Happy Birthday Uncle Jack!

Uncle Jack was just diagnosed with cancer, so this will be the last birthday I get to spend with him.

It's so far advanced, they only give him 2 weeks-2 months.  As a tradition, I make him a nice homemade meal and go visit him on his birthday.  This year was no different.  My dear friend, Sylvia, made and sent some super delicious homemade bread, like Aunt Enid used to make.  It was a big hit!  Love in every bite!

Aunt Belva took this pic.  She kept putting her finger over the lens!

This is me and Uncle Jake on his 84th birthday, today!  I've nearly worn out the shirt I'm wearing.  Uncle Jack bought it for me.  It was the second one he got me, so I told him it was tradition and we had to do it every year!  They all have Moroni, Utah on them...his home town.  Uncle Jack has been my stand-in dad since I got married.  He gave me away on my wedding day and was my witness at my temple sealing.

I would often visit them in Moroni when I was younger.  I always loved it when he stood at the top of the stairs and yelled down every child's name to wake them up.  I would lay there, silently anticipating my name.  He never left me out!

We love to tease each other, as he does all of the nieces and nephews.  We spent many an adventure 4-wheeling up in Maple Canyon, admiring the beauty of the canyon and often sitting and having long talks together.  He would take me on forgotten trials that had big logs across them.  He would go right over top of them...and I would follow whooping and laughing at my "old" uncle's adventurous character (This was only a couple years ago!).  He liked to go very slow.  At first I didn't like the snail pace, but he taught me to not be in such a hurry and enjoy the ride.  However, when we got towards the bottom of the canyon, or on the road to Jerusalem, he would often surprise me and race off!  When I finally caught up with him, he'd be just a giggling!  The evenings would usually include a game of Kings on the Corner.  I'd always catch him cheating...usually he'd put the wrong color cards or wrong number and then pretend he didn't notice anything wrong.  He quacks me up!

This is my cousin, Cindy and her hubby, Andy.  She is one amazing woman!  She cares for her brother, J.L., who had a stroke 6 years ago.  She tirelessly attends to his needs and helps him through physical therapy.  Without her, I think he would still be lying in bed, paralyzed.  I so admire the love and patience she has for her brother.  She gives the best hugs!