family is IMPORTANT!!!

So, today I wanted to post about the great weekend I had with my extended family while I attended my cousins wedding, but a phone call today has changed my mind. I will share the pics and the fun with you tomorrow, but today I want to share my thoughts about family. See this cute lady below. That is my grandma. Ernestine Morris Cowley. I love, love, love this lady. She loves her family. She is smiling in this picture because she is surrounded by her great grandchildren. She has and would do anything for her family. She has set the standard for me about how you take care of your family no matter how close or far away you live from each other. YOU LOVE THEM NO MATTER WHAT AND YOU TAKE CARE OF THEM NO MATTER WHAT! I watched as my grandma did this. My grandma scarified for her family and would still do anything to be with them. I think once my grandmother started attending and working at the temple she learned even more how important family is and how we can all be together for ever. This cute little guy is Evan Cowley. He is not my real grandpa but I consider him my grandpa. He married my grandma when I was in junior high. (i think) Boy did he love my grandma and boy he took such great care of her. He took her all over the country so that she could see and visit many temples on the earth. They loved being together and they each took such good care of each other. He made my grandma so happy. They use to go to the temple every Wednesday in Idaho Falls and then they would go to lunch. One time I was lucky enough to go with them and I loved every minute of being in their company. I loved talking to Evan about his own kids and grand kids and it was fun to see him light up as he talked about the things that they were doing. He as was so proud of them.

Evan past away this morning. He is going to be missed by a lot of people, but I know that my poor grandmother will be so heart broken.

Family has always been so important to me. I think from my grandma's example I saw how you should do ANYTHING at ANYTIME to be with your family and love them at all costs. No matter what, no matter if they are your immediate family or extended family or your in laws. You should want to be with your family and enjoy them even with their faults and weaknesses.

So, why is it that we can be so nice to the people at church, work, or the park, but when it comes to our own family we lose are patience and get frustrated with them the most? Instead shouldn't we be the first line of defense for our family? Shouldn't we step up and take care of our family? Shouldn't we be more patient and loving and kind to our family?

So, my thought today is this. FAMILY IS FOREVER! Shouldn't we make them our priority so that we too can smile like my grandma when we see all of our family. have a great day! Love you Evan and Grandma!