We are Family!

I am so incredibly thankful for my extended family.  Both the family I have known my whole life and the one I married into.

My mom comes from a very close family so I grew up with lots of cousins, second cousins, great-aunts and uncles, and so on.  They are all so supportive of one another and are always there when needed.  My first semester at BYU-Idaho I loved with my great-aunt and uncle (my grandpa's twin).  Ethne's first pediatrician was my mom's cousin and we always visited another cousin every time we went to the pediatrician.  The last two years my mom's family has done something special for us for Ethne's birthday, and one of her sisters set up this blog for us.

My dad's family is also close, but not to the same extent.  I always had cousins to play with and wonderful aunts and uncles, but not really all the extras.  Any time we needed anything we could rely on someone to be there.  Josh and I spent summers playing with cousins and sleeping over at Grandma's.

Lawrence's family is incredible too.  Both his parents come from big-ish families that love and support each other.  After the accident two of Lawrence's uncles (and their wives) were among the first to arrive at the hospital.  Much of his family visited at the hospital and didn't even get to come back and see me, but they come nonetheless, just to be there for support.  We spent many a date night at Grandma and Granddad Burt's house and Sunday evenings visiting with Grandma and Grandpa Stone.  Now we visit often with Mike and Heidi even though it is an hour drive to see them.

I am so thankful for amazing and supportive extended family.  It is amazing to feel so much love from people you have known your whole life, but even more incredible to feel that same kind of love from people who have only known you for a few years.  A huge thank you to all my extended family, grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, great-aunts, great-uncles, second cousins, et. al.!  Thank you for loving me (and my family), no matter how long or short our relationship has been.