Enjoying Life: Family Party 2010

What a wonderful four days. During this time we were blessed to have everyone of our forty nine family members be with us at one time or another. It is so hard with work schedules now to plan on everyone. We were glad that DelRay, Todd, Heidi and Shyalee would come after or before work. And even though Danny drove clear to work in Salt Lake City on Saturday morning we were glad they told him that he could leave and return to Elwood. Just a lot of diving for him. We have a terrific family and it is so fun and gratifying to watch them mingle and support one another. One of the greatest surprises was when Jeff I. showed up from Minnesota. He had driven nineteen hours straight to get here. Nichole had told me that she suspected he was coming when she saw a debit card transaction in South Dakota. She wanted it to be a surprise for the boys so"MUM" was the word. I was so very grateful when he showed up Friday Evening about 8:30 p.m. He had left Champlin, Minnesota, that morning at 1:00 a.m.

Hunter literally climbed through the car window to give his dad a hug when he got their. Hunter told me that his dad would never miss the Labor Day Party. He is a wonderful support to his sons and to Nichole. Thanks so much for coming.

The weather was ideal, the food is always the best, the games are always plentiful and the wheels go around and around.
Each year as the time for the family party comes I try very hard to think of something extra special to share with my family that will let them know how much Heavenly Father loves them and how much he is aware of them and their joys, sorrows, hardships and success. This year I had asked Sid if he would please share with the family his story about his conversion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What a wonderful spirit came to our family as he shared his story. He likened it to a pot of water. For him his pot of water simmered for quite sometime before it came to a full boil. He shared how his good friend Jeremy was a young Latter day saint and the fine example that he always was to Sid. Then he met Natalie and again the example she was. Then he met our family and again another influence was added that instilled in him the desire to have the missionaries come to his and Natalie's home to teach him the gospel. Soon his pot of water was really coming to a boil and his testimony was becoming strong. He said that perhaps the hardest part of his conversions was telling his parents. Sid is of Jewish heritage. He was born of a Jewish mother and so will always be a Jew. A very tender moment that he shared with us was when he found out that he and Natalie were going to be parents he knew that he did not want to be on the outside of the circle when she was blessed. We can sit at that simmering point in our lives for along time but when true conversion comes you really want to partake of all of Gods choice blessings. We are grateful for Sid's influence and his great love for us. Thank you