When we drive south , over the the Nevada desert hills in the middle of the night, the lights of Las Vegas always seem especially bright after seeing nothing but desert for miles and miles ! Someone, usually me, comments on the city lights. They seem especially bright after the many miles of dark desert. Seeing the lights. we all begin to get excited for the trip to be over. We are almost to our Mom and Dad Reece’s/ Grandma and Grandpa Reece’s house!
When people hear that we are going to Las Vegas, they automatically think of casinos, shows and fancy dinners. To us, Las Vegas is family. The fancy life of casinos and show girls can be found on the Strip, but we don’t usually head in that direction. We head toward parents , brothers, sisters, cousins. grandparent’s and friends. We head to where the real treasure in Las Vegas is for us! We head to see our family!
Las Vegas is the town where Anthony grew up. Anthony likes to tell people that he was born in Utah, which is technically true, but his Mom only went to St. George to deliver him because it was cheaper to have a baby in St. George than Las Vegas. His Dad, Thomas Reece, was an Auto/mechanics teacher at a high school, and raising five children on a teacher’s salary was tricky. His Mom, Georgiann Reece, went back to school and became a nurse once all the kids were in school and this helped a lot financially. Raising five kids in Las Vegas was tough and expensive, but his parents are hard working people, who were raised by hard working people! They were able to raise five good, strong. hard -working kids, which is no small feat in a town like Las Vegas, where people are always coming, hoping to make easy money!
Anthony’s family is one that works hard and helps each other. I have so many memories of family helping us those first thirteen years we were first married and lived in Las Vegas. We never called anyone but family to help when there was a problem. Honestly, we really couldn’t afford it in the early years of our marriage anyway! We always fixed (and continue to fix) things ourselves. Moves, flooring, painting, air conditioning, refrigerators, new or broken appliances’, plugged pipes. you name it, and we figured out who to call and how to fix it. Our Reece family in Las Vegas was always thereto help! Personally, I learned a lot about hard work, and was very grateful for all the help.
Anthony’s sister, Ginger, is my age and we became really close pretty much right from the start. Our kids are the same ages, and we raised them together until I moved, but even then, we stayed close. I always thought it was funny how we both were the only girls in our family and we both had only girls, after being raised in a family of boys. I have three brothers and now have three girls, and Ginger has four brothers and now has four girls. After over 28 years of being a part of the family, Ginger and I can honestly say we are sisters! She is a very GOOD part of my life!
Unfortunately, we hadn’t gone to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving in a long time, and I’m so very glad we did this year! Anthony’s brother, Aaron lives south of Salt Lake City, Utah, and we both planned on being there this year. In fact, we changed our dinner to Friday, instead of Thursday so that he could be there. but his girlfriend, Shelly got sick, and it didn’t work out for them. We still had diner on Friday. though.
On Thanksgiving evening (Thursday), Mom Reece’s house was hopping with people! Ginger was over with her family. including her oldest, Julia, who is married to Kenneth and they have two adorable little boys, Julia and Kenneth got married about one month before my Katelynn and Gabe. I love to see Julia because she is always happy to see me! She has the best smiles and hugs! Macy it a little bit younger than Julia. and is a fabulous aunt! Amanda and Macy are the same age. Macy just got her bachelors’ degree at UNLV and is working to get into school to be a Physical Therapist. Melody is Annalyse’s age and lives in Cedar City while she goes to SUU. She is an amazing violinist and plans on opening her own studio one day. Jenna is the youngest, and is a senior in high school. She is an award -winning swimmer, and is very close to Annalyse, as cousins go. I’m so proud of those girls! They are like my own girls and I couldn’t love them more.
Our Thanksgiving dinner was at Anthony’s brother, Greg’s house this year. Greg is the baby of the family, and he has a huge house! Greg has two young kids, Lailaa (13) and Levi (8). His wife, Becky’s parents live with them in an attached suite. They have a huge living/ dining area, and it worked out perfectly to have tables and chairs set up for a very nice dinner. Greg and Becky put paper tablecloths with Thanksgiving coloring pictures and crayons on the tables, and everyone brought food! So much food! it was definitely a feast! Afterwards, the kids played games and we had music from Amanda. Annalyse. Ginger and Laila! Thanksgiving dinner was very nice.
It was so wonderful to be around family, but we definitely noticed that Mom Reece could use more help! It’s really hard when families begin to grow and parents grow older. Dad Reece has been bed-bound and on Hospice for a couple of years now. Aunt Pat unexpectedly died last December, making it so that Mom has very little everyday live-in help. She has a shoulder needing surgery and a house needing upkeep that she can’t do alone. Ginger and her family help as they can, but big projects only happen when emergencies come about. About a month ago, the main water line to the house broke, and Mike and Aaron helped fix it. That left a hole out front needing to be fixed. That’s where Anthony and Mike came in to help. Mom needed help and Mike and Anthony fixed the driveway area with a cerement mold that works like pavers. It turned out so nice! That’s not all the help though– we won’t leave out help in the home! During that time, Amanda made a wonderful potato soup, so when the project was done, we had a fabulous dinner! There was a lot of team-work going on!
It was a quick trip to Las Vegas, but definitely not one we will forget! Some highlights include:
Amanda was gifted a banjo from her Grandma Reece!
Annalyse went Black Friday shopping with Melody and Jenna
Amber showed up for a little visit on Thanksgiving with her two boys and her new boyfriend and his daughter.
I got to make some caramel apples with Amanda at Ginger’s hose, and visit with all of my cutie nieces and Julia’s little ones!
I got big hugs from Ginger, Julia, Macy, Melody and Jenna, and they all made me feel special!
I once again remembered how important family is, and that it’s not what you have that is important, but how you make others feel
I truly hope that if you are reading this, you remember how important family is in life, and to not take it for granted. I remember telling Mom Reece a while ago that she needed a new couch. Her couch at that time had been a hand-me-down before she even got it, and now had cat scratches all down the wooden part of the legs. I knew she had money enough for a new couch. but she has always been mindful of being “wasteful.” She told me that when she dies no one will remember her couch, but people will remember her help. That is how she lives her life. Mom Reece grew up in poverty and cannot use money in a way that she feels is wasteful. She will, however, help in anyway possible, including financially, if someone she loves or sees is in need. She has helped many family businesses get started, helped with school. bought food and given housing. She took care of her parents in their last years, and has helped many friends and neighbors in need. She will be very embarrassed, by this post, but I just hope that I too can follow in her path to help “the least of these,” just like the Savior. I am thankful for her very GOOD example.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! I hope you too have much GOOD to be thankful for!
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