"Your Family's Singing!"

One of my favorite things on the list of adorable and innocent things that Tom has said that make me so happy I married him, is "your family's singing!!" The first time he said it, my iPod was taking a turn on the iHome, and it was on shuffle. All of a sudden Highways are Happy Ways came on. I was in the other room and didn't think much about the change, but Tom exclaimed, in complete excitement "YOUR FAMILY'S SINGING!" I came in and looked at his face, his eyes wide. It was adorable.

And now, every time my iPod is taking a turn on the iHome and is on shuffle, I wait intently for when my family begins to sing.

My family has always sung together. I have memories that are very very near and dear to my heart that consist of all 10 of us gathered around to Stephanie playing the piano as we sang "Andersen Songs". I have always been so very proud of my singing family, and so grateful that my parents instilled a deep love of good music in each of us.

Nowadays, we live very far apart from each other. Stephanie is in New Mexico. Kim is in Utah. Lindsay is in Alaska, Cami is in Texas. Jeff is also in Utah. I am in Idaho. Tim is in France. Sarah is the last bird in the nest that currently resides in east Texas. Being away from family is hard, sometimes harder than other times.

But when I listen to my family sing, it's all just a little bit better. I love listening to my sisters singing a song about sisters, or all of singing about how blessed we are, or my Dad singing  a lullaby that each of us were sung to sleep with countless nights. Through those songs, I feel that intense love again. Gosh, I love my family so much.

I'm so grateful for technology. I'm so grateful that we decided to record a CD as a Christmas gift last year because it has turned out to be one of my most treasured items too, not just a nice way to 'pay back' my parents for all the times we refused to practice. I'm so grateful that no matter the distance or the time apart, my family is eternal. That is pretty powerful, if you ask me, and it's even more powerful that music brings all of that right into perspective.