Family... a blessing

I'm not sure why it is that I am such a lucky girl! Not only was I born into a family where everyone made me feel like I was absolutely the best thing that ever happened to them, ("Everybody loves little Joanie. Why wouldn't they?") but I've had the great blessing of belonging to several other families. We are not always able to live close to our birth family, what a blessing to be taken under the wings of other wonderful, loving individuals who love us like we are family!

Twenty-three years ago this month a new family moved into our growing Palmdale 2nd ward. It was Steve, Pauline and Matthew Porter. It didn't take long to become good friends with them. (Pauline chose me for her friend. I've never been aware of that happening before or since.)

A few months later when Camille and Stuart were born, Pauline was one of my friends whom I could count on to help out (granted, of course, I could find their house!! I got confused one day and couldn't find Pauline's house because I was looking on the wrong street!) It was Pauline who volunteered to watch Camille when we went to Hawai'i in November 1986. What a friend!

Camille, Auntie P and Stuart (Matt in the background)
March 29, 1986 at the Littlerock Building for an Easter Egg Hunt

Later that month Auntie P invited us to spend Thanksgiving with them. That was when we first met the rest of the Jarvis family. There was such a feeling of belonging there. Gramma and Grampa Jarvis, Pauline's parents, just fell in love with my little kids (and why wouldn't they?) They were the grandparents we didn't have close (or have at all) and filled-in very nicely that day. I love this photo of "Grampa Ralphie" and Stuart.

Stuart and Grampa Ralphie November 27, 1986

What got me started thinking about this was this week's challenge at SWC. I started looking for a photo to use. Here is this week's very challenging challenge. I generally don't like "white space". But I decided to give it a try anyway.

So third Mondays mean ColorLift Challenge time! We do a scraplift using the color scheme specified. (Yep, you get to practice recoloring your items if they don't quite fit the color scheme! ) This week we're going to be playing with white space! (which isn't really white, but you knew that, right?
Just a few nice-to-know's about white space:
1. White space, also called negative space, is the empty space between elements in a design.
2. White space gives the viewer's eye a place to rest (and that's why layouts with ample white space often leave us feeling refreshed and light!)
3. The use of white space effectively allows us to "lead" the viewer to the focal point of our layout.
4. White space is good: trapped white space is not. (Space that can't flow freely, or is trapped between elements).

As I looked for the right photo I knew I wanted something that evoked feelings since there would be so little else to the page. When I saw this photo of Riley and Grampa Ralphie I knew I'd hit on the right one.

Ralph and Edna moved to Palmdale, right across the street from Pauline and Steve, in April 1995 just months after the auto accident the broke Edna's back and changed their lives forever. I helped Pauline ready the house by painting etc. It wasn't long before we were part of their lives.

It touches my heart to see how through the years we have had the constancy of these surrogate grandparents. These are the kind folks for whom we have given daily care, mowed their lawns, performed the sacred ordinance of the sacrament, come to their aid when they couldn't find the TV remote or "Help, I've fallen and can't get up!" I know many of the Jarvis family stories (and I love good stories!) But not only did we serve them, they filled a critical spot in our lives and hearts... I wouldn't change that for the world.

Now there is a new generation who will be tucked under the wing of Auntie P and her family. So I say again... I am such a lucky girl!