Family Videos...

I’m sitting here watching a family video and I just love my family.  I had some pretty interesting insights while I was watching it…

First I didn’t realize this, but even when I was 4 everyone still called me Elizabeth or Eliz or Liz. To go along with that- a couple of weeks ago during good news minute in Relief Society I decided to share the fact that some of my family members have started calling me Lizzy. Well the ward just jumped right on board with that and now they are all calling (trying to remember to call)me Lizzy. It’s kind of fun.

So the part I’m watching is Christmas and in the background there’s Handel’s Messiah playing and along with that you can hear dad trying to sing along. Dad has a really good voice, but he tends to try to sing both tenor and bass so you can hear him trying to sing both parts (when the tenor part gets too high that’s when he tries out the bass). Anyway I just love that- because that is so typical dad.

Probably my favorite part was when mom was asking me what I thought of Christmas that year and I said, “well, I just love my Baby-all-gone and Bj.” Mom said, Oh don’t you love anyone else? And I replied, “I just love Mom and Dad and Bj and NOT Nate and Rachel and Baby-all gone.” I’m not exactly sure what happened to Joe in that statement, but I was laughing so hard at my snide comment. Haha. I obviously loved Nate and Joe, at the time, but I just have to say that I love them even more now.

So here’s a little shout out to them….I really have some of the best brothers! I know this is a little thing, but it really meant a lot to me. First, Joe is always really good about talking to me on Sundays and the other Sunday when we were ending the chat, we always say we love you and then hang up. He said it and I said that I loved him as well and then he stopped and said, No really though- Betsy…I love you. I could tell that he meant it. Not that I ever questioned whether he did or not, but sometimes it is really nice to be reminded that people do love me and support me.  Nate is the same way. He just takes the time to call and chat with me. The other day he left a message on my phone (that I saved by the way) and it just said ‘hey betsy, just wanted to call and check up on you and say that I love you.’ I can’t even tell you how much that meant to me that he would take time out of his day to think of me- can you tell that my love language is time? I have experiences like that with all of my siblings. I honestly believe I have some of the best siblings EVER! I feel very fortunate to have them in my life. I know they are busy with their own families and keeping their kids and their wives happy, and so I’m especially grateful that they remember me.

Another realization I had was that I was kind of a brat. I was cute as well, but I was just really bossy and LOUD!  I don’t think I’m quite as bossy or loud, perhaps I am, but I hope I’m a little more refined than my 4 year old self.

AND my birthday ‘month’ tradition started when I was 5. It isn’t completely my fault that I love celebrating my birthday all month long. I was raised that way. J

So I just want to share some cool experiences that I’ve had this past week. So Friday we had a Relief Society Recipe Exchange and of course there were just a few of us. Sister Peterson was the first person here and she had brought homemade bread. I was excited about the bread and I made some comment about it and she said- so I just have to tell you the story about this bread. Bishop woke up this morning and decided he wanted to make this bread because he wanted to show the Relief Society how much he loves us. Maybe this is me being conceited, but I think it was mostly so that I would know that he supports me and appreciates what I’m trying to do- even though it isn’t very much. She went on to say that he never cooks, but he spent all morning struggling through making bread for us. What an amazing Bishop!

The second cool experienced happened as I was walking out of church. It was the weirdest thing, but as I left the church I just had this wave of sadness and loneliness hit me.  I was just on the verge of crying as I got to my car and there was a note stuck in my door handle. I opened it and it was from one of the girls who had left before me. She just said how much she loved me and how she loved seeing me at church. In that moment I knew that my Heavenly father was very aware of me and what I’m feeling even before I feel them. He is definitely taking care of me. Even though sometimes I feel all alone- my Heavenly father is sure to remind me that I’m not all alone. He is right here next to me. Even if I can’t see him- he puts others around me to remind me.