My Eternal Family

Family:

So I think my family is pretty great...

They are my very best friends- which I know might seem weird but if it came down to it, I'd rather spend time with them than anyone else.

One thing that I love about my family is our crazy relationship.

Because of the "quality family time" my parents brought into our lives I grew up saying "Taylor, Bostin, and Kenzie are my very best friends!"

Sometimes we didn't get along much... But the fact at we were able to forgive each other and "hold hands till we stopped fighting" (thanks mom.. and it legitimately happened.. more than once) made our relationship even stronger!

We were fortunate enough to have the time and ability to go lots of places as a family as well which helped strengthen our relationship.

The many road trips my parents made us take when we were growing up allowed us to quickly became comfortable around each other.

When the time came to take those road trips I often complained and rolled my eyes because I didn't want to be stuck packing for my little sister and making sure we had enough food and then sit in a squished car for 13 hours...

But now that I am older, and living away from my family, I wouldn't have traded those moments for anything!

It was awesome to be able to make such great memories and look back on those memories now.
I owe a lot to my family.
I know I wouldn't be as successful without them.
I love them with all my heart.


So this is my dad... Oh how great and wonderful he is.
He is my biggest hero.
He has always pushed me to be better.
Without him I wouldn't be the girl I am today.
I wouldn't have the values, strength, or drive.
He has always been there  for me.
Whether I needed a laugh or a great big hug and some encouraging words, he is always willing to take time out of his crazy busy life to help me.
 I love him for his sense of humor.
I love him for the work ethic he has taught me.
I love him for coming up to girls camp every year to go on the hike with me.
I love him for running with me so many mornings and always beating me home.
I love him for his support.
I love him for his words of advice. 

I love him for the way he honors his Priesthood and leads our family.
I love him for the great example he has been to me.
If I could marry someone half as great as him I would be pretty darn lucky!
Thanks for always being there for me dad!

 
 This is my beautiful mother but I like to call her my best friend.
I have learned so much from this woman and I am so blessed to have her in my life.
I know I wouldn't have made it this far without her.
Being a mom and working full time was definitely time consuming.
But despite her crazy busy life she was at every sporting event no matter how much work she had. Instead of staying at work during the day she would stay up late to get it done just so she could come  support me
I don't remember many games where I couldn't hear her yelling-
 "Go number 3!!" and "Play hard Ash!"
and even being 2,000 miles away she still finds time to support me whether that is sending me surprise packages or talking to me on the phone for hours. I don't know how she does it.
She is a miracle worker.

For her sacrifice and support I will forever be grateful.
I want to be like her one day.
She is such a great role model for me to look up to.
I'm so grateful that I got the chance to not only be a daughter but a best friend to my mom. It has truly been a blessing in my life to grow up with a great mom.
I love you!





Now for the greatest siblings in the whole wide world!! :)

This is my handsome brother Taylor.
Taylor is two years older than me and the best big brother a girl could ask for.
He has always been right by my side helping me find my way.
Even though we have had our fights we always end up hugging it out and go
back to loving each other. From the moment I was born we were best friends.
Growing up with Taylor was anything but boring.
I remember waking up on Saturdays smelling omelets because Taylor was kind enough to make his brother and sisters some breakfast.
I remember him staying home to watch movies with us instead of going out with his friends.
I remember playing soccer and lacrosse together.
I remember being at school and having him come up and ask me how my day was going and then he would give me a great big hug. Not many siblings acted like that in high school.
I remember double dates and late night adventures and staying up talking all night.
I remember going to our cabin and him teaching me how to snowboard.
I remember hearing him play the guitar and letting me sing along even though I'm not a good singer.
I remember him coming to games and supporting me.
I remember him helping me with homework.
I remember eating a whole box of otter pops in one day as we turned the garage into a skate park so we could rollerblade.
I remember all of these things because I have a big brother who was willing to spend time with his sometimes annoying little sister.
I am so grateful to have these dear memories.
I love my big brother so much!
and I'm definitely the luckiest little sister in the world!!

 So then comes my little yet not so little brother Bostin :)
Oh what a joy he is in our family.
He is one of those kids that you love so much and yet you want to strangle half the time because he is so darn stubborn!
He is an amazing example to everyone around him.
Even though he is my little brother I definitely look up to him, and it's not just because he is taller than me. :)
Before Taylor left to college Bostin and I weren't very close.
But when I became the oldest child in the house things started to change. I relied on Bostin like I relied on Taylor when he was here. I started to have to spend time with Bostin because of different chores and I was the only driver at home. I remember taking Bostin to practices and school events or to friend's houses. Every time we would get in the car we would fight about the music and whether the windows should be rolled down or which way to get there, but as we spent more time together the songs didn't matter because we both could sing to them and the windows were rolled down only on certain roads, and we would take the long way so we could listen to more songs and spend time together. :)
I began to form a bond with this little brother of mine and soon we were best friends. He was someone I could count on and who would support me in everything. We soon wanted to hang out with each other and we wanted to be at each other's games and we wanted to acknowledge that we were related and we liked it. :)
Going away to college made me scared that we would lose touch or go back to how we used to be but, our relationship has only grown.
I'm grateful for the softening of both our hearts so that we could gain the relationship that we now have.







Say Hello to my mini-me, Kenzie!
She is my favorite person in the world.
When I was little and my mom was pregnant with Bostin, I cried when I found out that it was a boy instead of a girl. All I wanted was a little sister. And one day I got one. My life has been forever changed because of Kenzie. Not only did I have the privilege of taking care of her, spending time with her, and helping her become the best she could be, but I got to find a best friend.
We spend time doing each other's hair, painting nails, talking about boys, and trying on clothes, going to dinner, watching movies, singing in the car, and constantly laughing with each other. :) She definitely is a little princess and much more girly than I have ever been but we balance each other out nicely.
Kenzie is one of those people that has to sing everything... and by everything I mean everything!
What she is eating, what her homework says, where she is going, how she feels, the weather, the way she looks, the way she thinks others look, and the list goes on.
But she has an amazing voice so it makes it okay.
She is so talented with a kind soul and a happy attitude. I'm grateful for all the things this cute girl has taught me over the years.
I love this girl so much and I'm so glad that I get to be her big sister. There is nothing quite like having a sister who is your best friend.

I really love my crazy family