Be your Best-There is no Second Fiddle

I am a picture-aholic this I know!!! But there is a reason to my madness!!! As we've been here in California for my Grandpa's Funeral and now the death of my cousin's baby, we have been through a LOT of pictures!!! My mom and the rest of my family are the same way!! But the crazy thing is the fact that most of the pictures of not only my dad's family with Grandpa but all the other families have come mostly from either my mom or ones that I or my sister have taken. It's sad to me!! Especially with today's technologies we are so blessed to have digital and computers and the Internet. Use those cameras folks!!

Another thing I have learned, of course once again, is how precious life is. With Uncle Rick, then Grandpa and now Baby Chace, you never know when it's coming!! You see when Brian and Jared were killed 16 years ago, I think Heavenly Father was preparing us for things yet to come!! I come from a very strong family full of very strong individuals, but life changes people and life sometimes changes relationships. I am so glad I know our Heavenly Father's plan for His Children!! I'm so glad that I understand life after death and the joys that come with that knowledge!! I love my family and with each one that has passed on, my heart breaks a little more!! While I never want to experience death on the same level as some of my other family members, especially loosing one of my own children, I do understand that we never know when these things will happen.
Another experience as I've watched the video that my brother-in-law has been working on, is how strongly my grandpa felt about his family. He LOVED his family and he expressed that every day!! My sister did a video interview with my grandpa a few years back and it has been so touching to hear his feelings expressed from his own mouth. He had a lot he taught each of us while he was here and yet there is more he wants us to understand in all of this!! Family is very important and I don't believe that it is by chance that we were sent to the families we were. But unfortunately we tend to be less forgiving and less accepting of those within our family as we might with those outside of it. It's hard!! Family can bring so much happiness yet so much sorrow and pain. They know things about us that sometimes we might forget, yet in the end they are there for us when we need them. They don't make choices that we agree with all the time, and maybe they take attention from our parents that we want, however it's their life and they will have to deal with the consequences of their decisions. I know I'm not perfect but I also know that I have a Grandfather who said the Best knowledge he learned from his youth that he carried with him through all his life was "Be your Best!! There is no second fiddle" And that is all I can strive to be everyday and that's all I hope my family will strive to be everyday!!
Mom and Dad-I hope I can live up to the name that I carry and always be part of a wonderful Legacy that has been shared with me by a Great Man!!
To my dear husband-I love you and am so grateful that you are so forgiving(especially now as I have so very little patience during this pregnancy)!! I Love you and am so grateful for the wonderful things that I have learned from your dear family as well!!
And To my darling little girl(and this new baby coming soon)-You are my world!!! I love you so much and am grateful every moment that I am blessed to have you in my life!! You bring so much happiness to my life and I can't ever imagine loosing you!!! So you can't go anywhere!!! I watched as my own parents lost 2 of their precious sons and I've watched as my dear cousins have lost their precious baby, and I don't ever what to have to deal with it!!! Sorry I'm selfish and I'm putting in my request on this one!!! Thank you for letting me be your mom!!!