Birthdays and family

I was reading some of the family blogs , and I noticed the title on Mom's. It caught my eye, because I had spoken with her on her birthday, and she seemed to be having a pretty good birthday, so the "I'll cry if I want to" reference got my attention.

I really did enjoy reading her thoughts on a good life, and since Mom and I share a birthday, it caused me to do some reflecting on the many blessings of my own life.

I have some great memories from childhood, and the vast majority revolve around family. I am so glad that I get along with my family. I had friends that couldn't stand to spend time with their families, and I can't think of many things that are more enjoyable.

Even as a kid, family time was nearly always a positive memory. Now, all of you siblings, I hope we have all kind of moved some periods, and some specifics to a background role. The ever infamous "Cherry-Chili" argument (translate stupidity on Scott's part), although very intense as I recall, has a very special place in the "lessons-realized-later-through-humor" place in my memory. By the way, have I ever really apologized for that mess? If not, I am sorry!

Growing up in Utah (yes I have memories from Utah), and Bakersfield CA, There are so many things that I remember fondly. A Utah memory (mutated through age, I was less than 4), is the day our back yard flooded by the irrigation ditch that ran past the corner of the yard. I recall that it cut a small corner off our yard, and we played in a bush or something on the triangular "island" on the other side of the ditch up against the fence (hedge?). On one of the many days it overflowed the ditch, All I remember is watching the fish flop around in the yard, and being so excited that we could just pick them up into one of Mom's big pots. My tinychild memory has them as huge fish, and a massive canning pot full. I bet they were just big enough to be worth eating, and maybe just a pan full. I need feedback from those whose memories are clearer.

In Bakersfield, I was blessed to have not only great friends my own age, but some pretty amazing neighbors , like second grandparents. Art and Fern Skinner have a special place in my heart. I know all of my family feels the same way. Art took us fishing whenever he could, and I loved spending time with him out in his boat on Lake Isabella and Lake Success. Even the day our fishing trip was cut short by his outboard exploding is actually logged as a fond memory, because we all took care of each other, no one was hurt, and we learned to deal with life's mishaps with humor and a cool head.  There are also the countless times he appeared in our yard with one or several huge watermelons, and other local melons, and we would just have the greatest time slurping ripe melon and seeing how far we could spit the seeds.  He always could pick them perfect!

I also recall the night I crawled over our fence in a fevered haze at 2 am, and later found myself sitting in the Skinner's kitchen drinking a tall mug of Hot Cocoa while Art called my parents to let them know I was OK. They were Grandparents in every sense but bloodline. I really miss them, but I am so glad they were a part of my life.  I could keep going for hours just about Art and Fern.  There were many others from my Bakersfield life that deserve mention, but Time is short.  (it's nearly 11 pm)

As a teenager, I was lucky to work for some really good people, who helped teach me the value and satisfaction of a job well done.  All of this was flavored by family work-ethics, but I can say that my early "bosses" set the stage for a pretty positive work experience for me.  I have always related well to my bosses.  Several of them I still call friends.  My jobs have not always kept us rolling in cash, but they have always kept us fed, clothed and sheltered.  It HAS been really tight at times, but none of my children besides Benjamin know what it is like to go truly hungry, and Ben is because of his medical issues.

That brings up another area where I have been really blessed, and family played a big role.  Serving my mission in Switzerland has given me so many great memories, and lessons, both related to my spiritual well-being, and things that have been useful in life, even beyond the obvious career.  My family has set such a great example of missionary service, I am glad to be a part of that history.  And then, at the end of my mission, my sisters convinced me to join them, even though it was late, and I had been in airports for over 24 hours, at the fairgrounds to work on our church group's parade float for Homecoming.

As all of the family know, the young woman in charge made a lasting impression on me:)  I knew right away that Michelle was someone I could be good friends with, and as we got to know each other better over the next few months, and I finally worked up courage to ask her out, that friendship has developed into something that will last into eternity.  My sisters confessed later that they were kind of hoping......THANK YOU!!

I am so thankful for Michelle's strength.  We have been through a lot together.  She doesn't always feel like she is holding it together, but I can tell you that she deals with so much STUFF in such a dedicated way, that we can also claim to have been blessed with some pretty amazing challenges.  It has helped Michelle be there for others when their lives seemed so out of control.  She can relate on a personal level to many of life's major challenges.  She and I sometimes wish we weren't so relatable to people with traumas, but it has blessed other lives, and I think, therefore, ours as well.  I love that our friendship will last long enough that the last 20 years will seem like a drop in the ocean.

You know, As I get going on happy memories, I think I could write an entire book.  So many things I can recall learning from family outings, camping trips, working in nearly every type of setting from fields to farms to factories.  Time spent with large family groups, and time spent with just my brothers or my sons.  Silly fights, and quiet, spiritual moments.  All of this family time has blessed my life beyond comprehension.  I think an attempt to catalog it all would take more time than I have in this life, but I want to thank all of you who have been, and are currently such a huge part of the positive experience that is my life.

Okay, now I'm just starting to get gushy, and it is getting late.  I will gush some more later about fun memories like "canning days", milking cows, hauling hay, "gutter regatas" and the like.  If I continue that list, I will never stop.  Goodnight!