I Love All Those Johnson's!

Last night I went to the wedding reception of one of my Johnson cousin's sons, with one of my daughters and my parents in tow. I'm so glad I was able to go. I just have to say that I have the best extended family on the planet--both the Pews and the Johnsons. One thing I love about living in Utah is being able to go to these kinds of events and especially to have my parents there with me. It's always fun to see cousins again and it doesn't matter how long it has been since I saw them last--we are still close friends. Just rubbing shoulders with all of them does my soul good. I'm still trying to cope with the fact that all my cousin's children, that I remember being born, are now getting married and having babies of their own! My cousins are becoming grandparents. That Fiddler on the Roof song, "Sunrise, Sunset" comes to mind. I remember my uncles and aunts singing that at my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary and all the adults were crying and I didn't get it at all. Well, now I get it!

At another Johnson wedding reception 1 1/2 years ago (when we were visiting Utah for the summer and waiting for our house to sell), we made the amazing discovery that Kirsten's new husband, Mark, had served his mission in Maryland and spent a lot of time at Annette & Frank's house. How did we discover this? Well, he was really confused when he saw me in the line because he thought I was Annette except that I had a daughter with me and he couldn't believe that I would come all the way from Maryland for his reception! (Annette is my identical twin sister and has four sons but no daughters--for those of my friends who may be reading this and don't know that already.) It was one of those funny things that happen sometimes as a result of being an identical twin. If we weren't twins, there is a good chance that none of us would realize yet that Kirsten's husband is friends with his father-in-law's cousin and her family from his mission. So last night Mark came right up to me and was talking with me again about that funny experience at his wedding reception and telling me about some of his funny memories of Annette and her family from his mission days, and all the while I am thinking to myself how impressed I am that he remembered who I was after only meeting me once, a year and a half ago, on his wedding day. I was thinking that I would not have realized he was Kirsten's husband if he hadn't come up and started talking to me. Then I realize, "DUH!! Of course he knows who I am--I look like Annette!" You would think I would have understood that right away since that's how we figured out the whole amazing connection in the first place. I look like Annette. My whole life I've been a twin and it appears that I am never going to get used to this twin thing. Probably because I have NEVER EVER gotten confused about which one I am so I just forget that to other people, we look alike.

Annette and I have had a few funny twin experiences in our life. I think I'll start a new post category just for that. No copying, Annette! I had the idea first. Oh, and Elder Moody said to tell all of you Clevelands hello and the next time you make it to Utah (we ALL hope, wish, pray this summer) to be SURE to call him so he can get together for a visit.