Throughout my 33 years, I have been blessed with many great friends. Grade School friends to play with, learn with, and have sleep overs with. Middle School friends to talk about boys with, grow up with, and help learn the meaning of real friends with. High School friends to keep talking about boys with, be involved with, and cry and laugh with. College friends to KEEP TALKING ABOUT BOYS WITH, run with, date with, and go to wedding receptions with (and for!). Adult friends to raise my children with, bounce thoughts off, have long talks with, and keep up with. Some grade school friends I still have to this day. Some of my best friends I will have until I die. But, from the day I was born there were built in friends that can never be replaced...my family. I am so blessed to have three sisters and a mother who truly are my best friends. We count on each other for help, we trust each other with our lives (and those of our children!), and turn to each other in good times and bad. Along with three sisters, I also have cousins. Lots of cousins. I even have cousins my age who I was lucky enough to grow up with and go to school with. Rick and I both have cousins with whom we are very close. One of our main reasons in wanting to live in Utah is to be able to raise our children with their grandparents and cousins, just like we were. I love being best friends with my sisters, mom, and cousins. And I love that my kids are best friends with their cousins too.
McNeil grandkids on the Bisel farm.(My Great Grandma and Grandpa's place)
The red sand of Sand Hollow
Loving the water.
Here is Luke with 5 of his 2nd cousins. Their moms and dad were some of my best playmates growing up. They only see each other once a year, but they can't get enough of it!
All 5 boys are within one year of each other.
Gunnerson grandkids
Luke's best friend, and cousin, Brody.
10 comments:
You are so lucky that your kids are growing up with family. I keep praying that my kids will get to also.
I LOVED the pictures. That first one is one of the cutest pictures I have ever seen.
What a tender post! Thank you! I ABSOLUTELY love the pictures and your words of expression! I hope everyone who sees this post will realize what a treasure you had/have and what a treasure your kids have with their cousins. Thank you for a beautiful post!
Um, coolest pictures ever!! Seriously!!
I love this post! I was the opposite of you - did NOT get to be around grandparents and cousins growing up. I feel gypped (sp?) and now my kids are getting the same lame deal. I'm totally envious!
I am grateful to count you as one of my life long friends, though! I hope to get to see you soon!
Oh. My. Gosh. Those are the cutest pictures! What LUCKY-LUCKY kids to have so many cousins. . . who live so close!
so jealous. so so jealous.
I'm sure counting a ton of boys there! I love boys.
Great post, Olivia.
Olivia, those pictures are so amazing! I have only seen the first one, of course. Yes, I know how blessed you feel to be here around so much family. I had been missing it SO much and I feel like a piece of my heart has finally been put back in place. I love you so much and am so lucky to be your sister, an Aunt to your kids, and the momma of a little boy who gets to grow up with his cousins!
Couldn't have said it better myself. Love it, love you, love yourskids, So glad that Mia and Noah finally got their sleep over and then an entire day of play. I cherish you and your friendship as well. We have so mnay blessings to be thankful for. Obviously we are close, we even wear the same outfit to church for heaven sakes!
Priceless! Family is so great. I love the pictures.
I'm envious of your and your goals. You see what you want and then go for it. I LOVE this post. It makes me want to move home close to family and never leave, just like you! What a wonderful gift you are giving to your children, and an amazing one that you all are giving to each other...what's that line...'If I didn't have you as a sister, I'd have you as a friend?'
I'm so glad you are a friend that's crossed my path too!
Its totally cool with me for you to rub it in about the fact that Jack and I are isolated down here in this blasted inferno without any of the aforementioned luxuries of living by family!
I'm just so happy that we can come and visit enough, and make wonderful memories for all of our kids, too.
Jack literally talks about Eli wearing his big boy unders on a daily basis. He is very excited for him!
Love you!
How fun to have lots of cousins to grow up with! Those are some beautiful pictures!
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