Quick trip to Texas

We left Friday morning to head to Texas for a quick trip to visit Jake's family. It also happened to be the weekend that Brian Thomas was going through for his endowment and his mission farewell was today (Sunday).  We were able to go to the temple Saturday with the family in Lubbock Texas.  I was very glad that Jake went but also a little bothered that I could not get Jake to go with me last week at home.  He did sit with me in the car on the ride back to Odessa and allow me to rest on him because I had a slight headache. As I sat at church today (Jake did not come because he had a headache (I think because he sat up too late playing games with two of his siblings, which both had headaches today too and did not go to church)), I listened, watched, and longed to have a better, closer relationship with family members.  My mind reflected on my siblings and my relationship with them too and during the closing song "God be with you till we meet again", my mind thought of my Mamaw and Papaw and how I will be so excited to see them again.  I feel fortunate to have that hope.  Family is one of the most important things in my life and having our children have relationships with both sides is a top priority.  Our trips to Texas usually enable the kids to see all of Jake's side of the family at once but that can also be difficult.  It seems that every time we are here, our kids feel left out with the other kids (and they are here every single day and night, this is not an exaggeration), making it more difficult. I am sure that part of it is because they do not know them as well but it hurts my heart to see my littles have hurt feelings or want to feel included. What I would give for people to come visit us or for our kids to get to know them individually! We are both blessed to have great families that have different strengths. Our families mold us into whom we are and whom we are becoming.