For Family Love

I couldn't sleep. It happens more often than I want. I hate it when I do this but, something will wake me up then my mind takes over and moves a hundred miles per hour and then I just can't go back to sleep. I'm tired, but my mind is moving. My body is telling me to go back to bed.
My mind won the fight this morning.

Some things have come full circle for me as I've been visiting relatives over the scattered weeks.

Think of your childhood. The things you enjoyed as a child, things that you experience with Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Cousins, Aunts, Uncles. You want your kids to have that, plus more. I have great memories with my family. Playing in the pond, catching poly wogs, star watching, family get togethers (my jello fetish seeded at these events) Its been extra fun this summer knowing my kids will treasure these experiences with their own brothers and sisters and with extended family. I just makes me smile. And I can't help but think of my memories spending with family. And it brings me joy as I know they are making memories. And more than just memories but the love they feel as they are around each different family.

It's important to put aside differences, hold the tongue or the opinion and just enjoy each other. Some times you just have to let it all go under the bridge. Every family is different, we all do things a our own way and it may be a little strange to others. But I guess that's what makes a family dynamic fun.

This summer has made me want to be a better Wife, Mom, Sister, Cousin, Aunt, Daughter, Daugther-in-law, and friend. I love the feeling of being with family.

Being tucked away in a city, far from family, I've learned family isn't just direct blood lines, but we belong to a big Heavenly Family. I'm thankful for the friends that do "family things" with us too. They will be apart of our "family" memories too.

I guess what I am expressing is I have a testimony that we belong to a Heavenly Family. We are all apart of the same Heavenly Family. We have a Heavenly Father and Mother. Families are important. And our own individual families can be together forever. And the joy I feel here with my earthly family as I talked about above must intensify a thousand times over in the celestial kingdom. This is why we must work so hard to keep it together, ALL of us together so we can live with that feeling for all eternity. What joy. I know Heavenly Father has made this possible for us to achieve. As a little girl Heavenly Father blessed me with this knowledge and planted it my heart early and line upon line it has grown. As I get older He gives me another glimpse of what eternity should be like. I know what goal I want. I am thankful for my family.