. Rohan started showing fever signs, while I simply continued to have a lot of chest congestion. Ella returned to school.
Today, Dustin is feeling better and back at work. Mac and Rohan are feverishly languishing in the living room, and I STILL have chest congestion but only that. (for which I am grateful)
For as much as I dislike sickness in my house, this has been a relatively fun one. Dustin was home with ALL of us on Tuesday, albeit sick, but he was home. Ella went to school Wednesday, so with the exception of her we were all home together yesterday too. That is a treat for me, even if we are sick.
We all have been laying around like slugs the whole week. I've only been dressed for a couple of hours at a time when I was forced to go out and buy things like Saltine crackers, Sprite and children's Ibuprofen. It's been an adventure in hibernation and healing, watching non-stop movies and reading books.
I hate being sick, but I love my little family's togetherness.
P.S. I keep having people ask me if it's Swine Flu (insert bloodcurdling scream and scary music) and I'll just say for the record... I don't know and I don't care. I think Swine Flu (insert bloodcurdling scream and scary music) is purely propaganda. I think it's a scare tactic. For heaven sake's people... it's just the flu!
I just heard on the radio the other day that our Nobel-Peace-Prize-winning president has declared a National Emergency because the Swine Flu (insert bloodcurdling scream and scary music) deaths have now totaled 1000.
1000? Are you kidding? I've been researching a little and everything I've read states that the flu kills about 36,000 people per year. EVERY YEAR! And now our president has declared a National Emergency because 1000 people have died?
Healthcare propaganda, is what I think it is. A bunch of B.S. with a creepy name...
We've all been sick.
It started on Saturday with Ella. She had a fever. Not too high, but a fever that made her somewhat lethargic. She had nothing, aside from that fever, Saturday, Sunday and all day Monday. Then, Monday night she threw up. Tuesday she was mostly better.
Monday night, Dustin and Mac started feeling crummy and slightly feverish. Tuesday Dustin felt awful and Mac, to compliment his fever, threw up. Just before he threw up, Dustin and I heard Mac yell out, "HERE IT COMES!!" (He despises throwing up.) Dustin and I laughed at his announcement.
Rohan was showing no signs, except some chest congestion, which has been my story since about Friday.
Wednesday, Mac continued with his fever. Dustin stayed home again, still feverish. Rohan started showing fever signs, while I simply continued to have a lot of chest congestion. Ella returned to school.
Today, Dustin is feeling better and back at work. Mac and Rohan are feverishly languishing in the living room, and I STILL have chest congestion but only that. (for which I am grateful)
For as much as I dislike sickness in my house, this has been a relatively fun one. Dustin was home with ALL of us on Tuesday, albeit sick, but he was home. Ella went to school Wednesday, so with the exception of her we were all home together yesterday too. That is a treat for me, even if we are sick.
We all have been laying around like slugs the whole week. I've only been dressed for a couple of hours at a time when I was forced to go out and buy things like Saltine crackers, Sprite and children's Ibuprofen. It's been an adventure in hibernation and healing, watching non-stop movies and reading books.
I hate being sick, but I love my little family's togetherness.
P.S. I keep having people ask me if it's Swine Flu (insert bloodcurdling scream and scary music) and I'll just say for the record... I don't know and I don't care. I think Swine Flu (insert bloodcurdling scream and scary music) is purely propaganda. I think it's a scare tactic. For heaven sake's people... it's just the flu!
I just heard on the radio the other day that our Nobel-Peace-Prize-winning president has declared a National Emergency because the Swine Flu (insert bloodcurdling scream and scary music) deaths have now totaled 1000.
1000? Are you kidding? I've been researching a little and everything I've read states that the flu kills about 36,000 people per year. EVERY YEAR! And now our president has declared a National Emergency because 1000 people have died?
Healthcare propaganda, is what I think it is. A bunch of B.S. with a creepy name...
Thursday, June 18, 2009
You Speaka My Language?.
(I've started and erased this post about ten times now. It's not going so hot. I'll try to get through it...)
Guitars are wonderful instruments. So mobile. So versatile. So peaceful (sometimes). Especially if they're in tune. I got to mess around with a friend on the guitar recently (mostly as the singer) and it was fun... even if the guitar was out of tune. I don't know if this person or their loved ones read this blog, but if you do, know that it is no slight to the guitar player when I say that about the out-of-tuneness of said guitar. Guitars pull out of tune when you raise them a whole step. The strings don't like it. They're tighter and they want to go back to were they are comfortable, a whole step lower. Playing them outside in the cold air doesn't help keep the strings tuned up pretty either. I know that and that's ok. Are we good? Good.
(The urge to erase this post is strong right now. I'm not going to. That might be a mistake, but I shall carry on, nonetheless.)
As I sat there jamming with the guitarist, we were both supremely frustrated. Neither of us knew the same songs as the other, save a precious few. We didn't speak the same language. He knew this and this and this song and thought surely I would too. "Nope," I'd say. "I know the tune, but not the words." Then I'd ask if he knew this or this or this song... "Nope," he'd say.
Dang it!
When I'm with my family, we all know the same songs. And if we don't, it's not too long before we learn it. We mostly like the same sort of music. It made me miss my brother, who's guitar skills and repertoire are deep. It made me miss my mother, my sisters, both my brothers, and my dad, who sing all the time and can break into harmony, complete with SATB, if we're all there. We speak the same language, you know? And there's magic in the language of a family.
Parlez vous...?
(Mediocre post, at best, but I've been thinking about this little subject for a while now and I had to get it out, if crappily. My apologies.)
Guitars are wonderful instruments. So mobile. So versatile. So peaceful (sometimes). Especially if they're in tune. I got to mess around with a friend on the guitar recently (mostly as the singer) and it was fun... even if the guitar was out of tune. I don't know if this person or their loved ones read this blog, but if you do, know that it is no slight to the guitar player when I say that about the out-of-tuneness of said guitar. Guitars pull out of tune when you raise them a whole step. The strings don't like it. They're tighter and they want to go back to were they are comfortable, a whole step lower. Playing them outside in the cold air doesn't help keep the strings tuned up pretty either. I know that and that's ok. Are we good? Good.
(The urge to erase this post is strong right now. I'm not going to. That might be a mistake, but I shall carry on, nonetheless.)
As I sat there jamming with the guitarist, we were both supremely frustrated. Neither of us knew the same songs as the other, save a precious few. We didn't speak the same language. He knew this and this and this song and thought surely I would too. "Nope," I'd say. "I know the tune, but not the words." Then I'd ask if he knew this or this or this song... "Nope," he'd say.
Dang it!
When I'm with my family, we all know the same songs. And if we don't, it's not too long before we learn it. We mostly like the same sort of music. It made me miss my brother, who's guitar skills and repertoire are deep. It made me miss my mother, my sisters, both my brothers, and my dad, who sing all the time and can break into harmony, complete with SATB, if we're all there. We speak the same language, you know? And there's magic in the language of a family.
Parlez vous...?
(Mediocre post, at best, but I've been thinking about this little subject for a while now and I had to get it out, if crappily. My apologies.)
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Hi, My Name Is Clancy
Ya. Remember me? I'm Clancy, the writer of this blog. I've been a little inattentive with this, here, blog for the last week, but I'M BAAAACK!!! It's been a nutty-bar kind of week for me.
Monday I did NOT feel well. I just stayed home and stayed quiet. I think I was crashing after my "big choir day" the day before. I wrapped presents for about 10 hours. (part of that was organizing the presents and making sure all was "even" and I was up and down between wrapping and making PBJ's and breaking up fights. We didn't really have 10 hours worth of presents to wrap!) I did manage to stay in my pajamas all day and it was delicious.
Tuesday I watched my friend Rachel's kiddos for a bit and I went shopping for the finishing touches of our Christmas. I also did other things that I can't really remember, but I felt crazy.
Wednesday I made treats for neighbors and friends and delivered them, cleaned my house and made soup for dinner (I was done with our dinner soup by about 10:30 am. That's a noteworthy accomplishment for me. I don't usually even think about dinner until about 5:30 or 6:00... or 7:00 depending on the night). We went to my mom's at 5:00, ate dinner and went Christmas caroling to two old people who were alone for Christmas Eve. My little old friend cried and cried and hugged me for 5 minuets straight while I sang Silent Night and Joy to the world in her ear with my family singing harmony behind me. I was VERY glad we went to her and sang. Her joy was my favorite of the Christmas presents I recieved this year. My heart still warms at the memory.
During all these days I was trying to finish up a few last minute pretzel/apple orders and I was trying to sew stockings. For some crazy reason on Friday I decided to make all of us stockings. Rohan didn't have one, Mac and Ella's were falling apart (I had gotten them at the dollar store when they were little) and mine from my childhood didn't match. So I went shopping and picked fabric and of course couldn't just do the pattern as written... I had to make it hard and change parts of it that I didn't like. So I had to re-invent some things. But I like how they turned out. I need to put names on them or initials or something, but I let myself off the hook on that one cuz I was sewing until 1 am Christmas Eve. Here's a little pic of the finished products. What you can't see is on the other side I wrote all of our names on a little scrap of paper and pinned them on. It looks dorky, but then Santa knew who's was whose.
They were fun to make, and I was proud that I got them done and was in bed by 1:30am. Last year I think I stayed up until 3am and I wasn't even sewing! :)
So, let's just pretend that I wrote the following part of this post on Wednesday or Thursday when I had planned to:
Merry Christmas to all you lovelies! I hope you have a wonderful day full of the joy of family and the warmth of the Savior's love. Here is a little Christmas message from my family to yours. Please don't judge us as we didn't really practice, we just wanted to sing you a Christmas carol or two.
Monday I did NOT feel well. I just stayed home and stayed quiet. I think I was crashing after my "big choir day" the day before. I wrapped presents for about 10 hours. (part of that was organizing the presents and making sure all was "even" and I was up and down between wrapping and making PBJ's and breaking up fights. We didn't really have 10 hours worth of presents to wrap!) I did manage to stay in my pajamas all day and it was delicious.
Tuesday I watched my friend Rachel's kiddos for a bit and I went shopping for the finishing touches of our Christmas. I also did other things that I can't really remember, but I felt crazy.
Wednesday I made treats for neighbors and friends and delivered them, cleaned my house and made soup for dinner (I was done with our dinner soup by about 10:30 am. That's a noteworthy accomplishment for me. I don't usually even think about dinner until about 5:30 or 6:00... or 7:00 depending on the night). We went to my mom's at 5:00, ate dinner and went Christmas caroling to two old people who were alone for Christmas Eve. My little old friend cried and cried and hugged me for 5 minuets straight while I sang Silent Night and Joy to the world in her ear with my family singing harmony behind me. I was VERY glad we went to her and sang. Her joy was my favorite of the Christmas presents I recieved this year. My heart still warms at the memory.
During all these days I was trying to finish up a few last minute pretzel/apple orders and I was trying to sew stockings. For some crazy reason on Friday I decided to make all of us stockings. Rohan didn't have one, Mac and Ella's were falling apart (I had gotten them at the dollar store when they were little) and mine from my childhood didn't match. So I went shopping and picked fabric and of course couldn't just do the pattern as written... I had to make it hard and change parts of it that I didn't like. So I had to re-invent some things. But I like how they turned out. I need to put names on them or initials or something, but I let myself off the hook on that one cuz I was sewing until 1 am Christmas Eve. Here's a little pic of the finished products. What you can't see is on the other side I wrote all of our names on a little scrap of paper and pinned them on. It looks dorky, but then Santa knew who's was whose.
They were fun to make, and I was proud that I got them done and was in bed by 1:30am. Last year I think I stayed up until 3am and I wasn't even sewing! :)So, let's just pretend that I wrote the following part of this post on Wednesday or Thursday when I had planned to:
Merry Christmas to all you lovelies! I hope you have a wonderful day full of the joy of family and the warmth of the Savior's love. Here is a little Christmas message from my family to yours. Please don't judge us as we didn't really practice, we just wanted to sing you a Christmas carol or two.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
December 21
Happy Birthday to my little niece, Lily, who was born nine years ago today. It was a very exciting event in our family because she was the first niece, grandbaby, daughter of my siblings, great-granddaughter etc. She weighed 5lbs 14 oz... just a wisp of a girl. She's grown into a sweet little lady who is spunky and dramatic and loves to take care of my little Rohan! (I always ask if I can borrow her for a while) Happy Birthday, Lily!!!
And... in just a few short hours I will be done with our "big" Christmas program at church. I woke myself up with bad dreams about it. It was very weird and frustrating. But it will soon be over and all will be well.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
From The Jar... #26
Tell about handed-down talents, foods, dolls, willow whistles, pottery, quilting, whittling, etc.
Is that weird or is it just me? Ah well, at least it's easy!
Handed-down talents... that's easy. Singing. I said a few posts ago that we are a singing family, on my mom's side that is. All of my mom's sisters sing, as well as her lone brother. Her parents sing as well. My sisters and brothers sing too. It's just a big singing party when we're all together!
Another talent that I suppose has been handed down is sewing. My grandma (mom's side again) was an amazing seamstress. She had a real passion for it too. She could die happy in a fabric store. I can see her small fingers with her long pretty nails touching each bolt she passed and sliding the fabric between her fingers. She loves fabric and the dream of the endless possibilities that could come of it.
I don't claim to be the seamstress she was, but I really enjoy sewing and I do a fair job of it. Here are a few examples of my "work".
Easter 2004, I made both of their outfits.
Halloween 2005, I made Mac and Ella's costumes, but not Rohan's.
Halloween, 2007- Ella, the "Ice Princess".
Halloween 2007- Didn't make the shirt or the pants, just the "slashes with blood" showing and sewed the fur onto the Werewolf's legs.
Easter 2005, I made Ella's dress... did not make Mac's clothes. Don't you just love her cute little face in that last pic? lol!
I've made several costumes for opera's that I've been in, including my own costume in Die Fledermaus. I was 6 months pregnant with Rohan at the time and my body seemed to change almost daily, so I waited until the last minute to make my costume. It turned out lovely, baby belly and all!
We have some recipes in our family that are "handed down". I hope that's what the jar means when it says "food" cuz we don't have a sacred grilled cheese sandwich with the face of Mary on it that has been passed down for three generations, or any other handed-down food item, for that matter. Recipes...right!... back on track, kids. Cornbread dressing at Thanksgiving... YUM! Wacky cake. Hootnanny pancakes. Pecan pie. Among others that I am sure I can't think of right now.
As for dolls, willow whistles, pottery, quilting, and whittling... can you say random? Dolls, pottery and quilting I can see... not in my family, but I can feature it. But willow whistles and whittling? I guffaw! (insert boisterous belly laugh here) And this is where you'll forgive me if you have a sacred heirloom willow whistle that your great-great-grandfather made, or a precious whittled teacup from your pioneer ancestor that's been handed down through the ages.... I am just laughing at the randomness of the question! And no, I don't have any willow whistles or mad, generational whittling skills. LOL!
Is that weird or is it just me? Ah well, at least it's easy!
Handed-down talents... that's easy. Singing. I said a few posts ago that we are a singing family, on my mom's side that is. All of my mom's sisters sing, as well as her lone brother. Her parents sing as well. My sisters and brothers sing too. It's just a big singing party when we're all together!
Another talent that I suppose has been handed down is sewing. My grandma (mom's side again) was an amazing seamstress. She had a real passion for it too. She could die happy in a fabric store. I can see her small fingers with her long pretty nails touching each bolt she passed and sliding the fabric between her fingers. She loves fabric and the dream of the endless possibilities that could come of it.
I don't claim to be the seamstress she was, but I really enjoy sewing and I do a fair job of it. Here are a few examples of my "work".
Easter 2004, I made both of their outfits.
Halloween 2005, I made Mac and Ella's costumes, but not Rohan's.
Halloween, 2007- Ella, the "Ice Princess".
Halloween 2007- Didn't make the shirt or the pants, just the "slashes with blood" showing and sewed the fur onto the Werewolf's legs.
Easter 2005, I made Ella's dress... did not make Mac's clothes. Don't you just love her cute little face in that last pic? lol!We have some recipes in our family that are "handed down". I hope that's what the jar means when it says "food" cuz we don't have a sacred grilled cheese sandwich with the face of Mary on it that has been passed down for three generations, or any other handed-down food item, for that matter. Recipes...right!... back on track, kids. Cornbread dressing at Thanksgiving... YUM! Wacky cake. Hootnanny pancakes. Pecan pie. Among others that I am sure I can't think of right now.
As for dolls, willow whistles, pottery, quilting, and whittling... can you say random? Dolls, pottery and quilting I can see... not in my family, but I can feature it. But willow whistles and whittling? I guffaw! (insert boisterous belly laugh here) And this is where you'll forgive me if you have a sacred heirloom willow whistle that your great-great-grandfather made, or a precious whittled teacup from your pioneer ancestor that's been handed down through the ages.... I am just laughing at the randomness of the question! And no, I don't have any willow whistles or mad, generational whittling skills. LOL!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
From The Jar... #21
Better late than never? It's been a CRAZY day!
Describe your Sundays as a mother/father.
I hated Sundays when I was a kid. Actually all the way through college and into our early marriage years too. Everyone laying around after church sleeping and blah. I wanted to go jump on people and wake them up and say... let's PLAY something!
As a mother, it's a little different. I like them much better than when I was younger. The following describes our Sundays when we have 1:00 church, as we currently do. I usually get to sleep in for a while... even if I don't stay asleep, I get to lay there while Dustin takes care of the kids. I usually get out of bed when Dust says breakfast is ready. He usually makes breakfast... Hootnanny Pancakes is the usual, but lately he's been making regular pancakes cuz he made chokecherry syrup. We eat breakfast and lounge around for a while. I make a bunch of phone calls to remind people in our church about choir practice. (I am the choir director) Then I take a shower, shower the kids, if they need it, get everyone as ready as I possibly can before I have to leave at noon for choir practice. ("Hurry!" is a word often heard Sunday morning... even with 1:00 church.) Go to choir and then church, go home, change clothes and head over to my parents' house for dinner! Have an enjoyable time over at my mom and dad's and then head home and put kids to bed.
9:00 church is similar except choir practice comes after church and there is much more franticness before church. (I'm late... A LOT!) Then there is more lounging before we head over to Mom and Dad's. Dustin usually makes cookies or bread. Yes, he is the baker and I'm the chef in our household. Although, lately, I have taken a hiatus from chef duty... which leaves us to call upon our backup chefs, namely General Mills, Kellogs or Post (cereal), Campbell's (Spaghettios), Wendy's, or, in tonight's case, whoever the maker's of frozen burritos are.
There's a little play-by-play of our Sundays, but the overall feeling of them is relaxed, but not blah. Mellow but not drowsy. (although Dustin often takes naps, I don't mind so much... the kids are awake!) I feel generally peaceful on Sundays now instead of frustrated like I did as a kid.
Wasn't wild about this post. Sorry. Tried to think of some creative way to write it, but I'm not feelin' it tonight. Ah well... even creative juices suck air sometimes.
Describe your Sundays as a mother/father.
I hated Sundays when I was a kid. Actually all the way through college and into our early marriage years too. Everyone laying around after church sleeping and blah. I wanted to go jump on people and wake them up and say... let's PLAY something!
As a mother, it's a little different. I like them much better than when I was younger. The following describes our Sundays when we have 1:00 church, as we currently do. I usually get to sleep in for a while... even if I don't stay asleep, I get to lay there while Dustin takes care of the kids. I usually get out of bed when Dust says breakfast is ready. He usually makes breakfast... Hootnanny Pancakes is the usual, but lately he's been making regular pancakes cuz he made chokecherry syrup. We eat breakfast and lounge around for a while. I make a bunch of phone calls to remind people in our church about choir practice. (I am the choir director) Then I take a shower, shower the kids, if they need it, get everyone as ready as I possibly can before I have to leave at noon for choir practice. ("Hurry!" is a word often heard Sunday morning... even with 1:00 church.) Go to choir and then church, go home, change clothes and head over to my parents' house for dinner! Have an enjoyable time over at my mom and dad's and then head home and put kids to bed.
9:00 church is similar except choir practice comes after church and there is much more franticness before church. (I'm late... A LOT!) Then there is more lounging before we head over to Mom and Dad's. Dustin usually makes cookies or bread. Yes, he is the baker and I'm the chef in our household. Although, lately, I have taken a hiatus from chef duty... which leaves us to call upon our backup chefs, namely General Mills, Kellogs or Post (cereal), Campbell's (Spaghettios), Wendy's, or, in tonight's case, whoever the maker's of frozen burritos are.
There's a little play-by-play of our Sundays, but the overall feeling of them is relaxed, but not blah. Mellow but not drowsy. (although Dustin often takes naps, I don't mind so much... the kids are awake!) I feel generally peaceful on Sundays now instead of frustrated like I did as a kid.
Wasn't wild about this post. Sorry. Tried to think of some creative way to write it, but I'm not feelin' it tonight. Ah well... even creative juices suck air sometimes.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
From The Jar... #18
What is a favorite family place to go with your husband/wife/kids?
My little family loves to go over to my Mom and Dad's house. We go there nearly every Sunday and have Sunday dinner. They have an incredible piece of property... 10 acres with lots of HUGE trees, a creek running through it, beautiful shady yard with lovely landscaping, a gigantic garden, chickens, geese and llamas (for a limited time... the llamas will soon live at a new home- McKee's Petting Zoo), and a great spot where we burn fallen limbs and all the burnable garbage. The latter is not an official fire pit, but we often burn stuff and have hot dog/marshmallow roasts there. Their home is just a pleasant place to be. Relaxed with plenty of things for the kids to do. (Trampoline, teeter-totter, tire swing, riding lawnmower rides, chasing chickens... the list goes on and on!) We spend a lot of time there and we are so grateful for such a beautiful, feel-good place to spend time with the people we love the most.
As a child, a favorite place was the many canyons of the Wasatch Front in Utah. We spent many a Saturday or Sunday afternoon playing up those beautiful canyons. I have a lot of joy wrapped up in those memories, and I am forever grateful to my parents for taking the time to do little things like that that probably weren't always the easiest thing to do (as I've learned since my journey of parenthood began). Thanks Mom and Dad...
My little family loves to go over to my Mom and Dad's house. We go there nearly every Sunday and have Sunday dinner. They have an incredible piece of property... 10 acres with lots of HUGE trees, a creek running through it, beautiful shady yard with lovely landscaping, a gigantic garden, chickens, geese and llamas (for a limited time... the llamas will soon live at a new home- McKee's Petting Zoo), and a great spot where we burn fallen limbs and all the burnable garbage. The latter is not an official fire pit, but we often burn stuff and have hot dog/marshmallow roasts there. Their home is just a pleasant place to be. Relaxed with plenty of things for the kids to do. (Trampoline, teeter-totter, tire swing, riding lawnmower rides, chasing chickens... the list goes on and on!) We spend a lot of time there and we are so grateful for such a beautiful, feel-good place to spend time with the people we love the most.
As a child, a favorite place was the many canyons of the Wasatch Front in Utah. We spent many a Saturday or Sunday afternoon playing up those beautiful canyons. I have a lot of joy wrapped up in those memories, and I am forever grateful to my parents for taking the time to do little things like that that probably weren't always the easiest thing to do (as I've learned since my journey of parenthood began). Thanks Mom and Dad...
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
From The Jar... #14
How did you like being the oldest, middle or youngest child?
I am number three of five, so I am as middle as you can get. Well, I guess technically you can get more middle if you were number two of three because when there's five, three shares middle with two and four... I digress.
What kind of dumb question is this? Since being the middle child is all I've ever known I like it just fine. If I said I hated it wouldn't that imply that I hate my life? Maybe not, but it's kinda dumb. Oh well.
I've always thought being number three of five was a good place to be. I got to watch my older siblings give my parents lots of crap to wade through. I chose not to give much crap. I broke curfew. That's about the extent of my wild side. I've often wondered if I would have been more "wild" if I had been the oldest or the youngest. Probably not. I actually think it has more to do with who I am rather than my birth order.
I have some of those "middle child" syndromes. I stayed out of the way a lot. I am the peacemaker of the family. I hate conflict. I had a tendency to be "invisible" or ignored sometimes. I don't resent it, but it does take some overcoming as an adult. But, who doesn't have "stuff" to overcome? None of us. We all have our junk in the trunk that we get to dig through and get rid of.
Being the middle of five had advantages too. I could either be one of the big kids or one of the younger kids. I got to be a big kid and stay up late or be a younger kid and get out of stuff I didn't want to do. I used it to my advantage. *insert evil laugh here... mwaahaaahaaa!*
I think the middle is a fine place to be. I certainly wouldn't like to be the oldest. We like to call that position the "experimental child" since we don't know what the heck we're doing and, in our experience, Mac tends to get the brunt of all our ignorance. Poor kid.
The youngest wouldn't be so bad. I used to wish I was the youngest. When it was just Taylor and Lacy at home my parents would buy them all sorts of good things to take in their lunch... Capri Suns, fruit snacks, lunch meat, mini chip bags... All we got when all five of us were there were things like PBJs and oranges or apples. We only got cool stuff when we had a field trip. Being the youngest always sounded like a pretty sweet deal. ;)
"If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride." I am the middle child, and that is just fine with me!
I am number three of five, so I am as middle as you can get. Well, I guess technically you can get more middle if you were number two of three because when there's five, three shares middle with two and four... I digress.
What kind of dumb question is this? Since being the middle child is all I've ever known I like it just fine. If I said I hated it wouldn't that imply that I hate my life? Maybe not, but it's kinda dumb. Oh well.
I've always thought being number three of five was a good place to be. I got to watch my older siblings give my parents lots of crap to wade through. I chose not to give much crap. I broke curfew. That's about the extent of my wild side. I've often wondered if I would have been more "wild" if I had been the oldest or the youngest. Probably not. I actually think it has more to do with who I am rather than my birth order.
I have some of those "middle child" syndromes. I stayed out of the way a lot. I am the peacemaker of the family. I hate conflict. I had a tendency to be "invisible" or ignored sometimes. I don't resent it, but it does take some overcoming as an adult. But, who doesn't have "stuff" to overcome? None of us. We all have our junk in the trunk that we get to dig through and get rid of.
Being the middle of five had advantages too. I could either be one of the big kids or one of the younger kids. I got to be a big kid and stay up late or be a younger kid and get out of stuff I didn't want to do. I used it to my advantage. *insert evil laugh here... mwaahaaahaaa!*
I think the middle is a fine place to be. I certainly wouldn't like to be the oldest. We like to call that position the "experimental child" since we don't know what the heck we're doing and, in our experience, Mac tends to get the brunt of all our ignorance. Poor kid.
The youngest wouldn't be so bad. I used to wish I was the youngest. When it was just Taylor and Lacy at home my parents would buy them all sorts of good things to take in their lunch... Capri Suns, fruit snacks, lunch meat, mini chip bags... All we got when all five of us were there were things like PBJs and oranges or apples. We only got cool stuff when we had a field trip. Being the youngest always sounded like a pretty sweet deal. ;)
"If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride." I am the middle child, and that is just fine with me!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
My Heritage
Any of you who have known me or read my blog for a while know that singing is vitally important to me. It makes me HAPPY. It makes me light. It brings me so much joy and satisfaction. It's also in my blood, reaching back generations.
I had a jar post a while ago where I talked about my aunts. I said I would try to get some recordings of my aunt Tana singing on here.... well, tonight I figured out how. These are not professionally recorded, but they are incredibly sweet. This was recorded on a reel to reel around twenty years ago or more. (I think!) It is my maternal grandmother and my aunt Tana singing. Tana is also playing the guitar. The first two songs, Free and Bright Light, my grandma wrote. The last one, The Sweetest Gift, someone else wrote, but it is my favorite. This is such a treasure to me that I have these recordings of my Grandma and my aunt singing together. My grandma is the lower voice, Tana, the higher. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Boomp3.com
Boomp3.com
Boomp3.com
Those three are very folk sounding, but here is my aunt in her big performance voice... I believe this was recorded at her church's Christmas Eve program. My favorite is at the end when the choir comes in behind her.... it gives me chills.
Boomp3.com
I had a jar post a while ago where I talked about my aunts. I said I would try to get some recordings of my aunt Tana singing on here.... well, tonight I figured out how. These are not professionally recorded, but they are incredibly sweet. This was recorded on a reel to reel around twenty years ago or more. (I think!) It is my maternal grandmother and my aunt Tana singing. Tana is also playing the guitar. The first two songs, Free and Bright Light, my grandma wrote. The last one, The Sweetest Gift, someone else wrote, but it is my favorite. This is such a treasure to me that I have these recordings of my Grandma and my aunt singing together. My grandma is the lower voice, Tana, the higher. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Boomp3.com
Boomp3.com
Boomp3.com
Those three are very folk sounding, but here is my aunt in her big performance voice... I believe this was recorded at her church's Christmas Eve program. My favorite is at the end when the choir comes in behind her.... it gives me chills.
Boomp3.com
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
From The Jar... #12
I guess this is sort of my own version of a meme. (see previous post) It's fun to read all your responses too, so thanks to all of you who play! :)
And the jar says...
Tell about your favorite aunt.
Hmmm... that's a tough one. I don't think I can just pick one. How 'bout I tell some of my favorite things about several of my aunts?
Mom's side:
Jann- She is the sweetest thing on the planet! I love to be around her. She's one of those people who just make you feel good.
Devan- Words cannot describe how much I love her. She has been my confidant and safe place for over two years now. I always felt a special connection with her, but she has lived in Houston my whole life so we didn't exactly spend a lot of time together. Over the last two years she and I have developed a VERY special relationship, indeed. If you're reading this, Devan, THANK YOU. You'll never know or understand fully the impact you've had upon my life and my husband's and childrens' lives. Future generations will be thanking you.
Bronwyn- She's the aunt on my mom's side I spent the most time with growing up. She only lived three hours away, as opposed to my other aunts, who lived in Texas (or Colorado, later). Her kids are all the same ages as my family and we all grew up very close. Bronwyn is the fun, cool one who you want to go shopping with. She's the devil on our shoulder on shopping trips! She's very encouraging when she thinks something looks cute on you. She is famous around our house for her fabulous cooking. All my aunts are incredible cooks, but Bronwyn seems to enjoy it the most and makes all kinds of yummy creative things. Mac has talked about her turkey soup for years now.
Tana- She is "the voice". All my aunts are beautiful singers, but Tana is the grand-champion of them all. She sang with all kinds of bands in her early days and she's opera-trained and has done many professional operas in the US and Europe. If I could choose anyone in the whole world to have my voice sound like, it would be her. She has a sweet quality to her voice that makes you want to weep. She also has all the power that comes with opera training. It's an amazing mix. Someday I will try to get a recording of her and my grandma singing together on here so you can all hear that sweet quality! :) I went and spent three or so weeks in Colorado with Tana and her husband and 1 year old daughter when I was 15. That time is a treasure in my memory. We created a special bond too.
Dad's side:
(I guess I'm writing about all my aunts instead of several... how can I leave one out when they are all so fantastic)
My dad has only brothers, so my aunts are by marriage, but they are as good as blood. We have such a blessed family full of so much love and mutual affection! I am so lucky!
Kathy- She is so sweet and gentle by nature, but she's got some kick! She is a computer programmer. I hardly recall ever seeing her angry. She reminds me a lot of my Grandma Carol that way. She is the most amazing, supportive mother I've ever encountered. Her kids are amazing and I know a lot of that has to do with she and Jim's supportive, loving, God-centered environment they created in their home.
Chris- This lady is a firecracker! She's hilarious! She says the funniest things and has a lot of fun teasing my uncle Mark (who is the biggest tease on the planet). She is a nurse at a school. She is an incredible hostess (reminds me of my Grandma Carol, again) who always makes you feel right at home and comfortable. She also has all boys and she is a take-no-crap kindof mom, which is perfect for the give-lots-of-crap, teasing boys she has. They are great kids too. (Kids... the youngest one is like twenty or something! He just got married.) Chris is so full of faith in Christ and love of God. She has a fierce love of her family and I admire her a lot.
I look up to all these great ladies. They are all so amazing and I have so much fun being around them. I only wish I could be around them more. How lucky am I to have such fine people in my life! (That includes you, too!)
:)
And the jar says...
Tell about your favorite aunt.
Hmmm... that's a tough one. I don't think I can just pick one. How 'bout I tell some of my favorite things about several of my aunts?
Mom's side:
Jann- She is the sweetest thing on the planet! I love to be around her. She's one of those people who just make you feel good.
Devan- Words cannot describe how much I love her. She has been my confidant and safe place for over two years now. I always felt a special connection with her, but she has lived in Houston my whole life so we didn't exactly spend a lot of time together. Over the last two years she and I have developed a VERY special relationship, indeed. If you're reading this, Devan, THANK YOU. You'll never know or understand fully the impact you've had upon my life and my husband's and childrens' lives. Future generations will be thanking you.
Bronwyn- She's the aunt on my mom's side I spent the most time with growing up. She only lived three hours away, as opposed to my other aunts, who lived in Texas (or Colorado, later). Her kids are all the same ages as my family and we all grew up very close. Bronwyn is the fun, cool one who you want to go shopping with. She's the devil on our shoulder on shopping trips! She's very encouraging when she thinks something looks cute on you. She is famous around our house for her fabulous cooking. All my aunts are incredible cooks, but Bronwyn seems to enjoy it the most and makes all kinds of yummy creative things. Mac has talked about her turkey soup for years now.
Tana- She is "the voice". All my aunts are beautiful singers, but Tana is the grand-champion of them all. She sang with all kinds of bands in her early days and she's opera-trained and has done many professional operas in the US and Europe. If I could choose anyone in the whole world to have my voice sound like, it would be her. She has a sweet quality to her voice that makes you want to weep. She also has all the power that comes with opera training. It's an amazing mix. Someday I will try to get a recording of her and my grandma singing together on here so you can all hear that sweet quality! :) I went and spent three or so weeks in Colorado with Tana and her husband and 1 year old daughter when I was 15. That time is a treasure in my memory. We created a special bond too.
Dad's side:
(I guess I'm writing about all my aunts instead of several... how can I leave one out when they are all so fantastic)
My dad has only brothers, so my aunts are by marriage, but they are as good as blood. We have such a blessed family full of so much love and mutual affection! I am so lucky!
Kathy- She is so sweet and gentle by nature, but she's got some kick! She is a computer programmer. I hardly recall ever seeing her angry. She reminds me a lot of my Grandma Carol that way. She is the most amazing, supportive mother I've ever encountered. Her kids are amazing and I know a lot of that has to do with she and Jim's supportive, loving, God-centered environment they created in their home.
Chris- This lady is a firecracker! She's hilarious! She says the funniest things and has a lot of fun teasing my uncle Mark (who is the biggest tease on the planet). She is a nurse at a school. She is an incredible hostess (reminds me of my Grandma Carol, again) who always makes you feel right at home and comfortable. She also has all boys and she is a take-no-crap kindof mom, which is perfect for the give-lots-of-crap, teasing boys she has. They are great kids too. (Kids... the youngest one is like twenty or something! He just got married.) Chris is so full of faith in Christ and love of God. She has a fierce love of her family and I admire her a lot.
I look up to all these great ladies. They are all so amazing and I have so much fun being around them. I only wish I could be around them more. How lucky am I to have such fine people in my life! (That includes you, too!)
:)
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
From The Jar... #7
Wednesday again? I love that I know that I'll have something particular to blog about on Wednesdays. It's a nice feeling. And the jar says....
How many siblings do you have? Describe them. Tell a story about you and each of them.
This is much funner for me than last week's jar pull. Lengthy post, as a forewarning...
There are five children in my family. I am third of the five. Sarah, Zandy, Clancy, Lacy, Taylor.
Sarah (or Sassy, as we like to call her) is a fun gal. She is a little shorter than me with blondish hair and greenish-blue eyes. For work, she plans events (parties etc..) for the staff of a neuro-psyc hospital. She's very good at what she does. She's creative and smart. She's dependable and efficient. She likes to read. She is slightly OCD- particularly when it comes to loading her dishwasher. She almost always re-loads what I load when I'm at her house. I've just learned not to do her dishes unless I wash them by hand! :) She is very classy. I think she gets that from my grandma- they have similar tastes. She always likes to present things in a beautiful way. If she brings a dish to a party, it's always arranged in an eye-pleasing way and it is to die for delicious. She is a masterful salad maker. Her house is decorated very tastefully. Classy. She's always dressed well... again, classy. She is good mother, wife and sister who is very giving of herself and her time.
A story about she and I...
Like I said above, she was always a good dresser. She has great taste in clothes and I would always steal them when I was in Jr. High and she was in High school. (she's four years older than me) She left before me and I got home before her, so I would steal clothes after she left and take them off before she got home. I'm sure you're surprised to hear that she didn't like that much. I would risk the wrath of Sarah to look as good as she! We had one year of high school together. That was a rough year for my career as a thief. I would watch for her in the halls as one would watch for a cop on the roads when they are speeding. If I saw her, I would dart away as quick as I could. It was a bad day when I got caught. Needless to say, we weren't best friends in those years, but we are really good friends now. I love to hang out with her and I'm grateful she's my sister!
Zandy (Alexander is his real name), who is two years older than me, is the analytical type. He's incredibly smart and talented in every way. I call him the Midas touch boy... at everything he tries, he does exceptionally well. He's always been a brainiac. He took AP calculus his junior year of high school. He's a computer geek of the coolest degree. (I believe his title at work is "Internet Security Architect") He plays the guitar with supreme skill. He works hard and he is very loyal. He is also the nicest pain in the butt you will ever meet. He's the kind of guy that thinks he is ALWAYS right, yet he's mostly really nice about letting you know that he is right. He's handsome, about 5'10" or 5'11", super green eyes, blondish hair (at least it used to be). He's an awesome athlete... always played soccer really well, mountain bikes like a madman, rock climber... he's just plain ol' talented!
The memory of he and I that jumps out at me is sitting in his room listening to him play the guitar. He started playing when he was 12, if memory serves. When he was probably about 14 I would slip into his room all the time, sit quietly and watch him play. Sometimes I would sing with him while he played. He would practice about three hours every day for years. I loved to watch that. I felt like I was bonding with him. Whether he felt the same, I don't know, but it always meant a lot to me.
Lacy is the artistic one. She is three years younger than me. She's got amazing hazel eyes and honey colored hair. She's also just a touch shorter than me... probably about 5'5". She was often seen to others as quiet and maybe a little shy, perhaps because she was always doing her own thing as a kid. That was what a lot of people thought, but at heart she is a barrel 'o fun and a little wacky! (at least when she is around her siblings, particularly me and Taylor!) She is also extremely talented. She is a great singer with perfect pitch, or very close to it. She plays the piano and is an amazing artist. I watch her whip out drawings in minutes that I couldn't draw if I had weeks or even months. She is a devoted sister, mother and wife who would do anything for the people she loves. She's a gem.
A memory of Lacy and I would have to be when we were quite young, and I was her clothing matcher. Lacy, being artistic and a little bit of an introvert, (and being her father's daughter!) had a tendency to come up with some wacky clothing combinations. While my mom let her wear whatever she came up with a lot of the time, if we had somewhere special we were going mom would say to me, "Will you please go make sure Lacy matches?" I also got put in charge of doing her hair. Lacy had the most sensitive scalp on the planet, and she liked me to brush her hair better than my mom. So, I often was Lacy's personal assistant. It was a pleasure most of the time.
She and I would walk to school together too. She was probably in first grade and me in about 4th. We would often leave late (I know it's shocking that I left late as a child!) and Lacy just didn't care. It was hard to light a fire under her. I would make up games to help her hurry. I told her that the principal was the king and the secretary was the queen and they would chop off our heads if we were late for school. So we would run and talk about how the evil king and queen would punish us and how we've just got to get there on time! We would also play a game where I would yank her forward by the arm and then she would yank me forward. We'd do it as fast as we can to hopefully get there on time. She is a sweetheart and I loved to take care of her.
Taylor is one of the most dynamic people I know. He is six years younger than me. He's smart, handsome and SERIOUSLY funny. I laugh more around Taylor than any person on the planet. He is just plain hilarious. He is too charismatic for his own good. People love him and he knows it. He has vast potential. He doesn't always maximize on that. He spends a little too much time on video games, in my opinion, at which he has almost savant tendencies. Yes, folks, he is a gaming genius. I've watched him play video games with countless people who get so mad at him (myself included) because he wins every stinkin' time with what seems like effortless ease. He's also an incredible singer. He was named the Most Valuable Singer in his elite high school choir. He sang a song at my grandma's funeral... it's been over two years now, and people are still talking about how they had to pick their jaw up off the floor and rub their arms to make the goosebumps go away when he was done. He is truly talented.
Taylor and I have had some good times. They mostly involve Lacy too. We were kindof the three musketeers when we moved to Idaho when I was a senior. None of us had a lot of friends because we were new, so we spent a lot of time together. We take the word 'silly' to a level that most people couldn't dream of. It might be described as crazy. Taylor has always been the sound-effects king. He can do so many funny things. When he gets going I can't stop laughing. Then he laughs at my laughing and it makes me laugh more. It's a vicious circle.
Another fond memory is road trippin' with Lacy and Taylor. My senior year we started school in Idaho but my parents still hadn't sold their house in Utah. They bought me a car so that I could go up during the week to Idaho and come home to Utah during the weekend with Tay and Lace. Every time we got in the car to make that drive Taylor would be asleep within 5 minutes. Literally. And he would not wake up until we got to our destination. It didn't matter what time of day it was or what position he was in, he did it every time.
This is a picture of all of us, with the addition of Zandy's wife, Nicky. From left to right, Lacy, Taylor, Nicky, Zandy, Clancy, Sarah.
There you go! A little knowledge gained about me and my siblings. So, let's hear about yours!
How many siblings do you have? Describe them. Tell a story about you and each of them.
This is much funner for me than last week's jar pull. Lengthy post, as a forewarning...
There are five children in my family. I am third of the five. Sarah, Zandy, Clancy, Lacy, Taylor.
Sarah (or Sassy, as we like to call her) is a fun gal. She is a little shorter than me with blondish hair and greenish-blue eyes. For work, she plans events (parties etc..) for the staff of a neuro-psyc hospital. She's very good at what she does. She's creative and smart. She's dependable and efficient. She likes to read. She is slightly OCD- particularly when it comes to loading her dishwasher. She almost always re-loads what I load when I'm at her house. I've just learned not to do her dishes unless I wash them by hand! :) She is very classy. I think she gets that from my grandma- they have similar tastes. She always likes to present things in a beautiful way. If she brings a dish to a party, it's always arranged in an eye-pleasing way and it is to die for delicious. She is a masterful salad maker. Her house is decorated very tastefully. Classy. She's always dressed well... again, classy. She is good mother, wife and sister who is very giving of herself and her time.
A story about she and I...
Like I said above, she was always a good dresser. She has great taste in clothes and I would always steal them when I was in Jr. High and she was in High school. (she's four years older than me) She left before me and I got home before her, so I would steal clothes after she left and take them off before she got home. I'm sure you're surprised to hear that she didn't like that much. I would risk the wrath of Sarah to look as good as she! We had one year of high school together. That was a rough year for my career as a thief. I would watch for her in the halls as one would watch for a cop on the roads when they are speeding. If I saw her, I would dart away as quick as I could. It was a bad day when I got caught. Needless to say, we weren't best friends in those years, but we are really good friends now. I love to hang out with her and I'm grateful she's my sister!
Zandy (Alexander is his real name), who is two years older than me, is the analytical type. He's incredibly smart and talented in every way. I call him the Midas touch boy... at everything he tries, he does exceptionally well. He's always been a brainiac. He took AP calculus his junior year of high school. He's a computer geek of the coolest degree. (I believe his title at work is "Internet Security Architect") He plays the guitar with supreme skill. He works hard and he is very loyal. He is also the nicest pain in the butt you will ever meet. He's the kind of guy that thinks he is ALWAYS right, yet he's mostly really nice about letting you know that he is right. He's handsome, about 5'10" or 5'11", super green eyes, blondish hair (at least it used to be). He's an awesome athlete... always played soccer really well, mountain bikes like a madman, rock climber... he's just plain ol' talented!
The memory of he and I that jumps out at me is sitting in his room listening to him play the guitar. He started playing when he was 12, if memory serves. When he was probably about 14 I would slip into his room all the time, sit quietly and watch him play. Sometimes I would sing with him while he played. He would practice about three hours every day for years. I loved to watch that. I felt like I was bonding with him. Whether he felt the same, I don't know, but it always meant a lot to me.
Lacy is the artistic one. She is three years younger than me. She's got amazing hazel eyes and honey colored hair. She's also just a touch shorter than me... probably about 5'5". She was often seen to others as quiet and maybe a little shy, perhaps because she was always doing her own thing as a kid. That was what a lot of people thought, but at heart she is a barrel 'o fun and a little wacky! (at least when she is around her siblings, particularly me and Taylor!) She is also extremely talented. She is a great singer with perfect pitch, or very close to it. She plays the piano and is an amazing artist. I watch her whip out drawings in minutes that I couldn't draw if I had weeks or even months. She is a devoted sister, mother and wife who would do anything for the people she loves. She's a gem.
A memory of Lacy and I would have to be when we were quite young, and I was her clothing matcher. Lacy, being artistic and a little bit of an introvert, (and being her father's daughter!) had a tendency to come up with some wacky clothing combinations. While my mom let her wear whatever she came up with a lot of the time, if we had somewhere special we were going mom would say to me, "Will you please go make sure Lacy matches?" I also got put in charge of doing her hair. Lacy had the most sensitive scalp on the planet, and she liked me to brush her hair better than my mom. So, I often was Lacy's personal assistant. It was a pleasure most of the time.
She and I would walk to school together too. She was probably in first grade and me in about 4th. We would often leave late (I know it's shocking that I left late as a child!) and Lacy just didn't care. It was hard to light a fire under her. I would make up games to help her hurry. I told her that the principal was the king and the secretary was the queen and they would chop off our heads if we were late for school. So we would run and talk about how the evil king and queen would punish us and how we've just got to get there on time! We would also play a game where I would yank her forward by the arm and then she would yank me forward. We'd do it as fast as we can to hopefully get there on time. She is a sweetheart and I loved to take care of her.
Taylor is one of the most dynamic people I know. He is six years younger than me. He's smart, handsome and SERIOUSLY funny. I laugh more around Taylor than any person on the planet. He is just plain hilarious. He is too charismatic for his own good. People love him and he knows it. He has vast potential. He doesn't always maximize on that. He spends a little too much time on video games, in my opinion, at which he has almost savant tendencies. Yes, folks, he is a gaming genius. I've watched him play video games with countless people who get so mad at him (myself included) because he wins every stinkin' time with what seems like effortless ease. He's also an incredible singer. He was named the Most Valuable Singer in his elite high school choir. He sang a song at my grandma's funeral... it's been over two years now, and people are still talking about how they had to pick their jaw up off the floor and rub their arms to make the goosebumps go away when he was done. He is truly talented.
Taylor and I have had some good times. They mostly involve Lacy too. We were kindof the three musketeers when we moved to Idaho when I was a senior. None of us had a lot of friends because we were new, so we spent a lot of time together. We take the word 'silly' to a level that most people couldn't dream of. It might be described as crazy. Taylor has always been the sound-effects king. He can do so many funny things. When he gets going I can't stop laughing. Then he laughs at my laughing and it makes me laugh more. It's a vicious circle.
Another fond memory is road trippin' with Lacy and Taylor. My senior year we started school in Idaho but my parents still hadn't sold their house in Utah. They bought me a car so that I could go up during the week to Idaho and come home to Utah during the weekend with Tay and Lace. Every time we got in the car to make that drive Taylor would be asleep within 5 minutes. Literally. And he would not wake up until we got to our destination. It didn't matter what time of day it was or what position he was in, he did it every time.
This is a picture of all of us, with the addition of Zandy's wife, Nicky. From left to right, Lacy, Taylor, Nicky, Zandy, Clancy, Sarah.There you go! A little knowledge gained about me and my siblings. So, let's hear about yours!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)