Good Times with Family

"Families can be together forever." I love those words
and the prosptect of eternity with the ones I love. I
once heard a man say that he couldn't image anything
worse. He said: "You can pick your friends but not your
relatives." I felt sad that anyone could have such
thoughts, and was happy that I do not share them. My
greatest joys come from being together with family.
I love my children and their spouses and especially each
of our grandchildren who bring so much joy into our lives.
I am greatful for each moment I spend with any of you.
I find it difficult to balance the time I spend with each
of you individually and the pictures I take often reflect
this fact, but please remember that all of you are
precious in my sight and there is nothing that is
right that I would not do for any of you. Below are just
a few of the pictures I am constantly taking of family,
to the shagrin of some, but to my delight.

Grandma Iris and sweet Libble at Aunt Alison's on

Saturday. She is a doll, always with a happy smile to share.

Philip and Megan are a happy couple and seem to enjoy

each other and their family very much. I realize The

Hartford offers quality protection, but Philip, you live

in fantasyland, ha. Or??


Ryan wearing his new Blue Sox cap. He is excited about

the prospect of another season of organized baseball and

will be playing this summer with the Smithfield Blue Sox.

I guess he'll have to put up with his mother cheering him

on like she did back in Little League and High School.

Better limber up that old "rubber arm". It'll be fun to

watch you this summer. At least, I hope we can make

some of the games.

Is Justin really scared of rubber snakes, or is he just a

good actor. He has a beautiful family and is greatly

blessed, as are we all.

Samuel is a cute kid and is always fun to be around. He

comes up with some of the cutest expressions. We are

glad he has loving parents and sisters. He is a joy to be

around.

Garrett is a cute grandson and we are proud of him and

how he accepts challenges his sets a good example as a

big brother. We will always love you, Garrett. We are happy

that your family love you so much and support you in all

you do.

Philip and Megan enjoy being together an seem to have a

greatrelationship, even though Philip has still retained a

healthy dose of his juvenile humor. If a person can't laugh

nd enjoylife, it is sad for them and everyone around them.

Thanks,Philip, for keeping us laughing. As Addison once

told me: "I wish everybody could be just like UnclePhilip.

He knowshow to work and be serious and he knows how

to have fun."What a great quality, and I thought a great

personal insight by Addison. These observations only

come when one iswilling to put out and give an effort in

developing a relationship.

How can anyone not love Chalisa. She has an infectious smile

and is very tolerant of some of some of the oddball Eborn

idiosyncracies. Thanks for always leaving us on a high note

with your, wit, smile and cheerful attitude.

Alison seems to always cultivate a good attitude, even on

snowy days in May. We appreciate your tendancy toward

the things of the Spirit and your your example and

willingness to serve and help others. Thanks for hosting

us after Avery's baptism.Everyone enjoyed themselves

immensely. I hope you didn'thave to great a project

straightening up your house afterwe all left today after

Avery's baptism.

Avery is a great young man who has been taught well and

was well prepared for the sacred ordinance of baptism.

It is so important that we are willing to learn and make

covenants with our Heavenly Father. And we always feel

better when we keep them so the Holy Ghost can always

accompany us. There is no Greater Gift. Thanks, Alison

and Ammon for teaching your children well and loving

them so much.

I enjoyed going with Annika and Micah to three different Parks

one day last week. It has been a rather wet Spring, but we did

manage to find a good day to go for a walk, a bike ride, and play

at the parks. It makes me happy that, they like to go with me

and that we can ejoy each other often.

Annika's smile and laugh are contageous and we love

her very much. She is such a good help to her Mom and

Dad and is a true "Little Mother" to he brother, Micah. I

gives me great joy to see that they are being taught well

and especially, that they enjoy being together.

Micah sometime has different moods, but mostly he is happy

and loves to play with his sister Annika. His Dad is going

to make a true "Power Hitter" out of this little guy. He

and Annika are the joy of their parent's lives, soon to be

shared with little Number Three, due in just a little over

a month. That will be 24 grandkids for us. If it's a boy

it will be a dozen of each boys and girls. How perfect is that.

We pray that all will be will with Mother and child.

I missed a few of you with the camera, but you are always

on our minds and in our prayers. We'll catch up to you

with a camera sooner or later.

Awesome is a word that gets overused sometimes, I think,

but persoanlly I cann't think of a greater way to describe

our family.

Love you all and always,

Grandpa Bart