Explosion of Awesomeness

Recently our ward had a special third-hour lesson on Sabbath-Day worship, which takes on a whole new significance when you hear someone label it a "prophetic priority."  One of the things I loved most about this meeting (besides the fact that they made it possible for Primary teachers to attend--woot!) was its emphasis on what Elder Bednar calls "multi-generational families."  He taught that strong multi-generational families are the Lord's best tool for bringing each one of us back to him.

I may or may not have heard choirs of angels singing when I heard this teaching, because our family is just starting to qualify as a strong multi-generational family.  Mom and Dad were both converts, and they raised their kids in the church without the blessings of a faithful extended family.  Luckily for us, our extended family is strong and full of love.  We have so many wonderful memories of our grandparents especially, and I love that my kids are growing up knowing them well.  But we kids are basically second-generation Mormons, and so what has happened in the past ten years has taken us by surprise.

Dozens of cousins.

Here's the original group of Mom, Dad, and the sibs:

And here we are with spouses and children:

So maybe we're not quite up to dozens yet, but another five or ten years ought to do the trick.  And honestly, we knew that our numbers would kind of explode.  But I don't think we were prepared for the explosion of awesomeness. (I know.  Sheer poetry.  Ha, ha!)

My siblings have each and every one of us married up, which means our family has gotten stronger and stronger each time there has been a wedding.  And watching my kids grow up with cousins as best friends has been one of the greatest joys of my life.  But the very best part of being a member of this family is the joy we have when we get together.

Recently this handsome guy, who is second to youngest of the siblings, left on a mission to McAllen, Texas.  In light of the fact that Taylor's pretty much the coolest person in the world, we spent his last two weeks here in pretty much a non-stop sibling party.  It was a Taylor-paloozah.  We swam, we ate, we drank, we played, we laughed and we cried.  We all attended his farewell, which is big, since Nikki and her baby came from California and Kendall came from D.C.  Then we drove up in caravan to see him off to the MTC in Provo.  

This is different for us Monnetts.  We've never seen the kind of joy that happens when uncles and aunts, parents, cousins, siblings, and children get together after long absences.  When we were kids, we celebrated ordinances, holidays and milestones in a smaller way.  But now the faith that we celebrate is confirmed by the very showing of loved ones--as if the Lord is giving us a taste of what we are striving for, just in the happiness we have together.  When I'm with my siblings, I feel that all is right in the world.  

I don't know for sure, because we're still early in this experiment.  But I can already see hints of the good our extended family does for my kids in their daily lives.  Living gospel principles is not theoretical for them, because they are watching older cousins, aunts and uncles do it, through thick and through thin.  They know that there are a whole ton of people who love them for who they are. And they know they're never alone.  This is powerful.  I know that they're being strengthened for whatever trials are ahead.  They will stand strong because they are accountable to so many people who love them.  

Okay.  Sermon over.  Here are the rest of the pictures.  I love my family!