A Happy Turkey Day to You!

My mom often speaks of family, but not in the terms to which we are so familiar. Most of us think of aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents...same gene pool relatives. When she mentions family she means the ones who have been adopted in and the ones who adopted us. I asked her once if moving away from her family was hard. She admitted it was for a short time, but then she was introduced to a new twist on the idea of family. I understand her definition of "family" because I lived it growing up in my parents' home. Everything we did was done with our "family" from the Branch. The ones we saw on Wednesday night mutuals and Sunday services and super Stake Saturdays were the ones we looked to for love, support, and encouragement. They filled in where our blood related family could not. Most of the members of the Branch trickled in from other parts of the country just as my parents had. They weren't surrounded by extended family. Our families were in the same
circumstances. We clung together. I hardly remember a time when my parents didn't invite another
family from our little Branch over for the holidays or other events throughout the year.

When I prepared to go to BYU I was nervous at the aspect of being away from my parents and siblings for long stints of time. My anxieties and fears intensified on the drive from Minnesota to Provo, but as soon as I met my roommates and became acquainted with the members of my new ward the worries dissipated quickly. My friends became my home away from home and my family away from family. I suppose this is why I have always been so passionate about my friends since the time I was first out on my own. In some regard my friends came to know me better than the family of my youth...a sure consequence of being away from home for long lengths of time. People grow up, they change and my friends were privy to my progression and evolving opinions on life.

If you sit down with me for a while I will inevitably tell you about my family and how great they are. And if you haven't caught on yet, my term of "family" includes my friends as well as my gene pool. I'm grateful to my parents. It was by their example on how to create family anywhere you go that I was able to embrace the same ideas so quickly as a young college student. It was obvious BYU wanted to impress the same idea of family upon our young minds hence the organized family home evening groups which were established in each ward.

Ultimately, it was my friend...my favorite friend that became my favorite family. We have four little joys to prove how glad we really are to be together! I love you handsome guy! ;) Once we were married, Shyler and I held to these same beliefs of what family meant. Medical school and residency moved us away from my family and his, but in Arizona and now Ohio we have still found family.

We are blessing Coy this weekend and my mom asked yesterday on the phone if anyone was coming for his blessing. I said, "Yes, our family here." She understood. She said, "Ah, your Ohio family. That's great!" I believe my parents always suspected they would be the faraway grandparents. I don't think they have really counted on any of their nine kids to move back home and live close by. For this reason, they seem to feel glad for the family we establish with our closest friends where ever we reside. They feel assured we are being loved and supported and that our friends will fill in for them in their absence.

Our friends don't replace our families of our youth, they are simply added to the group. For me, my heart just grows larger to welcome in the newest members. And so this past Thanksgiving as we enjoyed the company of our Ohio family, I felt gratitude. None of our friendships are by chance, they all happen for a reason and we are the better for it. And so, to you my dear friends who became our family in Provo, and Surprise, and Columbus the Shyler and Britt DeMill family loves you. You are a part of who we have become! Thank you!

P.S. The pictures are just a small sampling of our friends from our various places of residence. Don't be offended if you're not pictured. I just don't have pictures of ALL of you that are easily accessible and I'm too lazy to go find them!