Category: Extended family

Sanchez homecoming party

My parents are getting settled after their mission. Today they spoke in church about their experiences and then we gathered in their home to enjoy a meal. The young cousins (not pictured) joined one another in the usual arrays to play while adults settled into conversations long overdue. Sunlight reached inside to illuminate a very nice family gathering. My parents are themselves, and more tender and refined because of their missionary service.

#Goals

I don’t think we’re using hashtags or saying “#Goals” anymore, but this verse is pretty aspirational for me.

Notice that Nephi says his father Lehi was obedient unto the word of the Lord. End of statement. This is a character trait of Lehi, a long-established pattern in his life. Nephi continues, “Wherefore (meaning because of this, or for this reason), [Lehi] did as the Lord commanded.”

Nephi also says he was born of goodly parents. To Nephi, GOODNESS and OBEDIENCE were defining characteristics of his parents, so (of course) they would do what the Lord asked of them.

I have parents like this, and they have been missing from our lives for a year because they have been serving a mission. This is their second mission together. They served as mission leaders for three years when they were in their fifties, and now they are in their seventies. They have been serving in Puerto Rico where my dad served as a young missionary in the early 1970’s.

I can say of my parents, “They are obedient, so they answered the call for more senior missionaries to serve.”

They come home this week. I have their car in my driveway, a nice bedroom waiting for them because they fly in so late, and flags to wave at the airport. Hooray!

Or, as my dad would say, Hurrah for Israel!

Times change

This cousin was Tim’s little buddy a few years ago, somebody he would carry around, but a lot has changed recently. Now he looks like somebody Tim could call to help move a sofa. How great is that?!

Virginia Reel 2025

Each year, Paul adds new calls to our dance, and these pictures show that this isn’t your grandma’s Virginia Reel. (I’m pretty sure our grandmas would love it, though.) We had great participation this year at the Sanchez reunion.

What you see here is my effort to be a better family member. I wear Grandma’s red boots for this annual dance and I fiddle my hands off to offset the classical violin music I foisted on the family in the past, as well as other annoying firstborn behavior.

Weber 2025

Plein air painting and lunch on the porch.
Little Grandma Carol made a visit.
Tim and Queenie
Lots of volleyball this year.
Painted by Daniel. Each person who painted a Book of Mormon cover did a beautiful job.
Becky, recovering from shoulder surgery, made it up for the afternoon.
The Rosses were in charge of setting the table on Sunday night.

Marysvale 2025

I am glad that I went to the Ross reunion and that I could see how Richard’s family is doing. I am glad that Queenie and I had a good talk driving to and from Marysvale. I will remember witnessing the terrible Monroe fire not far from where we stayed. I am thankful for Richard’s mother who worked hard to alter Queenie’s wedding dress. This year, we had a smaller group of people, but the core Ross family was there. None of my children could attend, but Queenie represented our family well. One way we remembered the people who were missing was to do a puzzle made from a picture from 3 years ago.

I am thankful that we took two cars. And someday soon, we will retrieve our truck from the auto repair shop in that tiny town 3 hours from home. 😬