Few things in life matter as much as FAMILY...

Just this past weekend, I was with my entire family; Val, our kids, their spouses, and their children, in Utah for Keith's wedding to Jennifer Jones, of Salt Lake City. At the reception for Keith and Jenny, Saturday night, all my Peterson Utah cousins showed up, and it was so great to see them, to chat with them, and to share my family with them, on a level I never had before. Washington is a bit far and out of the way for alot of extended family time together. Funny thing though, being with my cousins felt as if we had never been apart from one another. I am grateful that my Grandparents, Ferd and Isabelle Peterson, instilled this family connection desire within me. For one summer, in 1969, I lived with my grandparents from the middle of June until the end of August. I hauled river rock the size of watermelons about 100 yards up from the river to the cinderblock cabin and helped pour concrete in an effort to build a shuffle board, which was used for many years after! I learned to love classical music, because all that was up at that cabin was an old mono record player, with about 4-5 classical vinyl albums! I learned to "like" carrots, because once they left me alone there, and soon, all the good food was gone, but for the fresh carrots in the "re-frig" (as they called it) which i soon ate boiled and mounted with heaped onm melting butter! I learned to saddle horses; skeeter and snip, and take early morning rides up through the smith morehouse camp grounds. I loved it when my cousins would join me up there that summer. We would stay up all night, chatting by the fire in that ice cold cabin (even in the summer, it would get down to near freezing at night!) after having had Grandma play some show tunes from Broadway on her upright piano. Grandpa would sing, sometimes whistle along with her. It was a grand time! So this past weekend, many of those memories came flooding back as I saw and spent a little table time with my cousins; Julie/Geoff, Laurie/Kent, Dale/Chris, and David. My darling Aunt Glo, whose smile is ever warm and inviting is always wonderful to see and grab a hug from! Yes, the summer of 1969, so many times I would steal away to be with my cousin Julie, and hang out with her and her friends. She was on Highland High's pep club and while she would practice, I would take her car and roar around the sugarhouse area! Of course, I wasn't licensed! It was a nice weekend. Even better with my cousins "in the house" and being a part of my wild and crazy family!