Family time is every bit what it is hyped up to be!....This past weekend was pretty amazing and it started on a very high note and the pitch and pace never did quite let up. Sunday morning we got to attend the Christmas taping of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. We had never been to the conference center for anything other than to walk through it. We were on the first tier up and the first row right in front of the choir. The sound was awesome, the music phenomenal and the spirit piercing. But more impressive was
when the Prophet walked into the conference center. All the buzz, all the chatter and all moving about came to a complete stand still. It was something so unique and yet so overwhelmingly special to a mostly lds crowd that it is nonetheless memorable for whomever is there. To have 25,000 people suddenly stop, turn and longingly look to the front and follow every footstep in that hushed atmosphere is humbling. This experience was the beginning of our visit. Sunday night, we had dinner with
Maureen's brother Randy and his family. It was an enlightening dinner....!....as they like to have a family gospel q/a around the table. Questions were asked and answers were offered up which led to other questions. Lessons were taught and learned around the dinner table. I believe that is where good lessons can be learned! Shout out to Randy and Yvonne for a great evening.
Monday we started our journey to Deer Valley to be with my family, siblings and their children. We arrived to the sound of
fun and laughter. My oldest brother, John and his wife, Luella were there with their children and grandchildren, from Hawaii. My next oldest brother, Kendall, I picked up from my younger brother and took in with us where he to meet his wife and family who were enroute from California. My younger brother, Mike and his wife Sue were also enroute from Highland, Ut. My younger and only sister, Teri and her husband, Johnny and their family drove in from California the night before. And so there we were,
everybody in this cabin nestled up in Deer Valley. I managed to take a bunch of pics on Monday and so here are some of them.#1 is of Teri,Kendall, John, Cameron Mike's oldest son and Mike. #2 is Maureen, Sue, Mike's wife and her neice. #3 is of Maureen, Luella and John. #4 is Kendall, Teri and Maureen. #5 if Mike's family...Kelland, Sue, Mike, Cameron, Aubrey and Ashley in front.
#6 is all the Muaina sibs, me, Kendall, John Jr., Teri and Mike. Not pictured is sib #5, Craig who passed several years ago
tragically. And finally, the last pic is of all the Muaina cousins, sans John III and his wife Beth and their 2 children and all of my 5 children with their spouses and children. I guess I could name everybody in the picture but you will have to guess who everybody belongs to. Okay so here goes....back row with corresponding sib, by number: Caitlin #2, Kainalu #6, Korin #6, Kelland #4, Cameron #4, Ashley #4...front row, Kahea #6,Kelsi #2, Krista #2,
Autumn #1, Lauren #1, Morgan #1, Aubrey #4, Kayla #6, Thomas
#1...on the floor, twins Kory and Kraig #6.
Now for the rest of the story. My oldest brother, John is the family story teller. He has information in his head that nobody else has with regards to family history and lineage. I have often wondered why and how it is that he can tell and relate so many stories and I discovered a few years ago through my reading in the Book of Mormon that father Lehi and his family Nephi, Joseph and Jacob were of the tribe of Manasseh. Their story is has been read and reread millions of times. It is inspiring and filled with the spirit. We can read every verse and find words of encouragement and words of faith.....all predicated upon their deep seeded faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ. Their faith was truly exercised in every footstep into the wilderness, across the great sea and to a new uncharted land. Their faith moved them forward over every hill, every valley and each new circumstance. Through all of this, they were able to remember and record their words for future generations and the modern world to benefit from. They were the ultimate story tellers, but their stories were true and recorded as scripture. My brother is from that very tribe and he tells stories that you want to hear, remember and record for others. He is cut from the same cloth and the fabric of what he says is woven with the spirit of faith and trust in the Lord. We were all on the edge of our seats as he related our family history and the origin of the Muaina line. Family is where it's at. Harmony within the family, be it large or small are the tones which resonate into the eternities. It was a great reunion, being with all my brothers and sister and all my nephews and nieces and their children. Of course, they were deeply disappointed that they couldn't see any of our children and their families but look forward to seeing them some day in the future.....say 2 years from now and in Las Vegas???