Summer of growing

So much has happened this summer. Some good some bad. Each teaching us some valuable lessons about life and family. Today is the first day of school and as I have thought about this summer the last few days I can see the blessings that came from this year.

The beginning of the summer started out as uneventful as normal. Normal summer activities with the kids hanging out with friends and working. Sand volleyball became a big deal around here. Almost a nightly event with Cole, Alex and Sebastian. At times Eve and every once in awhile Malcolm. Alex was able to take a trip of a lifetime to Key West with his scout troop, canoes, kayaks, snorkling, deep sea fishing. He had so much fun. Sebastian finished his last year of Summit basketball camp. I can't believe he is in high school now. Eve had multiple STUCO camps and Choir camp. Cole worked and really enjoyed his last run with his friends from high school. Malcolm spent the summer growing up, working and making new friends and figuring life out.

I would have to say for Cole this summer has been his big summer. Figuring out who is becoming as a man. He received his patriarchal blessings . Cole was ordained an Elder this summer by his dad. It was insane the amount of men that stood in for the ordination. Mostly family with close friends of his. That same week he was able to go to the temple and receive his endowments. Cole is my one that takes his situations he comes across and ponders them and tries to figure out how it has effected him and what he should do to make himself a better person. This is his time that he is figuring this out. It seems to be the age. I watched Malcolm do this as well not too long ago. That night after we left the temple we had a really good conversation about what the last week had held for him. We talked about how the spirit is able to talk to us and how for every person that is very different. While at the temple I had a very distinct feeling and a very strong impression to do something.

We were unaware of a life changing moments that were occurring with a family friend and their family. We both talked about how we just had this feeling something wasn't right that night but didn't know what it was about. Late into the night we found out of the loss of a teenager that the kids knew. The events that occurred in the next week really changed how our family communicated with each other and how my kids reacted to each other. I watched them provide service to this family that I had no clue until I got home from work that day. I watched as they pray for the peace for that family and his friends. I watched as they rallied around the siblings that were left to overcome the loss of their brother. But as I watched the parents of this young man be an example of hope and faith in the Lord and his promises it strengthened my family and others that were there to witness this.

I deal with death all the time at work but when it is in my personal life I have a harder time knowing what to say or do for people.

I love that my children can take the events that unfolded this summer both good and bad and use it to grow closer to the Lord. Don't get me wrong. We had some nights of not understanding why things happen and several nights of one or two kids climbing on my bed just to lay there and eventually talk. Sometimes they needed to just be in there and not talk. Growing up is hard and this summer they all did quite a bit of it. I am thankful that growing up included growing closer to each other as well.

Realization of how important family is became very clear this summer. Realization of the power of the Gospel and the plan of Salvation did as well. But most of all the Realization of remembering to be who you can be proud of and just loving life and those around you became even clearer.