I have a lot of wonderful people in my life....I have an awesome husband and great kids. I have some of the best friends in the world and am lucky enough to have some wonderful sister in laws. But over this Thanksgiving holiday I have realized that there is no relationship that can replace that of a sister! Most people have one or two.....I have 5! Ya....that can be CRAZY at times. There have been moments that our husbands just throw their hands up in defeat. I believe my Dad did that quite often....poor guy. But the truth is I couldn't live without them. I talk to at least one almost every day! (thank goodness for cell phone plans) When the going gets rough....I call them. When I am sad and lonely.....I call them. When I miss my Mom....I call them! If I go on a vacation....it's to see one of them! Today, I am grateful to be one of 6 beautiful Toombs girls!
Here are a few photos from the past 8 years.....
Kim and I flew out to GA to be there when Katie had her first baby. We were so sad that she went into labor early and we missed the birth.....arriving in time for her to come home from the hospital. It was so great to share that time with her and Scott. The day we left was so sad....we still have issues with the fact that she lives so far away! ( nice hair we all had!)
Emily's wedding......This was about 6 years ago. She had such a beautiful wedding! I loved the reds. I wish I had a better photo!
The Toombs family reunion 2005. We try to get everyone together every other year. It is not always easy but it is so worth the effort! We have changed a lot in 5 1/2 years!
The Toombs reunion 2007. The last time we were all together before Mom died. We did family photos on our 2nd day camping......NO EASY task. Try doing your hair in a camper and tents with 18 children! And we decided to wear white......what were we thinking??? Looking back, I am SO SO glad we did it. Little did we know it would be the last photo of all of us. I am not sure where Nat, Chris, and I were when this was taken but I love this picture of Kim, Katie, and Em.
This was that same reunion 2007. We always seem to swim at our reunions! We all got sick from this pool :(
4 of us came down to Utah after the reunion 2009 and went to Lagoon. It was one of the best times we have had. Katie rode skycoaster.....she said she will never do it again! We went with some friends of mine at the time of her work party. I am telling ya.....that is the way to go to Lagoon. All you can eat food all day long. HEAVEN
This was August 2008. It was the last time the 3 of us saw my mom alive. She had come down to Utah for the weekend before Katie and Em flew home. We shopped and went to peaks. I remember Mom CRIED and CRIED that time. I really think that subconsciously she just knew it was goodbye. It makes me sad to think of it.
This is a tender photo.....I really don't like it simply because of the circumstances. It was the day after Mom's funeral.....or maybe it was that night. We all gathered up on her bed.....for the final time......to read the comment cards people left at the viewing. Mom always loved it when we all come in on Mother's Day and sat on her bed. It had been years since we were able to do that. I now have this bed. Sometimes it is still hard for me to look at.....every once in a while I have a wave of sadness wash over me when I walk in my bedroom!
I just realized that Nat has spent most Thanksgiving's with me. That is pretty cool! This was two years ago.....just a month after Mom died. It was a pretty hard holiday season! We decided to go out on black Friday and do some shopping. We didn't hit the normal stores.....we went to places Mom liked. Here we are at Thanksgiving Point. I loved that day!
Toombs reunion 2009. Grandma Toombs came to visit. We hadn't seen her for many years! She actually looks exactly the same! (where is Kim? taking the picture maybe?)
Nat and I summer of 2009
I went to be with Emily in Aug 2009. Dyan was having his surgery and I am so glad I was there. I am lucky enough to have been with Em through most of Dylan's ordeal......making 4 trips to Arizona in two years! We took him to the Children's museum a few days after his surgery. It was about 110 degrees and he couldn't get wet and the poor kids was going nuts. We had to find something for him to do. He sure did figure out how to work around a HUGE cast really fast!
On our way to church Oct 2009
Oh this is a sentimental photo! When we were growing up....my Mom would take turns bringing us down to SLC during the Oct conference to Christmas shop. At that time, conference was still held in the tabernacle so we rarely had tickets to go in although I WAS lucky enough to attend a session when was around 13. Anyway, we would always stay in the Little America and go to the Olive Garden for dinner. The last time I talked to my Mom, she had actually called to wish Lys a happy birthday and make plans to come down the next weekend to take her shopping and to stay at the Little America. She decided that it was time to continue the tradition with her grandkids. She died 30 hours later. We held her funeral the day she was to check into the hotel with Lys. One year later was Alyssa's 16th birthday so we decided to do what Grandma would have done and celebrate in style. Kim, Nat, Em, Kayla, Lys, her friend McKylee, and I all went to SL for the weekend. We stayed in the Little America and asked for one of the older rooms in the tower. It looked exactly the way it did 20 years ago! We went shopping at the gateway and had dinner at the Olive Garden. We laughed so hard we caused a scene and did a little crying too. I know Mom was there! Growing up we always took a photo in the lobby of the Little America so we just had to do it again for old time sake!
Kim and I took pictures of some of Mom's favorite stores. See's was at the top of the list!
5 of the 6 of us this past 4th of July. We are missing Katie :(
Nat and Chris came down.....for no particular reason......just to visit. Those are the best weekends! We went to a football game and then did some shopping and out to Red Lobster for lunch. We couldn't do the seafood thing if Kim had been there.....she HATES it.
The most recent "sister" weekend. Kim and Nat came here for Thanksgiving. We had the best time. The 3 of us and Mckayla went shopping all day Friday and then that night we went to see the lights at temple square. Considering there were 18 of us....we did pretty darn good! I absolutely cherish these times! I am so blessed to have 5 sisters as my BEST FRIENDS!
I love you all!!!
6 comments:
Yeah for sisters!!! I am blessed to have 2 sisters but don't see one of them near often enough. What a blessing it is to have sisters!!! This was a beautiful post Jenn!!!
Wow. I have no words. That post makes me cry. I love all of those pictures even if I look like crap in most of them. :(
I love what you said about vacations being about going to see sisters. Now that I think about it, we rarely travel for any other reason. It is always going to see somebody.
Love you so much Jen. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE you. Even if you are a brat at Disney! Hee! Hee!
YOU were the brat!!! BUT, we get a redo in 4 weeks. We can go back to the same spot and "pretend" to fight :)))
Oh, I almost added that photo but figured I better not... LOL
I forgot to send you that one you asked for from my wedding!! Man I feel bad!! This was a sweet post, I agree with ALL you said! The one of us on Moms bed makes me sad, its not the way things should be. Mom left us to soon and it doesn't make a lot a sense to me. I wonder if one day I will have a better understanding of why we lost her.
love ya!
Ah Jenn, what a nice post. I love you sooooo much! I am forever grateful that you were there during the hardest time of my life. I still remember when you walked into the hospitial that day and I just cried and cried. I was soooooo comforted having you there. Now, PLEASE take the photo off of me in the swimming suit and I will love you even more! : ) I agree 100%...sisters are the best!
Oh. My. Freak. I'm either pregnant or just had a baby in every picture and seriously, in that first picture, why did I not know how bad I looked? Geez! :) Thanks for the nice post! All the pictures at the end make me sad cause I hate missing out on stuff but I'm still glad when you guys can get together. Next time you go to Red Lobster, eat an extra biscuit for me! :) Love ya!
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