My Alabama Family

The other night I couldn't sleep and so I started thinking about my family in Alabama. I miss them so much and I wish that I could see them more often, so I would like to tell you about some of the great things about the Bagley's.

This is my oldest brother Dane. We are ten years apart and although for most of my growing up life we have lived far away from each other, I have always felt a special bond with Dane. He is an amazing person who is very close to the spirit, I can always look up to him as anexample. He is the reason that when I was 12 I quit doing homework on Sundays, and I am grateful to him for that.

Karen is more like a sister to me than a sister-in-law. I met her when I was 11 and Dane married her when I was 12. I remember the first time Dane brought her to our house in Thousand Oaks for a date, Esther and I admired her so much and we couldn't stop talking to her. We thought she was so cool and so pretty. I never forget the shirt she wore the day we met her it had little mirrors on it and we thought it was the coolest thing. She is so much fun, you know when you go to Alabama you are always in for a good laugh and a great time filled with games and fun!

This is my nephew Thomas he is 13 years old, and I can't believe how grown up he is! He is the one who gave me the title Aunt Summer, I was 12 almost 13 when he was born, and I was so excited to be an aunt. I remember taking pictures to my school and showing my friends how cute my nephew was. All of my friends were jealous that I was an aunt. He has always been very sweet natured. I remember when they came for Christmas when he was 3 and I was cutting the design for the ginger bread houses and he just watched me for a long time, and then he said in the sweetest most sincere voice, aunt Summer you are really good at that! He has always wanted to make people feel good about themselves. He also has such a strong testimony of the gospel, I know he will be a great missionary in a few years.

Kaylyn just turned 10, and she is my first neice. I remember when I went out to Alabama when she was 2 and Thomas came running up to me all excited and she was a lot more shy. But as soon as we got in the car and Thomas was chatting my ear off I guess she decided that I was okay so she decided to chat my ear off too! When they came out for Elliot and Katie's wedding I had an extra bed at my apartment and I was really hopeing that Kaylyn would stay the night with me, and when she told her parents that she wanted to I was really excited. We stayed up probably until 1 talking and laughing and playing games, she is so much fun, and she is very mature and a great help around the house which I am sure her parents love!

The word to describe Tyler is FUN! Tyler warmed up to me right away when I came home from my mission, which I was so glad about because I knew that Thomas and Kaylyn would remember me but I didn't know how Tyler would feel about me. But right away he wanted all my attention. My funniest moment with Tyler was when I was visiting in Alabama for his 4th birthday and I was pushing him in a swing in their back yard and he said Aunt Summer are you a boy or a girl? I about died of laughter. Karen's posts about Tyler always make me laugh harder than any other posts and I just love him to pieces.

Katie is a cutie-pie as you can see. I got to meet Katie when she was about 7 or 8 months old, and I fell in love with her right away. She had the cutest chubby cheeks and the longest eye lashes I have ever seen. The last time I saw Katie she was really scared of me, it was on my wedding day and she was really tired from her trip and she cried every time I got close to her. I guess she thought I was Cinderella and it was kind of scary to see cinderella in real life. I think out of all of my nieces and nephews she is the only one that looks a little like me, so I think that is pretty fun. I am glad that now when i call them on the phone she wants to talk to me and she has the cutest high pitch voice, last time I talked to her she said I want to play with you Aunt Summer, I wish I could play with them right now too.

I could go on for hours about the Bagley's and how much I love and miss them! I hope to see them soon, and I hope that Steve can meet Karen, Thomas and Tyler soon. I bet everyone out there reading this blog is jealous and wishes they had an Alabama family too!