Well, here I am again. (Surprise! I know) I've been a lot more miss lately than hit at blogging. I love the idea of it, and then I get too involved and then I get side tracked and never get anything in life accomplished! I wanted to join the Love fest last month, but alas, it just never happened for me. This month I got a message about a blog idea for the month. I thought about it, but here it is day 4 and I have nothing to show for it.
Side note: as I typed the date above, I realized it would be my daddy's birthday today. He would have been 91... is that right? He was born in 1920. wow! My parents have been gone for over half of my life now, and sadly I don't think of them often enough. I have a desire to have all sorts of wonderful stories and memories to pass along to my children so that they too can get to know my parents, but somehow things never work out quite like I'd like them to. One day I just need to sit down and type all the stories I can think of!
Recently we've been watching some of the shows about genealogy on t.v. There is one show on sunday mornings on BYU-TV after Music and the Spoken word. I really enjoy that one. Then we've also started watching one on regular tv - prime time I guess - that is about a STAR (t.v. star, movie star, etc) that has someone walk them through and help them find out about their own genealogical history and they love getting to know their family history, and getting to know their ancestors. It's really neat. I'd like for my children to be that involved and find a love of our own family history.
This past year, Amanda worked on some of our family history stories that others long ago worked on and put together but they are old mimeograph copies and somewhat difficult to read. So, for her Young Woman in Excellence project she retyped them into the computer so we have a good file of them that is much easier to read. (now she just needs to finish off the rest of the stories before she goes off to school next year.) It was a fun experience for her to actually read some of the stories I had told her before, but to personalize them more. To see our ancestors more, as real people. To be working on this project at the same time that in Seminary she was reading and studying The Doctrine and Covenants and reading about the early Church History, was fun to also read some of this similar stuff, about people and places in our early family history as well.
Well, this is NOT where I had planned to go with this today, with my writing, but it apparently is what was on my heart today and needed to be said, or written down. I miss my daddy, and wish my kids would have had the chance to know him here in this life too.
Showing posts with label Family History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family History. Show all posts
Friday, March 4, 2011
Monday, March 9, 2009
Memories of my mother on her Birth day.
Memories of my mother: Loraine Faith Sherwood Wright 9 Mar 1926 – 31 Dec 1985
Temple:
Mom grew up living near and playing on the banks of the Snake River in Idaho Falls. She watched as they built the Idaho Falls Temple on her old playground, and sometime later after attending LDS Business College in Salt Lake City, UT, she became the Secretary to the Temple President, David Smith. He was the first temple president of the I.F. Temple. When she left on her mission to the Northern States Mission, where she spent most of her time in Illinois, President and Sister Smith gave her a nice book of Thoughts with a lovely inscription inside the front cover:
Gems of Thought compiled by Milton R. Hunter copy write 1949
In appreciation of your Loyalty and service to the Church and to Sister Smith and myself while working together in the Idaho Falls Temple. Faithfully yours, President and Sister David Smith.
“Of what should a man feel proud if not of his friends.” You have been so loyal and fine. From President and Sister David Smith.
After her mission she again worked at the Temple, and she also worked as a temple secretary for President Killpack. He was Temple President when mom and dad got married and sealed. When just the two of them showed up, he asked where her boys were, and they had been left at home. Dad had not adopted them legally (as he didn’t think he should take the place of their father, if some day they wanted to use the names they had been born with – E) and they didn’t think they could have them sealed to them. President Killpack said to bring them to the temple with them, so the next day I believe they went back to the temple with mom’s three little boys and President Killpack sealed them together as a family. I don’t know if it was completely legal, but in those days you didn’t have to go about things with all the paperwork you do now days. The boys all went by Wright as their last name, and no one ever said anything about it. After my one brother had served a mission, and gone on to marry and have children something caught up to him/them, and the church contacted him and said who is R.A.W? We don’t have any actual records on him. So… R.A.W later went through the legal steps to have his name legally changed to R.A.W. My dad Morris I Wright, is the only dad he ever really knew and remembers.
Temple:
Mom grew up living near and playing on the banks of the Snake River in Idaho Falls. She watched as they built the Idaho Falls Temple on her old playground, and sometime later after attending LDS Business College in Salt Lake City, UT, she became the Secretary to the Temple President, David Smith. He was the first temple president of the I.F. Temple. When she left on her mission to the Northern States Mission, where she spent most of her time in Illinois, President and Sister Smith gave her a nice book of Thoughts with a lovely inscription inside the front cover:
Gems of Thought compiled by Milton R. Hunter copy write 1949
In appreciation of your Loyalty and service to the Church and to Sister Smith and myself while working together in the Idaho Falls Temple. Faithfully yours, President and Sister David Smith.
“Of what should a man feel proud if not of his friends.” You have been so loyal and fine. From President and Sister David Smith.
After her mission she again worked at the Temple, and she also worked as a temple secretary for President Killpack. He was Temple President when mom and dad got married and sealed. When just the two of them showed up, he asked where her boys were, and they had been left at home. Dad had not adopted them legally (as he didn’t think he should take the place of their father, if some day they wanted to use the names they had been born with – E) and they didn’t think they could have them sealed to them. President Killpack said to bring them to the temple with them, so the next day I believe they went back to the temple with mom’s three little boys and President Killpack sealed them together as a family. I don’t know if it was completely legal, but in those days you didn’t have to go about things with all the paperwork you do now days. The boys all went by Wright as their last name, and no one ever said anything about it. After my one brother had served a mission, and gone on to marry and have children something caught up to him/them, and the church contacted him and said who is R.A.W? We don’t have any actual records on him. So… R.A.W later went through the legal steps to have his name legally changed to R.A.W. My dad Morris I Wright, is the only dad he ever really knew and remembers.
Mom also recorded Patriarchal blessings while she worked at the temple. The youth of the church would come to the Temple on a Saturday morning, and the Patriarch would give them their Patriarchal blessings. Mom would take down the blessings, using her secretarial short hand. She told of how she was never able to take short hand as well and accurately as in the temple. She felt the spirit guiding her as she would take the shorthand and then type up the Blessings. She knew that every word she typed up was exactly what the Patriarch had spoken as he’d given the blessing from the Lord for their lives. She loved working in the Temple.
Mom also used to sing in choirs and she’d sing solo’s different places as well. She has a piece of music for the song The Temple By the River, written about the Idaho Falls Temple. I know she loved that temple.
Mission:
Mom was a working gal, and didn’t seem to be getting married, so… she decided to serve a Mission. As she approached the age of 21 when she could serve, they decided to change the age of Sister Missionaries to 25. She continued working and as she was about to turn 25 the age was changed back to 21. She sent in her paperwork to Salt Lake, and President George Albert Smith passed away, so her mission call was among the first called and signed by the new Prophet David O McKay. Mom always had a special place in her heart for President McKay.
She used to talk about her mission experiences. I remember her talking about serving in Rockford, Illinois, and having to go early on Sunday mornings to the Odd Fellows Hall to clean up from the night before, and sweep up beer bottles, and trash, before they could set up chairs for them to have Church Services there on Sundays. (A few years ago a friend of mine in Japan, D.F., had her mom visiting from Illinois. We got to talking and she remembered being a child and attending church at the Odd Fellows Hall in Rockford, IL. We think it was a few years later than when my mom had been there as a Sister Missionary, but she figured her mom might have remembered my mom perhaps.)
Pierced Ears:
While she was serving her mission several good friends served in the same mission, but so far apart they rarely saw one another. On one transfer day mom was going to be trading spots with her good friend and asked for permission to go a day early, so that they could see one another. One of the companions had been a nurse before her mission and was going around the mission piercing ears. She asked if mom wanted to have her ears pierced and no, she did not. Later that day she was laying on her bed studying, in the other room and the two sisters (her friends) came in pinned her down and pierced her ears. She decided since they were already pierced she might as well live with it. She later was holding a baby and had on small hoop earrings, and the baby got it’s finger stuck in her earring and pulled and tore her ear. She had problems with that ear and got infections in her earlobe her whole life time, even though she only ever wore clip on earrings occasionally the rest of the time.
When I came along, she did not want me to get my ears pierced. I asked for years, and she would say when I was 16, and as I got a bit older she'd say when I was 18. She found a cute card that had Luc from teh Peanuts gang on it, and it said, 'How would you like to get your ears pierced for your birthday?!?' she coulnd't NOT by the card so she hid it in her dresser drawer for abt. 6 months and for my 12th birthday I was finally allowed to get my ears pierced!
Rings:
Whenever my grandmother Cecil Florence Carstensen Sherwood had each of her four babies, Grandpa Ernest Clark Sherwood gave grandma a ring. I don’t know what the other rings were, but the one he gave grandma for my mothers’ birth was a small diamond ring in what today is a beautiful antique filigree setting. My grandmother actually passed it on to my mother when she was in her twenties, (it was a very small diamond, and the other rings had bigger stones from what I understand). My mother wore that ring for years, and at some point had gained some weight and had to have it cut off her finger so it was then missing a piece of the ring.
I remember growing up seeing it and being told the story and understanding somehow (I am guessing my mom told me) that some day it would come to me, as her only daughter. I used to sneak into her room sometimes and open the golden piano shaped musical jewelry box she kept on her white French provincial dresser. I’d pick up the ring and hold it up to my hand, squeezing the one side of the band that was still intact between my fingers and looking forward to the day when I would finally get to have the ring on my hand.
When mom was sick and in the hospital and then died, I was with dad and looking through some of her things. In a drawer of her dresser was a small heart shaped box and inside was the small antique ring from when she was born. Dad and I thought that since she now had her mom’s ring, though she wasn’t going to wear it, she had decided it was time to give me the other small ring, perhaps for Christmas. Dad took it to the Jewelry store and we got it fixed and fitted for my finger. I have worn that ring for 20 plus years nearly day and night. The last time I took it in to have it checked, the jeweler suggested very strongly that I not wear it except on special occasions (he said weekly to church is fine and other events), but not daily and that in fact no one ought to wear jewelry to bed as it gets constantly rubbed against things, and it wears them down. I was wearing out my ring and I would not have it as an heirloom to pass down to my children if I continued wearing it daily. I was so depressed, it was one of the few things I have of my mothers, and it was a special something that gave me a connection that I felt wearing it on my hand to constantly remember my mother. For now I have put it away to save for special times and to be able to pass along to my daughter. I cried when I realized I couldn’t wear it at all times. I almost want to buy a small heirloom type ring to replace it with, or to have a ring made new to replicate it so that I can have something to wear to keep me close to my mother every day. I haven’t worn it in several months now. My finger after 20 years still feels naked…
Pancreatitis:
The following year my mother got sick with Pancreatitis on Dec. 18, 1985. (it had been my birthday when she got ill and went to the hosp). Early in the day, She had been out grocery shopping and running errands, where coincidentally she ran into several old friends that day and had a little visit with each of them, in preparation for the family all coming home for the Christmas Holliday. I was in NY, my brother R, his wife T and their baby T were in Provo, dad, and the two older boys were in CA, and my youner brother R was home in ID. When my younger brother arrived home from school, that day he found mom very sick throwing up bile and in a LOT of pain. He took her to the hospital, where she was put into ICU.
The next morning I was preparing to come home from NY and tried countless times to call home before I left. My flight from NY was a bit delayed leaving due to snow and weather in NY. I arrived in Denver and had missed my connecting flight. I sat all day long and tried to call home to let mom know of my changed flight plans. I called and called and never got an answer. As I waited for the later flight out of Denver, I thought perhaps that mom had gone into town to have lunch with her sister, Aunt D, since she lived near the airport, and so I decided to wait until I figured my younger brother would be home from school to call again. Finally when I called I got an answer. It was my oldr brother RA instead of my younger brother RJ, and it confused me, since RA and T weren’t supposed to be coming in until the next day on Saturday since T was an Elementary School teacher in Provo. RA told me that mom was sick and in the hospital, that’s why she hadn’t been home and answering the phone.
I spent the next several hours in the Denver Airport, knowing very little other than my mom was in the ICU and I could do nothing but wait. Finally we got on a flight, it was a puddle jumper as far as I’m concerned, 20 seats, every seat was an aisle seat, but every seat was also a window seat. We took off and as we approached Idaho they announced that there was a lot of ice and snow and they couldn’t land in Idaho Falls. They suggested Twin Falls, and I started thinking, dad has a brother L in Twin Falls I could call if necessary, perhaps. Then they decided to land in Pocatello. I was closer, but what to do… There were only a few of us on the flight that were going to be stopping in I.F. but there was another airline with a large flight that had had to land in Pocatello as well, and they arranged for a bus for their passengers and the four of us from my flight were allowed to go on the bus to I.F. as well.
It had been hours since I was supposed to have arrived and I had no idea what I was going to do when I finally arrived in I.F. I was worried sick about my mom, and felt so alone while I traveled by myself all day long. Hard as it was, it was so nice to see loving familiar faces when I got to the airport in I.F. off the bus from Pocatello in the snow. Uncle J (my mom's younger brother and my younger brother RJ had come to pick me up. They tried to prepare me somewhat to what I would face when I saw my mom. She had, had a stroke some time during the time she’d been in the hospital (just over a day). She was in a lot of pain and on morphine. She had wires and things attached to her. When I got to the hospital RA, T and T were there, and I don’t remember who else right now as I write this. I went in to see mom (someone went with me, don’t remember who). I went in and started to cry. I remember my mom opening her eyes, and looking at me and she mouthed, “I Love you.” to me. That was the last time she was that conscious and the last words she ever spoke (even without sound) to me.
Rings:
Whenever my grandmother Cecil Florence Carstensen Sherwood had each of her four babies, Grandpa Ernest Clark Sherwood gave grandma a ring. I don’t know what the other rings were, but the one he gave grandma for my mothers’ birth was a small diamond ring in what today is a beautiful antique filigree setting. My grandmother actually passed it on to my mother when she was in her twenties, (it was a very small diamond, and the other rings had bigger stones from what I understand). My mother wore that ring for years, and at some point had gained some weight and had to have it cut off her finger so it was then missing a piece of the ring.
I remember growing up seeing it and being told the story and understanding somehow (I am guessing my mom told me) that some day it would come to me, as her only daughter. I used to sneak into her room sometimes and open the golden piano shaped musical jewelry box she kept on her white French provincial dresser. I’d pick up the ring and hold it up to my hand, squeezing the one side of the band that was still intact between my fingers and looking forward to the day when I would finally get to have the ring on my hand.
When mom was sick and in the hospital and then died, I was with dad and looking through some of her things. In a drawer of her dresser was a small heart shaped box and inside was the small antique ring from when she was born. Dad and I thought that since she now had her mom’s ring, though she wasn’t going to wear it, she had decided it was time to give me the other small ring, perhaps for Christmas. Dad took it to the Jewelry store and we got it fixed and fitted for my finger. I have worn that ring for 20 plus years nearly day and night. The last time I took it in to have it checked, the jeweler suggested very strongly that I not wear it except on special occasions (he said weekly to church is fine and other events), but not daily and that in fact no one ought to wear jewelry to bed as it gets constantly rubbed against things, and it wears them down. I was wearing out my ring and I would not have it as an heirloom to pass down to my children if I continued wearing it daily. I was so depressed, it was one of the few things I have of my mothers, and it was a special something that gave me a connection that I felt wearing it on my hand to constantly remember my mother. For now I have put it away to save for special times and to be able to pass along to my daughter. I cried when I realized I couldn’t wear it at all times. I almost want to buy a small heirloom type ring to replace it with, or to have a ring made new to replicate it so that I can have something to wear to keep me close to my mother every day. I haven’t worn it in several months now. My finger after 20 years still feels naked…
Pancreatitis:
The following year my mother got sick with Pancreatitis on Dec. 18, 1985. (it had been my birthday when she got ill and went to the hosp). Early in the day, She had been out grocery shopping and running errands, where coincidentally she ran into several old friends that day and had a little visit with each of them, in preparation for the family all coming home for the Christmas Holliday. I was in NY, my brother R, his wife T and their baby T were in Provo, dad, and the two older boys were in CA, and my youner brother R was home in ID. When my younger brother arrived home from school, that day he found mom very sick throwing up bile and in a LOT of pain. He took her to the hospital, where she was put into ICU.
The next morning I was preparing to come home from NY and tried countless times to call home before I left. My flight from NY was a bit delayed leaving due to snow and weather in NY. I arrived in Denver and had missed my connecting flight. I sat all day long and tried to call home to let mom know of my changed flight plans. I called and called and never got an answer. As I waited for the later flight out of Denver, I thought perhaps that mom had gone into town to have lunch with her sister, Aunt D, since she lived near the airport, and so I decided to wait until I figured my younger brother would be home from school to call again. Finally when I called I got an answer. It was my oldr brother RA instead of my younger brother RJ, and it confused me, since RA and T weren’t supposed to be coming in until the next day on Saturday since T was an Elementary School teacher in Provo. RA told me that mom was sick and in the hospital, that’s why she hadn’t been home and answering the phone.
I spent the next several hours in the Denver Airport, knowing very little other than my mom was in the ICU and I could do nothing but wait. Finally we got on a flight, it was a puddle jumper as far as I’m concerned, 20 seats, every seat was an aisle seat, but every seat was also a window seat. We took off and as we approached Idaho they announced that there was a lot of ice and snow and they couldn’t land in Idaho Falls. They suggested Twin Falls, and I started thinking, dad has a brother L in Twin Falls I could call if necessary, perhaps. Then they decided to land in Pocatello. I was closer, but what to do… There were only a few of us on the flight that were going to be stopping in I.F. but there was another airline with a large flight that had had to land in Pocatello as well, and they arranged for a bus for their passengers and the four of us from my flight were allowed to go on the bus to I.F. as well.
It had been hours since I was supposed to have arrived and I had no idea what I was going to do when I finally arrived in I.F. I was worried sick about my mom, and felt so alone while I traveled by myself all day long. Hard as it was, it was so nice to see loving familiar faces when I got to the airport in I.F. off the bus from Pocatello in the snow. Uncle J (my mom's younger brother and my younger brother RJ had come to pick me up. They tried to prepare me somewhat to what I would face when I saw my mom. She had, had a stroke some time during the time she’d been in the hospital (just over a day). She was in a lot of pain and on morphine. She had wires and things attached to her. When I got to the hospital RA, T and T were there, and I don’t remember who else right now as I write this. I went in to see mom (someone went with me, don’t remember who). I went in and started to cry. I remember my mom opening her eyes, and looking at me and she mouthed, “I Love you.” to me. That was the last time she was that conscious and the last words she ever spoke (even without sound) to me.
My dad was able to get back up to ID the following day, with my two oldest brothers. We spent most of that time over Christmas break at the hospital (someone was there at all times) with my mom.
Mom was in the hosp for two weeks. She started to get better at some point in the middle and they had her sitting up in a wheelchair. I remember thinking how hard it would be on her to be in a wheelchair and to have to depend on others to physically help care for her. My mom did NOT want to be a burden on anyone else. In the following week after Christmas my mom had a second stroke, and this one was completely disabling. After a day or two they did a cat scan and saw that there were actually nearly zero percent brain activity. We had a decision to make... We had to decide if we should turn off the life support as that was all that was keeping her alive at that point. We talked about it as a family and hard as it was going to be... we decided as a family that was what we would do.
(My Uncle J wrote me the following:
The most difficult blessing I have ever been asked
to give was to administer to your mom and release her
from this life. I can't even remember who all was
there other than your dad,and (my aunt M his wife). It was a
difficult time for all. I had been visiting with your
mom the morning she fell ill. I left her at noon and
went back to Rexburg, where we lived at the time. It
was early evening when we received a call from (my Aunt) D
that Loraine was very ill and in the hospital. It was
a terrible shock since she had seemed very well when I
left at noon. She had been so excited about the
Christmas season. The house was all decorated for the
events. You were all coming home to be with her for
a few days.
Love to you and to your family.
J)
to give was to administer to your mom and release her
from this life. I can't even remember who all was
there other than your dad,and (my aunt M his wife). It was a
difficult time for all. I had been visiting with your
mom the morning she fell ill. I left her at noon and
went back to Rexburg, where we lived at the time. It
was early evening when we received a call from (my Aunt) D
that Loraine was very ill and in the hospital. It was
a terrible shock since she had seemed very well when I
left at noon. She had been so excited about the
Christmas season. The house was all decorated for the
events. You were all coming home to be with her for
a few days.
Love to you and to your family.
J)
My Uncle gave my mother a special blessing, and she passed on her own, a few hours before we would have turned off the life support. It was a blessing to me, that she was able to pass on her own, so that I didn't have to live with the fact that we had taken her off of life support, since even though I knew it was the right thing to do it would still have been hard to do.My mother got ill on Dec 18th, and passed on Dec. 30th, after being ill and in severe pain for two weeks. It was so hard to see her in pain. It was so hard to say goodbye and let her go, but on the other hand it was a blessing that she passed on and I knew she was no longer in pain.
Education:
My mom is that she loved young children! She began a private Kindergarten class and taught two classes a day for several years when I was a small child. When we moved to Calif. when I was 4 yrs old, the laws there were a bit more strict, and she began working in preschools, but her love was kindergarten. She went to night school and received her degree in Early CHildhood Education. When we moved back to Idaho, my parents bought a nursery school and she got it licensed and taught a pre-school and private kindergarten for several years. She LOVED to teach young children to READ and write! That was her big joy!
Family fun times:
A few other memories I have of my mom are these: It wasn't often that she would get down and dirty with us kids, (I am kind of like that as a mom too). I remember one day we were out playing in the backyard, and she came out and somehow we all ended up (all us 5 kids), and her, in a big huge water fight with the hose. She had on a dress and everything, so it was definitely not something she would have normally done with us, but I remember that.
Also, for the years that we lived in S. Calif, I remember her comming in and waking us up on a wat. morning or a summer morning, and asking us kids if we'd like to go to Disneyland or Knott's Berry farm for the day? Who would possibly say NO to that!?!?! We loved Disneyland. I remember all of the old ticket books of tickets she'd have in her top dresser drawer. We'd always end up with lots of extra tickets left over from the easy rides, and we'd never have enough of the 'E' tickets for the cool/fast roller coaster rides! We had lots of fun times and memories of spending time together as a family at Disneyland as child.
http://vintagedisneylandtickets.blogspot.com/2008/02/walt-disney-world-october-1971-ticket.html
http://vintagedisneylandtickets.blogspot.com/2008/02/walt-disney-world-october-1971-ticket.htmlI miss my mommy! It has been over half of my life time that she has been gone. She has never been here to share the special times of my life - My marriage, my births, my kids... that is hard for me at times.
I loved my mom. I need to work harder at sharing the things I remember of my mom with my kids so that they will come to know and love her like I do.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
My daddy's birthday
Today would be my daddy's birthday. I don't often think about the basic things like my families birthdays, especially, when my parents haven't been around for quite some time now... but today I looked at the calendar and remembered my daddy.
My dad Morris Ivan Wright was born on March 4th 1920, in Idaho. He was raised on a farm, and they ran sheep, up Taylor mountain, east of Idaho Falls. He attended Rick's College in Rexburg, ID, and joined the church there. He got his teaching degree, and taught high school science and math at Idaho Falls High School. 
He liked music and was always humming a tune or singing silly, made up songs. He liked to dance, and was a really good at calling Square Dances - which then meant he didn't get to dance all that much if he was calling the dance.
My dad had a funny sense of humor, and was always trying to play jokes/tricks on people. He was such a hard worker. He always gave 150% in all that he did. He valued hard work and definitely showed his love and care for his family by working hard to provide for us.
My daddy was not afraid to show his feelings. He would give hugs and tell you he loved you pretty freely. He would shed a tear and not feel ashamed of that at all.
He loved his family and the rich history they had in the Eastern Idaho area. He always knew someone from his past whenever and where ever we would go around town. He would talk of the old days and attending school at the little school house out in Taylor, and of the farmers and farms he grew up around. I wish I had more of that history written down so that I could go back and read it for myself, now that I'm old enough to appreciate it, and for my children as they grow up.
It is hard to describe my dad... I used to watch the t.v. show In the Heat of the Night, with Carroll O'Connor. I liked that Character, he played. He was kind of a cuddly teddy bear of a man in that show, and for some reason I like to think of my dad like that character. He knew what was right and wrong, and he worked to do right, and to help others.
My dad was the youngest of 8 children. He had 5 brothers, and one older sister that lived. The baby just before him was the 2nd daughter, but she died at 3 months old. His brother Mark was 4 yrs older than him, and was the next closest in age, died in a farm accident at the age of 23. So, my daddy was the baby of the family. He went off to college, and eventually was drafted into the Army at the end of World War II and served in the Philippines. He however lived back at home helping out on the farm in the midst of his other life.
He eventually met and married my mom, who had been married and had three small boys. He raised them as if they were his own, and then I was born to them, the first daughter, for my mom, and the first baby of my dad. 4 yrs later I had another brother born to my parents as well.
Some of the fun things I remember my dad doing was, he'd sing songs all the time and dance around the house. He loved the song Jingle Bell Rock, and would dance all around the house when it came on the radio. One year he had this red overall suit from working out in the garage... I remember he found this round little white bathroom rug and put it on around his ears, and pretended to be Santa clause. I'm sure I was embarrassed... as I was a teenager, but I look back at it now and it was pretty funny. I have a picture of my daddy dressed up for Halloween so that I could go trick or treating. He put on one of my mom's dresses, and wore one of her wigs, and he went around the neighborhood just to take me out for the night. What a sweetheart he was to do that for me!
One of the last memories I have of my daddy was when I was living in NY, and I gave Bill the phone number at home, and Bill called to ask my daddy if he could marry me. He talked to Bill for a bit and then asked to talk to me. I got on the phone and my sweet daddy was having a little going away party with a bunch of the neighbors at the house... I could hear them all in the background and they shared my happy news with my dad and me through the phone, across the miles. He was moving back to Calif, to go back to work since he still had two kids to raise (me and my younger brother) and support. (His later years were spent (most of my life time) working for the US Dept. of Agriculture, as a Customs inspector at the Los Angeles Int. Airport. He had to check peoples bags, and what not to keep people from bringing produce or foods in from other countries.) He always worked so hard, one day, just 5 weeks after the day I got engaged officially, my daddy did not show up for work and wouldn't answer his phone. This was so unusual for him, that his friends and co-workers he'd known for many years by that time, knew something wasn't right. They went to his place and were able to get one of my brothers to come and check things out. My daddy had passed in his sleep, peacefully, with a smile on his face. I like to think that he was happy to be reunited with my mom who had passed 2 1/2 yrs before, as well as all his other family who had passed on before him. Though he was the youngest of the 8 children born to his parents, he was the 2nd after his oldest brother to pass on in adulthood.
I miss my daddy. I loved him dearly. He was a sweet, sweet man. I loved sitting next to him in church and listening to him sing. One of the songs I remember him singing was Abide with me; 'Tis Eventide... and whenever we sing that song in Church... I think of him.
It's been a very long time, and I don't think of you often enough... but I miss you daddy.
4 March 1920 - 12 May 1988
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Mothers Day
My day started out with Marissa coming in with her stack of cards and pictures she'd drawn and made for the past couple of weeks. Sweet! then I began to smell yummy breakfast, and she returned with a menu of food by 'Sheft Bill', and they brought me breakfast in bed. I got a beautiful Statue of a Mother and children from Bill. he had a hard time bringing it back through airport security wince he wanted to hand carry it. It happened to be the same trip he bought the Christus for me and he had both of them to hand carry, along with his laptop computer...
Rebekah bought me this very funny book (that Amanda pointed out to her a little bit ago at the store) - If These BOOBS Could Talk: A Little Humor to Pump Up the Breastfeeding Mom
http://www.amazon.com/These-Boobs-Could-Talk-Breastfeeding/dp/0740771205/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210777663&sr=8-1
I can tell you years ago that I would have NEVER imagined that I'd get somethign like this for a gift and for Mothers Day, and from my kids! I think it is very sweet that knowing and apreciating the work I do with pregnant, birthign and breastfeeding mom's they would get something like this for me.
I got to go to Church with my hubby ;-) I got to sit with my three young women durring combined R.S. and Y.W. meeting at church. Then afterward, we had packed a picnic type lunch/dinner, and went off Franklin, TN for a Musical Fireside by Jason Deere and band. He has put out two Album's - Joseph: A Nashville Tribute to the Prophet, and Trek: A Nashville Tribute to the Pioneers. It was really wonderful. He talked about how he read hundreds of actual Pioneer Journals as inspiration to pay tribute to those that too that incredible Journey. He uses some of the journal entries as background intro to some of the songs, and some of the lines in the songs are direclty from some entries. It is very touching. It was interesting to be 'rocking out' on a Sunday at a Chapel however... ;-)
http://www.ldsaudio.com/shop/music.aspx?type=album&id=330
You can listen to some of the songs at this web site -
http://www.ldsaudio.com/shop/music.aspx?type=album&id=564
We met a Sister Missionary there. Sister Ar__ll. We chatted with her, and I told her I'd tease her brother about not writing to her while she has been out for 16 months already... so... I'll have to get ahold of E and K A, who live just a few miles south of me... and are expecting a new baby in Dec. (I spilled that news, hope it wasn't a secret! ;-) she said she'd just talked to her mom that day for Mothers day and she hadn't said anything about it!
Rebekah stayed home and kept Liam for us, and though ti was a long night for her, I (we) really appreciated ehr willingness to help out, since it would have been a lot more stressful getting up and down with him and I'm sure taking him out in the hallway for much of it. It was hard enough keeping up with the two/three younger one's we had with us, who got awfully tired after a long day and sitting still in church chairs, for two hours (that lasted into bed time), then the drive back home... Let's just be honest. I'm glad Liam wasn't with us, though I wished Rebekah could have been.
Listening to the stories of the pioneers made me want to 'get to know' my ancestors better, and to introduce them more fully to my children. I haven't even done a very good job at sharing my memories and stories of my own parents to my children so that they might get to know them, as they never had the opportunity to know either of them, since my parents both passed away before I was married or had children.
I came up with an idea for Y.W. projects for my girls if they'd like to do this. We have old mimeographed copies of some of the family histories of several of my ancestors, and I thought if they'[d like to take the time to type them into the computer and make a more usuable (in today's technological world) copy of it, and then we'd be able to share it better as a family, and to send to our other relatives as well. I thought this might be a way for them to get to know their ancestors as people with real lives. Bringing the Spirit of Elijah to our family.
So, I had a wonderful Mothers Day, though it certainly wasn't conventional for what I would have planned or thought it would be like.
Thank you family.
Rebekah bought me this very funny book (that Amanda pointed out to her a little bit ago at the store) - If These BOOBS Could Talk: A Little Humor to Pump Up the Breastfeeding Mom
http://www.amazon.com/These-Boobs-Could-Talk-Breastfeeding/dp/0740771205/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210777663&sr=8-1
I can tell you years ago that I would have NEVER imagined that I'd get somethign like this for a gift and for Mothers Day, and from my kids! I think it is very sweet that knowing and apreciating the work I do with pregnant, birthign and breastfeeding mom's they would get something like this for me.
I got to go to Church with my hubby ;-) I got to sit with my three young women durring combined R.S. and Y.W. meeting at church. Then afterward, we had packed a picnic type lunch/dinner, and went off Franklin, TN for a Musical Fireside by Jason Deere and band. He has put out two Album's - Joseph: A Nashville Tribute to the Prophet, and Trek: A Nashville Tribute to the Pioneers. It was really wonderful. He talked about how he read hundreds of actual Pioneer Journals as inspiration to pay tribute to those that too that incredible Journey. He uses some of the journal entries as background intro to some of the songs, and some of the lines in the songs are direclty from some entries. It is very touching. It was interesting to be 'rocking out' on a Sunday at a Chapel however... ;-)
http://www.ldsaudio.com/shop/music.aspx?type=album&id=330
You can listen to some of the songs at this web site -
http://www.ldsaudio.com/shop/music.aspx?type=album&id=564
We met a Sister Missionary there. Sister Ar__ll. We chatted with her, and I told her I'd tease her brother about not writing to her while she has been out for 16 months already... so... I'll have to get ahold of E and K A, who live just a few miles south of me... and are expecting a new baby in Dec. (I spilled that news, hope it wasn't a secret! ;-) she said she'd just talked to her mom that day for Mothers day and she hadn't said anything about it!
Rebekah stayed home and kept Liam for us, and though ti was a long night for her, I (we) really appreciated ehr willingness to help out, since it would have been a lot more stressful getting up and down with him and I'm sure taking him out in the hallway for much of it. It was hard enough keeping up with the two/three younger one's we had with us, who got awfully tired after a long day and sitting still in church chairs, for two hours (that lasted into bed time), then the drive back home... Let's just be honest. I'm glad Liam wasn't with us, though I wished Rebekah could have been.
Listening to the stories of the pioneers made me want to 'get to know' my ancestors better, and to introduce them more fully to my children. I haven't even done a very good job at sharing my memories and stories of my own parents to my children so that they might get to know them, as they never had the opportunity to know either of them, since my parents both passed away before I was married or had children.
I came up with an idea for Y.W. projects for my girls if they'd like to do this. We have old mimeographed copies of some of the family histories of several of my ancestors, and I thought if they'[d like to take the time to type them into the computer and make a more usuable (in today's technological world) copy of it, and then we'd be able to share it better as a family, and to send to our other relatives as well. I thought this might be a way for them to get to know their ancestors as people with real lives. Bringing the Spirit of Elijah to our family.
So, I had a wonderful Mothers Day, though it certainly wasn't conventional for what I would have planned or thought it would be like.
Thank you family.
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