Precious Moments

A Road Trip that I don't think we will make any time soon...

"Teeny Weeny Baby"

Trying to be as comfortable as possible!

Real Trooper! 

Dad when he was a kid!

FamILY

Haha! Candice + Me on road trips = SO AWESOME!

One of the nights in the hotel!

I will never forget this day. I love seeing my dad smile. This is his father. 

This is... well Matt being Matt...

On our way home!

My dad was feeling sick so we stopped to have a little fun!

When you have a family like mine... Family vacations are the BEST! For thanksgiving this year the WHOLE family hopped into the van and headed to St. Louis Missouri to be with my dad's brother and his family! We had such a great time! When we got in the car to leave and my dad pulled out this tiny tiny baby bottle, and he called it the teeny weeny bottle... and the person who was complaining or fighting got to hold this bottle, and they became the peacemaker. Its a long story and sounds weird... but it was awesome! I love my dad and his little games. We drove halfway and stayed at a hotel in Kansas. The drive wasn't too bad... Veronica is pregnant and gets really sick, but she didn't complain once! She is amazing!! We drove the rest of the way the next day and had a few days in Missouri. We had a great dinner, and just hung out with the family. We went shopping, played basketball, and just enjoyed each others company. On Friday we went to go see my dads dad. This was amazing, and this is why my title is precious moments. This was a precious moment. My grandpa has Dementia and is not doing very good, but it was so good to go spend a few hours with him. One of the main reasons it was so great is because of my dad. I was kind of emotional (which is surprising) when I saw my dad's face. He lite up, and never stopped smiling. It breaks my heart to know that my grandpa doesn't remember anything or anyone, but what I have learned from this experience is that family is the most important thing in life, and we should never forget it. We sat around and talked about my dads childhood, and asked my grandpa many questions. What an amazing day. I will never forget it. We left on Saturday and stayed in another hotel in Kansas. I have said this a lot, but I loved every single second of it. Well actually there was something that i did not enjoy, and that was KANSAS!!! Every where we went in Kansas something bad happened! We went to this restaurant and there were bugs in our drinks and hair in our food. Gross. Over all it was a great trip. It was a long drive but so worth it. I am grateful for the precious moments in our lives. I am grateful for church. But most of all I am grateful for my amazing family.

Fun Day with Carson and Anna!

Love the hair!

I don't even know where to begin... This family has been amazing to me. These kids are two of my favorite kids! I would steal them if I could. :) I took them for the day and went to Target and Chuckie Cheese. They were awesome, and had so much fun. I am extremely grateful that I have gotten to know this amazing family, and have gotten so close to them. I look up to Mike and Joyce so much, they are such great parents. I will miss the fun talks I always have with them. I am going to miss Carson and Anna!! After my family they are always first on my list when I come home! 

Loved the cup! Doesn't get much cuter than this!

Just love her!! 

MATTHEW!!!

Oh man, where do I even start? You are simply amazing and one of my 8 favorite siblings... I am grateful for all you do for me. You are such a great big brother. Being two states away from me isn't my favorite thing, but thank goodness for phones! If there weren't phones I am pretty sure I would have died by now. That scary person that is always hiding in my car at night unless you answer your phone would have already killed me. Hahaha thank you for always answering and letting me interrupt your THOUSANDS of dates a night, to make sure I get home in one piece. I cherish every memory together! We have so many. You are going to make such an amazing husband and father someday because you have the biggest heart, and you have best personality. All though I do feel bad for the girl you marry because they have to deal with Candice and I... Thank you for always being their for me no matter what. I am grateful that god gave me you as a brother! :) I love you! can't wait to see you in two weeks!!!

Seth and Veronica

I can't believe it has already been a year since you two got married. It went by so fast! Seth, I look up to you in many ways. How did I get so lucky to have you as the oldest brother? Sometimes I think its not fair that you got so lucky to be the oldest and the smartest... It should have  been one or the other not both.. :) just kidding.. You are amazing! I remember the specific time when I realized just how much you mean to me. It was right before you left on your mission 4 years ago! I am grateful for our relationship, and I love the talks we have. I know I can come to you for anything, and you will be right there to help me get through it. What I also love is the  life lessons I get from you. Your kids are going to be lucky they are a part of your family, not only because your going to be a doctor... Haha. but because they get you two as parents! The other night when we all came over to your house was so fun! we really need to do it more often. I love you! Veronica! I am sorry that I don't share this more often, but you are AMAZING! There isn't anyone that I know of that is better for Seth than you are. You are the sweetest person I know. We are lucky that you are part of our family. I had so much fun hanging out with you the other night, we need to do it more often!! You are going to be such an amazing mom! and I am soooo excited for you! Love you!

MOM!

Mom, This is by far going to be one of the hardest ones to write for a few reasons. One because I could write pages, and two because you are so special to me that its hard to put it into words. I will try my hardest though. :) How am I ever going to be a great mom when I always want the last bite, or I just want to be left alone for awhile, or when I just want to curl up in a blanket, watch TV and escape from reality. You are a perfect mom, and I can just hear you saying no I am not, but really mom... you are. I am not saying you don't make mistakes because sadly we all do, but all the kids would agree with me on this that you are indeed the perfect mom. There is not a selfish bone in your body, and I keep telling you this, but I want a book from you that will tell me how to become you because I want to become just like you. The other day, and by the other day I mean like a month ago when you and me were in the kitchen having one of those not so serious arguments and dad looked over at us and said you guys are acting like siblings. That made me laugh, I probably laughed a little too hard, but I think it is awesome that we have that type of relationship. I never have anything but good things to say about you. I brag about my mom to everyone. They probably think I am annoying, but you are worth it. You have taught me so much. I have learned that service is one of the best things you can do for anyone. You are always serving everyone. Mom, you are amazing, and beautiful (inside and out) I love our chats every morning, and I am going to miss just sitting their and talking to you when I leave in a month in a half. When I read that quote about being a mom to you the other day in the kitchen I felt your love for all of us. You are like that mom in the story. You were made to keep our family together. You were made to support and love dad. You were made strong enough to hold the world on your shoulders, but gentle enough to give comfort. You were given a hardness that allows you to keep going when everyone else gives up. I could keep going on and on. Mom, you deserve to cry when ever you want because  the beauty of a women is not in the clothes you wear, the figure you carry, or the way you comb your hair. The beauty of a women must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to your heart, the place where love resides. Mom I am sorry that I don't tell you enough, but I love you so much, and am so grateful for your amazing self. I am grateful that you are my mom. Thank you for always being there.

Daddy. :)

I want to start out with my dad and then move ALL the way down to Camille.
Dad, Dad, Dad, where do I even start? I am not sure if you will ever read this, but I hope you will. You mean the absolute world to me. You have taught me so much in just 18 short years. I don't know anyone (besides mom, you both tie) who is more giving than you are. I could go on and on about the stories I have heard about how amazing you are. It happened just yesterday. I was helping someone carry their food out to their car and somehow he realized that you were my dad and he just looked at me and said, Your Ricks daughter? He is one of the kindest people I have ever met. He is such a great guy. I was touched. Something I  love about you is your sense of humor. I can't tell you how much I love to just sit their like a three year old and wait for you to do or say something funny that will have us all laughing, but most of all I love to hear you laugh, and I love to see you happy. Dad, you are the HARDEST worker EVER. I am so grateful for everything you have done for the family. I am really sorry I don't share with you enough how much you mean to me. Sometimes I think to myself.. How did I get so lucky to have the dad I have? You are one of a kind and I hope that someday I am lucky enough to find someone who is just like you to treat me the way you treat Mom, and to Love my kids the way you love yours. I have two texts that I saved in my phone that I will never forget, they say: One was on my birthday and you said "Stay my little girl k?" and the other one was after an argument we had and you said "You are sooooooooo important to me never forget that!!!!" "I love you so I want to watch out for you." All I can say is thank you. You know me.. Tears rarely appear on my face, but when I read these they always magically appear. I love you dad and don't you ever forget it. :)

Blogging!

I have never been interested in blogging, but after tonight I can already tell I am going to be addicted... Yikes! My posts might be random and not have any significance to others, but that's me.. I will eventually get to all the amazing events that have happened in my life, but I want to start out by telling the people that I am closest too how much they mean to me. :)