The Hintze Family

^^^It's something special when you inherit a family as good as this one!^^^

 

Papa D is the man. One of my very favorite things about him is how easy it is to be around him. He's especially easy to talk to. He's been all over the world with his work so he has all sorts of interesting things to contribute to any conversation you have with him! And he's always there when you need him. Trager and I have been navigating this thing they call adulthood for awhile now and frankly, sometimes the score is Life: 235...Trager and Jena: 0. I remember one night in particular we were losing the game and it was hitting Trager harder than usual (which is never the case...I'm always the one who is a mess.) I couldn't seem to find the right thing to say so I called Papa D to help lift Trager's spirits. They talked for honestly what could have only been 15 minutes and Trager was better. I'm grateful for Papa D and how much he cares about us!

 

Ty is someone I look up to. The more I get to know her the more reasons I find to think she is wonderful! One of the reasons I think she is so great is her ability to balance so many things at once. Ty is the Young Woman's President in her ward, she does hair, she's learning piano, she works out, she cooks dinner most nights, and she still has Tego at home. Not only is she a woman of many talents, but she is willing to share them. This past Thanksgiving we were able to go out the week before and spend time with the family. While we were there, I really wanted Ty to show me how to make a pie crust (I made 5 pies for our Thanksgiving in Oklahoma...and I had never made a single pie in my life.) Ty had about a million other things to do that day, but she took the time to walk me through not only making the pie crust, but the entire coconut cream pie! It's one of my favorite memories with her! And the pie wasn't half bad either ;)

 

 

Taryn is the stunning bride in the photo. If I had to pick one word to describe Taryn it would be "kind." I honestly think Taryn would do anything she could for anyone who needed her help. Taylor is her man and one of the most fun guys around! It's been great getting to know him more each time we go to visit. They just moved into their new house and already have it decked out for Christmas! Studs, I tell you! I remember the first time I met Trager's sisters. I flew into Boston (we were headed to Maine to watch Trager play in the baseball national championship tournament) and Taryn was the one waiting for me when I got off the plane. She was so sweet and friendly. This was huge for me because I was nervous! We stayed up late chatting in the hotel and I knew then that we were going to be close friends! But, I doubt Taryn meets anyone who doesn't know she would be a wondeful friend.

 

Taylor is the middle sister of the Hintze girls. And yes, there are two Taylors. It makes for a lot of fun :) Taylor is a woman of many interests. She's currently living in Ukraine teaching English to a some pretty lucky kids. (Her emails are hilarious....Taylor, toilet?? So funny!) She is a really solid athlete...gymnastics and softball were her specialty, but I think she would have been a stud at most anything. She is also a really talented artist. There is an owl she drew that I still can't go over because it is just so good! Taylor has also spent some time working with her dad. On one of her trips working with him they came to visit Trager and I in South Carolina while we were selling pest control (that's another story entirely.) I was starting to lose my gumption for the business that is door to door sales at the time and she was a breath of fresh air. She helped me make dinner, we watched a movie, and it was just what I needed to make it through the rest of the summer. She must have thought I was crazy (I cried when they had to leave) but she left such an impression on me after that trip. I'm excited to get the in person rendition of all her adventures when this cute girl gets home!

 

Tegan is the youngest! And I think she is the one who has changed the most since I've known her. When I met Tegan she was just turning 11 and now she's 14!! She's grown about 6 inches and wears make-up and she's a freshman in high school! It has been so fun to see her grow up these past few years. She's played softball and now she cheers. She's been in a pageant and student government. And she is gorgeous! All I can say is there will be boys lined up when Tego hits the big 1-6. One of my favorite things about Tegan is how enthusiastic she gets about things. Looking back on it, the first Christmas Trager and I were married we bought Tegan a copy of Black Beauty. At the time she was really into horses and I thought, "Wow, she will love this!" And she did! Even though there were about a million other things an 11 year old might have wanted rather than a classic piece of literature. But she read it and loved it! And in the process won the heart of her book-living sister-in-law!

 

 

Can't wait to go to visit these people in just a few weeks!

 

 

Can you believe tomorrow is Friday?? On that note...I have some reading to do!