Things I love, My siblings

A week ago I gave a talk to a large group of women. I posted a part of that talk about my mother and her example of being a life long learner. My uncle Keith, Velva's younger brother, just scanned this picture of Velva and her children and shared it on the Nyborg Cousins My Family site. It was taken on the ranch in Idaho near Drummond during one of our summer visits from Arizona in about 1967. I'm not certain of the exact year. I'm also not certain which side trip we took that year, but I know that there was one.

I really love my siblings. Fortunately my mother guided her family in a positive, faith-filled way during the physical decline of my father during these years. The loss of a man being able to fulfill his roles as a father and husband plus the added care he required could have fractured a family just through the stress of it all. Instead, it drew us closer and we learned to rely on and support one another. No we weren't a perfect family, but we always stepped up for each other and we still do.

I was taken from school on my 16th birthday to go get my driver's license. Mom was more than ready to share the chauffeuring duties of getting everyone to and from their many activities. Summers found us rotating meal planning and grocery shopping duties. Thank goodness for the Saturday morning chore jar (and for a middle sister, Lynette, who loved things clean.) My sweet little sisters took turns walking home from their elementary school to make sure that my father would have lunch. My brother, Farrell, became our Priesthood holder. We sewed many of our own clothes. I think the three oldest girls in the next picture are all wearing dresses which I sewed. When I left on my honeymoon, my outfit had been created by my sister, Lynette. We just knew that we needed to work together to make it work. We also had great respect and love for our mom, a woman who exemplified service and family first.


Here we are in a "cleaned up" version from about the same time period. My dad, by this time, was bed-ridden and unable to travel to Idaho or the photographer's studio with us.

Last April, we siblings hosted a Nyborg family reunion here in Arizona. Many of our cousins traveled in reverse, from Idaho to Arizona for a visit. Some of them took side trips on the way. Once again, Velva's children worked together.