Family

I think most of my blogs start out with, "I should be doing homework, but...." And so shall this one.

In my procrastination, I decided to take a shot at a blog that I knew I had to write as soon as I knew we were leaving Colorado. It is very dear to my heart, and I will probably be sobbing by the end, but here goes.

When I was 12 my parents invited a newly wedded couple to our house. We had supper and I spent the rest of the night in my room consoling a friend who had just broken up with her "true love". Maybe I should write a blog on all of the things I would go back and tell my sweetly stupid self, especially about true love, especially at 12! Whew that would be a long blog!

Anyway, shortly after that dinner, this couple took me and my sister to a concert. We sat out in the summer breeze, eating subs and listening to amplified songs, and my sister and I totally fell in love them! We went to several more concerts, had a few more dinners, and then they had a baby. This baby became our live doll! This kid was dressed up as a girl and drug to piano lessons, and ate a bowl of whoopie pie frosting and watched Veggie Tales ALL THE TIME!

Larry and Beverly O'Connell became Uncle Larry and Aunt Bev. They let us stay up late giggling in their basement and watching movies, Larry taught us how to drive his massive truck, and they were always gracious enough to look at cuts and bruises and answer late night medical questions. 

We did a lot of camping and fishing with them. I hated hiking! We would be climbing some ridiculous mountain that Larry said was only a mile tops. 5 miles in, he would tell us, "its just around that corner" 18 corner later, we all crashed on the ground by a little stream where we caught 2 fish and headed back the same grueling way we came in.

The first guy that ever showed interest in me, never called me back after he met my family. It was not my dad he was most afraid of, it was my Uncle Larry!

One camping trip, Larry let me drive his truck down a little mountain road. He was sandwiched between me and my sister. A song came on that we liked and we turned it all the way up and started dancing. Poor Larry got headbutted until he turned purple!

Bev and my sister and I liked to watch movies. One day we all filed into the theater with our candy and popcorn and settled in. This movie was horrible! Everyone died!!! Shortly after my sister and I spent the night at Bev's house and we watched another movie. After the main character died, we decided that our new activity would be shopping!!

Soon I met a guy that stuck around for a little bit. Uncle Larry wasn't real fond of him, but he kept coming back anyway.

I knew I liked him when he got along so well with my #1 man, Colt!!

He joined in our ski trips, and camping trips and holiday celebrations, so I married him!

Skiing in Breckenridge

Camping over Fathers Day

4th of July

When I got pregnant, Larry, who is an OB/GYN, threatened to move to Antarctica if I didn't stop calling him in the middle of the night asking if that feeling was normal!

The best part of the pregnancy was that Bev was also pregnant!!

And the even better part was that the two little boys are the best of friends!!!

Bev and Larry and their three kids couldn't be more family to us!! They have been there through incredibly difficult time. They have been there through amazingly happy times, and when no one else was there, they were!! They taught us how to play Hand and Foot, They taught us that rain is NOT a good excuse to cancel a fishing trip. They taught us that how to ski, and ride a horse and drive a Dodge pickup. They taught us what family truly is!! We have so many memories with them, and I have no idea how we will be able to say goodbye!!

Its hard to believe that my little "baby doll" is now playing with my kids that used to be his age!!

O'Connell's you are and will always be our family, and there is no way we could ever tell you how thankful we are for you!!!We are all going to miss you!!!!