What I'm really grateful for, part 2

Katy: we have very different personalities and very different ways of doing things, and yet have been able to forge a strong friendship. She loves my kids and is a great grandma to them. She has expressed appreciation for me as a mother, reminding me that someone notices and appreciates what I'm doing. She's taken the time to come visit me when my husband was out of town and I was alone all week. She's generous to all of us.

Chuck: He usually gets where I'm coming from and how I do things. His goofy humor is a delight and his gentle demeanor a much-appreciated balance. His bright mind and many talents, and his complete willingness to use them to serve others, always amazes me. Probably as much or more than anyone I've ever known, Chuck will do anything anyone asks of him. He gets me--and everybody likes someone like that.

Brad: I am so thankful that Dylan loves him so much and that he is so willing to engage him. He's had a lot of "Dylan time" in recent weeks and despite being sick and past bedtime, he's been fantastic about it. I'm grateful that he's been so upbeat in the middle of all this craziness--that's been a great example.

Jennifer: She's the Clark girl I've spent the least amount of time with, but in some ways the one I relate to the most--I think we're a lot alike in a lot of ways. I appreciate her desire to spare people's feelings and her utter honesty about herself. She is self-aware and tries to be proactive and I admire that. Every time we've been to visit in Utah, she's been a cheerful, friendly host and we've really enjoyed spending time with her and Paul. She has a great smile and such a tender, sweet heart. Her willingness to share herself has always amazed and gratified me.

Amanda: What can I say? I think she would appreciate a "Frickin' Amanda. . ." :) Her intense, vivacious personality is a delight. She's like a tornado, but not like a bad tornado--not like the tornado that rips your house up. She's like the tornado that leaves your house alone but drops a new washer and dryer and flat screen TV in your yard. She's my reliable, fantastic babysitter (the only problem being my kids don't want to leave with me when I come to pick them up). She is the passer of hand-me-downs and wicked awesome eBay deals. She's my ranting buddy, the call me up and start a "Can you believe?!" conversation friend. Amanda rocks.

Melissa: She made Doug's wicked awesome wedding vest (wow, I must be in a 90s mood--I just used "wicked awesome" twice in one post), and fixed his baseball jersey. She's offered to make costumes and dresses. She's got mad skills and she's always willing to share them. She has a clever and silly sense of humor that I definitely appreciate. She belches better than any other girl I know. Call me crazy, but I respect that.

Paul [Christina got in on the in-laws on the other side, so Paul slides in here]: Paul helps me feel like I'm not actually crazy. He is a passive aggressive martyr like myself :) He has very much felt like a brother to me in many ways. One Thanksgiving we were over at the beach and Paul and I were making cookies or deviled eggs or something and being silly when Doug told me that we flirted too much. It completely caught me off guard and when I stopped to think about it, I realized I interacted with him very similarly to how I do with my twin brother--playful and familiar. My sisters are 5 1/2 and 7 1/2 years older than me, so I spent a lot of time with the boys growing up. Its nice to have a brother around.

Christina/Christa [I'm bringing back "Slash"]: I love her wit. Let's face it, I appreciate a good verbal one-up. She's about my age, got married about the same time, have around the same number of kids--that's been nice. I don't worry too much about where I am relative to the people around me, but it has been nice to have one person in my life the last six years who is at more or less the same stage of life as me at more or less the same time. She's been a good friend to me since I joined the family, and in many ways is the member of Doug's family I have the most "sisterly" relationship with.

Rachel: You didn't think I'd forget Rachel, did you? Doesn't everyone kind of forget about Rachel? Haha. . .poor kid, with two families but kind of in a family of her own :) I love how comfortable Rachel is with herself, and with everyone else as a result. She has a good head on her shoulders. She was Keilana's first friend, and still her favorite. She is so patient with kids and so much fun for them. She's honest, sweet and smart. Seriously, who doesn't love Rachel?

Oh yes, there's more. . .tomorrow. .