ELEVEN KIDS??? (by Haley)

This picture was taken July 2012

Growing up in a family with eleven kids I often got the question, “How did you like having so many brothers and sisters?” I would always respond, “Well, I don't really know any different, but there is never a dull moment!” Honestly, I think being in a large family helped me learn how to live with all different kinds of people. I learned to appreciate them for their strengths and abilities. Just like you can learn something from each of your friends, I feel like I have learned something wonderful from every one of my siblings. Obviously, what sticks out to me about them could be different from someone else. Read below to check out all of the awesome people I lived with as a kid:

JOEL- Joel is the oldest brother of the eleven children. To me, he exemplifies AMBITION. He is a very motivated and driven person. He graduated from law school, started his own business, and is happily married with seven children.

SARAH- Sarah is the oldest sister in our family. To me, she is the COMMUNICATOR. She loves to talk on the phone. She always knows what each sibling is up to. When you are having a hard time, she is the first one to give you a call.

JUSTIN- Justin is the third oldest. To me, Justin is the the ENTERTAINER. Not only is Justin really funny, but you know when you're around him that you're going to do something fun. Justin is game for everything and always has great ideas for things to do.

HEATHER- Heather is the forth oldest. To me, Heather is the MUSICIAN. In our family, we all took piano growing up, however we call Heather the “designated piano player”. She is a great pianist and singer. She has even taught piano lessons.

BETHANY- Bethany is the fifth oldest. To me, Bethany is the STUDENT. Growing up Bethany was very studious. I often had her edit my papers and help me with my homework. She got perfect grades through high school and college. Now she teaches her kids to read when they are three.

WHITNEY- Whitney is the seventh oldest. To me, Whitney is ADVENTUROUS. Whitney was the first one to attend a university so far away. Then she and her husband decided to teach English in Ecuador for a few months. She is not afraid to break the family mold.

ASHLEY- Ashley is the eighth oldest. To me, Ashley is the APPRECIATOR. Ashley has a love for not only American history, but also family history. She loves old houses and finding out where they came from. She appreciates the simple things in life.

DEREK- Derek is the nineth oldest. To me, Derek is THOUGHTFUL. Derek is so nice to everyone. He calls me every week just because he knows I like it. He is the type of person that can point out someone who is feeling left out and will go out of his way to make them feel welcome.

DILLON- Dillon is the tenth oldest. To me, Dillon is the ARTIST. Dillon is very passionate about music, films, writing, and drawing. He composes his own songs, makes his own movies, writes novels, and draws some pretty awesome fantasy creatures.

CASSIDY- Cassidy is the youngest of the eleven kids. To me, Cassidy is PERSISTENT. Cassidy does not give up. Even though she is deaf, she doesn't let that hold her back. She performs in talent shows, gives speeches, volunteers, sings in public, plays the piano, and is very confident.

Now you can see how blessed I have been to grow up with all of these amazing people. Each person has helped me appreciate something different. Now maybe you can see why we all wish we lived closer to each other. Obviously if I have awesome siblings, I also have amazing parents. My dad is a retired seminary and institute teacher. He is very passionate about the gospel and has brought us all up to live it daily. My mother is the most selfless woman you will ever meet. Having eleven children and dedicating her life to raising us, she has to be. 

I doubt I am the only person in the world with an awesome family. Take a minute and write down qualities people in your family possess. It won't take long for you to realize how blessed you really are.