I Am Thankful for My Second Family

Today I want to express gratitude for my second family: the mow crew. Let me introduce you...

This is Justin and Shanda (pronounced Shawn-duh).

Justin was my crew chief over the summer. He was great to work with and eventually invited all of us over to his house for dinner where we met his wife and family. They are never hesitant to open their house for Mow Crew Dinners or just because. I love being at their house and playing with their kids. It makes it easier for me to be away from my own family. Justin and Shanda have four kids...

JC and Taylor



Todd



And Al (I just found out the other day that Al asks about me all the time. "Is Jalayne coming over today?" or "Is Jalayne coming over to play with me?" LOVE IT!)

Our crew consists of three boys and three girls. Of the seasonal crew members, Chuck is the one that has worked for the city the longest. I didn't talk to him much the first summer I worked with him because we didn't work together a whole lot. This last summer was different; we worked together a whole lot and got to know each other a lot better.

As I was flipping through pictures trying to choose one of everybody, I realized that this is the only picture I have of Chuck (he is posing at our Halloween party with his girlfriend, Christy, whom I don't know that well)

Jessie started working for the city the same time I did. We really enjoyed working together that first summer but we totally bonded over the second summer. She is a hoot and a holler. Not only does she totally and completely accept my weirdness but she ENCOURAGES it! I am so grateful for that. I am weird and I have always been afraid to show it. Jessie helps give me the courage to be weird; in other words, to be myself.

Lacee is Jessie's best friend from back home and started working with the city just this past summer. I am grateful for Lacee because she also encourages me to be myself and she listens to every random thought I verbalize. If you knew me, you would know that I think, A LOT. When I am with Lacee, I feel like I can verbalize these thoughts and I know that she won't judge me, think less of me, or laugh too hard.

I am grateful for Tyler because he makes me want to be a better person. When I am around him, I strive to be my best self. I think more about others, I work harder, I feel more spontaneous, I have a more positive attitude, etc. Because of his influence in my life, I find myself thinking "What would I do if Tyler were with me?" or if something goes wrong I think "How would Tyler turn this into a positive situation?" Of all of the people who have been in and out of my life this past year, I have learned and grown the most from Tyler.

Tyler has a girlfriend who has started joining us for dinners, but I don't know her that well. I guess I am grateful for her because she helps Tyler to be such a good person.

Jason also started working with the city this past summer. I am grateful for Jason because he is so relaxed. If I start to think too much or worry about everyone else, I think about Jason's chill attitude and I realize that it doesn't matter if things don't go according to plan, it is still going to be a blast!

Although she wasn't an actual part of the crew this summer, Kasumi (Jason's girlfriend) comes to dinners and spends time with us anyway. She is from Japan. I am grateful for her because she always greets me with a smile. She is a foreign exchange student from Japan and was just baptized in June. I appreciate her example and her happiness.

One of my favorite memories with these people was during lunch one day in a park. Chuck noticed something weird about me. We started talking about the kinds of things that make us weird. I eat my sandwiches a certain way, Chuck likes to watch people eat, Tyler has a thing for pregnant women, Justin separates his seeds before he eats them, etc. After we had all divulged some of our deepest weirdnesses, we laughed and became closer friends. We accepted the weird things about each other. We encourage each other to be ourselves.

I can't see myself prancing around Yellowstone National Park looking like this...

...with anyone but the people who encourage it, love it, and embrace it.

Since I live in Logan and my family lives in Provo, Kaysville, Idaho Falls, and Spokane I don't get to be with all of them often. I am so grateful to have found the people who can help to fill that void.