an eternal family

one of the most beautiful beliefs that we have, as a faith ---as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints---is that we believe the family unit is eternal----it is the basis for everything that God created----that we will be families into the eternities and be able to associate together and continue the family relationship we have enjoyed in this life.

may 2011---lyric & ben were able to come to dallas---bringing mr milo---and be sealed together as a family (with Pyper in utero)---there were many good friends and family that came for the wonderful ceremony.  Alysha Bond (Bonded Memories) took these pictures----it was a lovely day.

the happy family coming out of the temple----it was lovely---a perfect May day.

 hmmm---from left to right starting on the front row---lynn webb, judy webb, ben, milo & lyric, cannon nelson, me, jonas nelson, leah, abby dow, beth & jasmine, ben hall & david.  2nd row---michelle webb, todd webb, branson & claire (webb cousins) jeremy webb, lynn's college bff, ace, david, j howard davis, joe, eden schiffmann, pyper dow---and this was just the fam!

                                              i have this same picture with each of the girls' weddings at the temple

                                            cannon, jonas, ben, milo & beth----and my heart

                                                        the webb men---jeremy ben & todd

                                                        webb family in front of the spire of the dallas temple

 nelson family jonas 16 months, cannon 29 months, joe 750 months, charlie brown 30 weeks, leah----i'm exhausted!

 love this picture of jasmine and david trying to co-erce ben into coming over for a picture

                                                             the coersion worked!

 my sister, Pyper (yes----lyric's baby is going to be named Pyper) and her cute daughter, Abby, came for the ceremony!

attention!

dont get lazy---there are 3 new posts!

3 sisters

65 years ago, my mother and her two older sisters took this picture----so, my two sisters and i decided to re-create the picture for my mom's birthday---since we arent 17-25 years old---Alysha Bond (bonded memories) did some nice photoshopping to ease the show of time!

                                                            margo, lil, mary lou  circa 1945

                                                                meredith, eden, pyper circa 2011

pretty good likeness---dont you think!?!

my life on blackberry

i just downloaded 990 pictures off of my blackberry----they are from very long ago (this is the first time i've uploaded them---didnt know i had a media card---duh---and i hate my blackberry) to very recent.....so here are some of my favorites---possibly very random.....but its where i've been and what i was lookin at and what was important at the moment...i am not going to bother putting these in chronological order---oh well...but i'll do my darnedest to tell you what was happening.

may 2011---ben hall came to visit us for 2 weeks sans parental units---we had a blast

may 2011---jonas, ben & cannon---ft worth water gardens

leah, cannon and lyric, may 2011---ft worth water gardens picnic

milo----must be 2011 because he has hair

my cute niece, abby---she came with her mom pyper for Lyric & Ben & Milo's sealing---may 2011---she loved Chip.

my nephew installed new fluorescent lights in the kitchen! june 2011

went to visit my mom in spring 2010---visited my dad too---altho he isnt there

                                             my sweet mom---and her red car---april 2010

joe graduated from BYU april 2010 in applied physics----cannon is trying to figure out what that means---so am i

dave and i took cannon and jonas back to texas with us on a plane while their parents drove a truck with all their stuff---his backpack is a leash!

jonas is the chillest happiest most independent baby! (we call him the boy in the other room)

may 2010 david hall graduated from lamar in electrical engineering---then off to his job in new orleans with valero oil refinery.

leah got her associates degree from Tarrant County College in August 2010!

Jonas figured out how to crawl while they were living at our house summer 2010---and i need a better phone camera.

sweet jonas---summer 2010

july 2010----me and dave went on a cruise to the caribbean with my sibs and their spices---thanks to my mom---this is pat, pyper, shelley on the beach in san juan, puerto rico

i will apologize to my grandsons in 15 years---christmas 2010? well-placed 's', Cannon!

October 2010 we went to a Jeppson reunion in Salt Lake---the man in the shorts is our dear foster son, Doug---got to visit with him and his wife and 3 daughters---it was great! (also shown---ben--lyric & milo---jasmine with the arm attitude)

toured the conference center---my aunt lil is a tour guide---family also got to see the taping of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's 100th anniversary show---the Prophet made an appearance!

lyric, ben & milo with salt lake temple in the background---oct 2010

ben, david & jasmine (beth in utero) with salt lake temple in the background---october 2010

cannon, leah, jonas & joe october 2010 in front of the salt lake temple

ace and my aunt lil on the roof of the convention center---with the slc temple in the background---oct 2010

dave, doug and i  october 2010

cannon, ben & jonas----october 2010 at the visitors center on Temple Square

david hall giving President Monson a high five---october 2010

ace shaking hands with President monson---october 2010

our version of theater seating---may 2011---cannon, milo, beth, jonas & ben

meals---leah, barely jasmine, david, lyric & ben---may 2011

beth! jun 2011

jonas---dec 2009----brand stinkin new

me and jonas---both of us worn out---december 2009

ace loves his nephews---summer 2010---think thats jonas

love this toothless grin of milo----early 2010

DAVID! HOW CAN YOU FALL ASLEEP AT THE RODEO? january 2011

david & ben----hmmmm----orlando? spring break 2010---we took turns watching babies

milo was the only one not afraid of the big characters! universal studios---orlando march 2010

ben was terrified of one of the shows----so he clung to mommy but kept on looking---i think it was someone in character costume....orlando march 2010

 thanks to alysha bond for the pictures----obviously not from my phone!

                                          cannon, jonas, ben, milo & beth----my heart.

cliquish? snobby? intimidating?

this will be short---and all about me---
when i was in college studying sign language---it came very easy to me---the vocabulary and the signing out---not really the reading of other people's signs---but anyway---i did very well----i also had 6 kids at home between the ages of 3 months and 10 years old---and i was gone every  night at school----and i took it very seriously.
one day we were asked to write down a critique of others in the class (WHY WOULD A TEACHER DO THAT?)---most of my critiques were "you are awesome!" "great facial expression"---etc-----thanks---but then one.....ONE.... said "why dont you share your talent with others? you keep it to yourself and are a little cliquish in who you interact with and not willing to share to encourage those of us struggling"

i was cut to the core......knife in my heart.....obviously---i still remember it 17 years later.....i wasnt being elitist----it wasnt that i didnt care----i assumed that they were fine without me and my influence----and i've never forgotten how that felt when she said it---well wrote it.

i still worry about that.  i'm not a snob----i'm shy....reticent....hesistant....less than overly confident (great---now i am humming Sound of Music "I have Confidence"---haha---so are you!)

WHA---WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT? MEREDITH? SHY? BAHAHAHAHHAHA!

i know i come across as intimidating---as "i can do that'"----- but most ---neigh all of the time---(okay---now i am worrying if it is nay or neigh---i think it is nay---as in no)  so nay, all of the time it is an act---i am onstage. i assume that everyone is 'realer' in their behavior/personality/etc than i am----i admire people who can get mad in public or be 'frank'-----to the offender----i cant do that---i talk a good story---but when face to face---i dont confront....i also dont put myself out there to help because i assume that anything i can do is not really that valuable.
i have been blessed with talents---i reek of talents---but anyone can have my talents---take lessons from 5 yrs old on and you too can be shallow-talented.
i admire people with talents that are faith-based.....who are calm in their skin----who truly dont care if people dont think they are cute (not facial cute-ness---more behavioral cuteness).  thats not me....i dont assume people like me unless i am the onstage me.  my talents are shallow---visual---on stage.  the greatest gift i would like to have is natural compassion---where it came naturally---it doesnt.
even in the shows i do---i am onstage (duh meredith---of course you are onstage---you are in a show)----when i walk into a room of people i dont know---i DO NOT assume that people want to meet me.  i am likely to hover around the food table or chat with people who already know me as cute me.
when lyric was young---there was chatter that she was uppity---yes---i said it---and she and i talked about it---she was/is/was SO PAINFULLY shy---and didnt smile at people---and worried---that she came across as aloof---snobby----it came up many many many many---yes---quad-many times.....i get it.
so---backstage at Annie and now, Sound of Music....i am working very hard to reach out---to talk to people--- to volunteer to do something----to say hello (i assume they either dont remember who i am or are so ensconced in such a deep conversation that i would only be interrupting) to show genuine interest in their life---to be helpful----to rehearse with someone who is struggling---to say hi to the teenage boys who could care less about a 'older than dirt' nun---to offer to help or join---thats it-----I'M NOT A JOINER---i dont go out to Chili's after the show---i assume they will have more fun if i'm not there.....i am an invitee.....I LOVE TO PLAN----but then i assume people arent really going to want to come unless i have great food and great other people to be fun.

this was more rambling than i intended----just that i am proud of myself for learning names of people that i dont know and asking them about their life without putting in my 2 cents....its not about me....and now i am kicking myself for being proud of myself for learning names---really merf? REALLY? that is appalling.

i think i have posted this before----obviously a pathetic plea for attention and acknowledgment.