Reunion

My beautiful grandmother passed away 10 1/2 years ago.  Ten years already sounds like a long time, but it seems even longer when put into the perspective of how much has happened in that decade.  I was in fifth grade and not quite eleven when she died.  In the last 10 1/2 years....

7 Grandchildren were added to the family,

3 Grandchildren served full-time missions,

10 More grandchildren were married, and

22 Great-Grandchildren were born.

There were 10 Annual Croxford Family Christmas parties,

10 trips to Bear Lake,

And many more get-togethers in between.

That's only a small sample of the life events that we have celebrated in our family in the last decade. That is a lot of life to live without your eternal companion by your side.

Today, after ten-and-a-half long years apart, my grandfather was finally reunited with the love of his life.

It is always sad to lose someone you love, but today I am also filled with joy that they are finally having their reunion in Heaven.  His heart broke when she died, and I imagine that today, it's finally full again.

See you later, Grandpa.

Love, 

Rachel

Happy Easter

Merry Christmas

Perhaps the best 

gift 

we can give to our Savior 

is in the way we 

receive 

the gift he has given to us.

Addition

1 new HUSBAND

+

2 new PARENTS

+

4 new BROTHERS (and 1 sister-in-law)

(Robert, aka brother number 4, is currently serving a mission in Taiwan)

+ 

7 new SISTERS (and 6 brothers-in-law)

(Seventh sister, Jannah, was MIA when this picture was taken)

+

21 new NIECES AND NEPHEWS

(The oldest two nephews didn't make it into the picture, although Josh did eventually make it to the wedding.)

=

1 great big FAMILY I'm so lucky to be a part of!

P.S. I think my other family is pretty awesome, too. Aren't they all so attractive?

I Actually Had to Dream of a White Christmas

As members of the LDS faith, we share a belief with many other Christians  that Jesus Christ was actually born in the springtime (April, specifically), and not in the dead of winter like we celebrate. I've heard that Christmas in December has something to do with ancient Pagan rituals and some king wanting to give Christians something un-blasphemous to do, etcetera, etcetera... But I think the REAL reason someone decided to celebrate the birth of Christ at the end of December is because winter needed a little light and joy. And oh how grateful I am to whoever made that decision! Christmas could not have come at a more perfect time this year.

After an extremely stressful semester and an extra few days of work to top it all off, I was nothing short of ecstatic to be home for the holidays. I honestly could have gotten dirt for Christmas and still have been perfectly satisfied. This Christmas, all I wanted was my home and my family and a break from the hectic life of work and school, and that's exactly what I got. My dad and the boys were off of school, Hilary and Brian were spending some time living in my parents' house while they were in-between places and Trevor and Sherstin stayed in Farmington for the holidays, meaning I got my whole family around me at nearly all times. We had the rockinest family Christmas party of all time with my mom's family (Seriously though. It was legendary.), we played lots of games, ate lots of food, made new ornaments for our over-sized Charlie Brown tree, and just enjoyed being together. I even got a bonus of being able to spend a lot of time with my best friend who is finally back in my life after two long years and his family. I didn't even mind that for the first time in my life (that I can remember anyway), the only snow on the ground was the occasional un-melted dirty black mound in a parking lot or on the side of the road. I didn't need a white Christmas--the amount of loving going on filled that void.

I will spare you the details of my winter break (at least for now) and simply state that I had one of the most wonderful and magical Christmases of my life. I probably would have (at least) come close to quitting work and school and life and resorting to being a bum for the rest of my life if it hadn't been for the perfect timing of Christmas. So thank you, Mr. King-man who put Christmas in December to show those dirty Pagans who's boss, you have made my winter a lot less bleak.

Happy Holidays!

I Love This Boy

Meet Tate:

14-year-old junior high heart-throb with a melt-your-heart smile (and dimples!). Not only is my little brother a complete stud and extremely talented in many fields (not to mention quite a bit taller than me now), but he has the biggest heart of anyone you'll ever meet. This boy loves everyone. He looks out for his family, respects girls, and is protective of his sisters. He never offends and is always willing to help. Tonight he reminded me of just why I love him and look up to him so much. He would go to the end of the world and back to protect or defend my sisters and me if needed. He is sensitive and tries his best to let nothing offend the spirit. Tate may be messy and a bit of an air head at times, but this boy would save the world if he could. I love him and someday I hope to be as strong as he is. 

Thank you, Tate, for always being your best and making me want to try harder. I love you.

Oh, What a Day

Today I...

• was late for my first class for the 80th time in a row.
• lost my balance walking down the trecherous snow-covered sidewalks.
• walked under a tree at the exact moment that it decided to drop all of the snow off of its branches. Twice.
• hit myself with the door.
• tripped up the stairs.
• wore shoes that really didn't go with my pants.
• couldn't breathe out of my nose.
• unconsciously made many hideous faces at people while breathing out of my mouth.
• accidentally used shampoo twice instead of conditioner.
• cut myself shaving.
• spent way too long painting my nails instead of doing homework.
• ruined my newly painted nails by trying to wash my dishes.
• got caught staring at a boy out of my window as he walked down the sidewalk.
• failed an anthropology quiz.
• spilled chocolate on my shirt.
• tripped over myself. Several times.
• postponed going to the grocery store, AND doing laundry. Again.

AND...

• got a stomach ache from eating half of the brownie batter before Brooklin could get it into the pan.

BUT I...

• got to talk to my daddy, my mommy, and little Meka on the phone.
• ate brownie batter straight from the bowl with a big spoon.
• had a snowman doorbell-ditched on my porch.
• drew pretty spring flowers on my window with window crayons.
• listened to great music.
• walked through an awesome exhibit put on by Housing about prejudice and stereotypes.
• made a real dinner for the second night in a row. (Macaroni, yum!)
• got to dance the cha cha, the mambo, and the rumba.
• felt really good about the physics test I took.
• laughed.
• had a peanut butter sandwich with homemade strawberry jam.
• went to Institute.
• finished my assignment in time.
• remembered that Glee starts again next week.

AND...

• started my day by reading the Ensign.

I may make it through the end of this semester after all.

Healing Words

Sometimes people don't say the right thing,

But I'm still glad when they say something.

Grateful

I think that sometimes God gives us trials in order to give other people the opportunity to serve us. What a humbling, filling experience it is. My heart is overflowing with gratitude for the many people who, even though they don't have much themselves, are giving what they can to help us do what we can't do alone. Thank you. May God open the floor of Heaven and poor blessings on you for years to come.

"For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, for love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

When it Rains, it Pours

I think I need a bigger umbrella.

I've learned something this week. Well, I guess I've always known it, but I've definitely been re-learning it. There are times when nothing seems to go right. You might have a professor that scares the pants off of you, or get piled on with mountains of homework and not be able to seem to find any time to even get started. Your job might end sooner than you were anticipating and leave you, once again, with no income. There may be a sweet and slightly nerdy boy at work that takes you out on one date, wants to hold your hand, and then texts you all the time and wants to spend every day with you. Water might get spilled on your computer and ruin the keyboard, or your bank might go under leaving you temporarily without access to your money. Or, if you're really lucky, you could end up like me and have all of the above happen in one weekend.

But if you are lucky like me, then you know that Heavenly Father doesn't just leave us sitting in the gutter with no rain boots. He surrounds us with people who love us and are always willing to help. He gives us friends that are smart and can help us understand the foreign language of politics. He blesses us with a neighbor and a friend who knows everything there is to know about computers and is more than willing to try to fix yours for nothing more than a good hug. He gives us wonderful moms to call eight times in one day to help you figure things out, and who would give you the world if she could, simply because you are her daughter. He gives us a great group of friends who stick by your side while the awkward boy from work is around, and accept you even though you are probably the world's worst bowler. He blesses us with an amazing boss who, even though she barely knows you, offers to give you a cash loan while you are trying to get your bank accounts sorted out. And He blesses us with a roommate and a best friend who does your dishes while you're gone, just because she knows you're having a bad day. He blesses us with all of these people so that when it feels like you're drowning in everything that's going wrong, they'll be there to pull you back into the boat and dry you off again.

Sometimes you laugh,

Sometimes you cry.

Sometimes you sing

And sometimes you sigh.

But never give up.

You're never alone.

Never stop believing--

You're never far from home.

Christ is always watching,

He always understands.

He's always there to listen,

Always stretching forth His hand.

"Look at Me! Look at Me!"

I think I've found where the wild things are--my house. This afternoon I sat down to enjoy a quiet lunch with my latest read to keep me company, but I'm pretty sure there's an unwritten law at my house against that very thing. No sooner had I cracked open my book when I have a little 2-year-old monkey named Makenna climbing up the back of my chair. And smearing her cheese on the table. And eating my food. And stealing my bookmark. And asking for her own plate of rice. And asking for a glass of milk. And throwing her rice on the floor. And closing my book. And climbing on the table. And spilling her milk. And climbing under the table. Now, she is a very talented little bugger and managed to do all of these things while still continuously saying (or shouting, more like) "Rachel, Rachel! Watch this!" "Rachel! Look at me!" "Rachel! What are you doing?" "Rachel come here!" "Rachel! I'm hiding!" "Rachel come get me!" "Rachel!" "Rachel!" "RACHEL!"

Ever since the moment I got home for the break, I've felt like a mother duck with my two little ducklings following my every move, or maybe even a celebrity who is constantly being hounded by fans and paparazzi. I have played more imaginary games than I can count, changed lots of clothes and diapers, helped Graci and Kenna feed the goldfish, been called "Grandpa" for a whole hour, listened to all sorts of stories about dinosaurs or Santa Claus, been the constant human playground, and have even had Graci sleep in my bed. I can't comprehend how such little bodies can house so much energy.

But you know what? I love it. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love having these girls in my life. I love that they completely idolize me. I love listening to Makenna learn to talk. I love watching Graci pretend to be so many different things. I love watching them play together and seeing them learn and grow. I am astounded every day at how much they know and can do. I absolutely love that I can be a part of their lives and I hope that by playing games and wrestling with them, or even just fixing them sandwhiches, that they will know that I love them more than anything in the world, because even though they are wild things, they are MY wild things, and I can't imagine my life any other way.