I have the greatest family...EVER!

I've been thinking about my family a lot lately. Thinking about how I could've been a better sister/daughter/granddaughter, etc. But there's no use cryin over spilt milk, but I just want them to know I've been thinkin about them. I love them all and they're so great (extended family included). I'm sad because by the time I get home at Christmas time it would've been 7 months since I've been home. That's too long. Granted a mission is 2 years and I can talk on the phone. But I plain miss them. I am lucky enough to have Danielle out here though. Well, can I just declare to people that I have the most bomb-dig family!? Seriously, they're so great! Let me just try to give you a glimpse of each cool cat: Dad- Let's just say he's a work horse. Everything he puts his mind to he goes 100% or maybe 500%. He works himself too hard, too much. He was a farm-boy born into a a big family. He's # 13/15. I love him like a dog loves a good belly-rub, only probably more. He's the core and glue of our family. He tries to scold me for not going to bed, but I am my daddy's daughter... :D I'm his favorite (Dani disagrees, but I know I am). My dad is patient and hardly ever raises his voice. He is very strong (pun intended) and is a great example in every way! Dad is an awesome Priesthood holder for the family. I appreciate his good example even for the boys' sake in his awesome home-teaching habits. He is also very good at his calling. He is only home on the weekends, with a few exceptions, but he takes the time and sacrifice to home-teach all of his families once a month, and stays after church and often goes before church every sunday to get things done. I've heard, you can see the best missionaries by their hometeaching habits after they get home, because missionaries recognize the extreme importance of hometeaching and the activation and reactivation of families. Even though his jokes are lame and we all tease him for them I miss them. I miss his cheesy puns and wittiness, that is usually from another dimension, he's always having to explain his jokes. Momma- She's one incredible woman. She is the best multi-tasker I know. She has the best back-scratching skills, probably due to her ALWAYS incredible natural nails, seriously, it's sick. She never procrastinates. She's everything I could even hope to be and more. She is a great listener and is always concerned, but not to the point of being a worry-wart. She's trusting and trustworthy. She loves to peel skin and has always been good at french-braiding. She's an incredible artist and is very realistic, yet optimistic. She always gives the benefit of the doubt. My mom is always working to be better, but in the ways that count, she is health-conscious and does her best to gather everyone for scripture study, prayer and fhe. She is an incredible seamstress and totally domestic. She's the best/coolest mom. I love her. Deej- She's pretty wild. We went through our little stage of tufts in early teens, but I could not ask for a greater friend. I was so blessed when my momma had a girl before me. She is a lot like my mom. She is very emotionally stable and even-keeled. She helps me rationalize things when I get a little over-emotional about it. She has awesome advice and has a great sense of humor. In the past few years she's picked up an incredible level of empathy. She is spiritual and tries to do her best. She has been working out a lot lately and has been a good example that way, I definately need to be better at that! She is a girly girl, but isn't afraid to get down and dirty to get a job done. Though our personalities were very different when we were young; Dani was painfully shy and I was extremely outgoing (imagine that), she eventually came out of her shell and has a beaming presence. Me- I might've been an accident, but I'm pretty sure I'm the best one my parents ever made! Spence- Hmm....well if we were going to describe Spencer using the words he would use, it would be. He's "okay" or "fine" or any other one of those short answer responses he loves. Spencer is boy through and through. Granted, he IS a boy, but we love him. He is sarcastic, but is learning as he gets older how to filter through his thoughts as to what is better to be left unsaid. :D I appreciate Spencer for his "get to the point" way of thinking. On the color code he would be a red. Spencer is funny and easy going. He makes me laugh so hard. He teases a lot, but you have to know he doesn't mean things personally. He is extremely smart and witty. Spence is a hard worker and works hard for the things he wants (good luck motivating him to do something he doesn't care about though hahah). Spencer is a good leader and very studius. He is driven and has had a 'paycheck' job since he was 11. We started reffereeing together, something that he has stuck with and continues to do refereeing for upper soccer leagues and divisions. Spencer is a good example and is always punctual including to seminary and is very good with his young men and priesthood responsibilities. My little brothers are so great, Spencer passed me in brains a few years ago, but don't tell him, we can't afford him getting a big(ger) head. hahah Spencer is now over 6' at age 15..hmm he's been taller than me for a good 2 or 3 years...not okay... Grandmother always used to warn me when I picked on him because she said 'one day that little boy is going to be bigger than you!' Hmm...that happened Punky- Chase is the sunshine in our house. He is so loving and tender to everyone. He is a very sensitive person, and as much flack we give him for it, he is loved by EVERYONE. He has the biggest heart and loves to love everyone. He wouldn't mean to even hurt a fly. He was always so good with Chloe, they were born and raised together (different biological mothers). He is the bomb.com. I give Chase a hard time some, but I think that is because he is my mini-me. He really is. Except he's a better person than I am. We have the same humors and mindsets I feel. I seriously see myself in him. Chase is very active and has a car obsession. He loves helping my dad out at the house and working on the cars when they break down. Chase loves to build houses and buildings with the wooden blocks we've had for ages. He is always riding around on his bike. Chase is an incredible, accomplished pianist. He's played the piano for his school choir since early elementary school and has won many guild competitions. Chase is very affectionate and like me has some concentration issues, but, believe me, it makes life more interesting. I miss his hugs. I wish I could go back and be a better big sister to him. I could've learned so much. Chase Just turned 12 this month and is now in the deacon's quorum(can you believe it!?). I wish I could've been there his first Sunday. Not sure how tall Chase is yet, but he was almost to my chin when I was home I think, but that was 6 months ago... he's probably grown since then! Yikes, we'll see at Christmas! Grandmother- She reminds me of a flower or something like that. She is very proper and polite. She is a true southern belle. Grandmother is an awesome example for self educating. She loves to learn, yet is still so humble about it all. She is the only person I know that reads multiple books at the same time! She does crosswords and other word games to improve her vocabulary. She's very self-driven. I love that she loves to learn. I learn so much from her spiritually and otherwise. She is kind and always has a word of advice. Grandmother is the queen of one-liners and knows every single one of those old sayings, such as 'no use cryin over spilt milk' or 'a whistling woman and a crowing hen always come to no good end' (I always got that one....just didn't learn). We've been so blessed to be able to have Grandmother live down the street and lived with her in her house for 3 years and now she's moving into the new house with my family. Grandmother is head over the Nashville Temple Office. She's been a temple worker at the Nashville temple since it was built for us in 2001 I think it was. (grandmother with the 4 oldest girls) Chloe- Is no longer with us. I thought I'd give her a shout out, just because she's so great and we all love her and miss her. I haven't been home without her there yet, but it makes me tear up whenever I think about it. For anyone without a dog you can laugh, but you don't understand. Even those with dogs may not understand, but Chloe died this summer and was totally apart of our family. She always had a section in our family news letter at Christmas :D (don't get freaked out, it was partly a joke, but we love her). I always said lightly, "We had her as long as we had Chase"...but seriously, I meant it. She would always wait for me by the front window when I got off the school bus, she loved car rides, even if it was to the groomers. She always cuddled with me at night, but it sometimes got obnoxious when she couldn't sleep because her collar rattled. She followed me around all the time. (I think I'm her favorite too, maybe tied with Chase, but probably more because we're both girls). She loved scratches. She wasn't allowed on Grandmother's furniture, but I'd sneak her up. Boo and Brigette- Boo is ours and Brigette, Grandmother's, but they're the new family dogs. I haven't met them yet. They're sure cute in pictures though! xoxo