Big Changes

It's been a crazy few months for my extended family. In November my Grandpa Jessie, my mother's dad, died. I wish I had some digital pictures of him, especially in his Military Police uniform. They're great and when I get some I'll share a few. Then early this month my Dad's father passed away. They both lived full happy lives and my memories of them are treasures to me. The photo on the left was taken when Grandpa Earl was a young man fishing on the Snake River in Idaho. I've been reading his personal history and here's a small chunk that I loved.

"My earliest memory of Papa is of hearing the front door slam at our home in Lehi, Utah, and of seeing a huge man wearing high-top boots, riding breeches, a leather jacket, and an old felt hat, striding into the living room and calling, "Ruby, I'm home!" I jumped up from where I'd been stacking blocks on the floor, and running to him, I threw my arms around one of those boots. I can still remember the leather laces and the metal lace clips pressing into my cheeks, and the joy of flight as I was carried on the boot foot into the kitchen. There things became a little more crowded as Papa's leg pressed me from the front and Mama's leg pressed from behind. The boots smelled of beet pulp, an odor I love to this day. From the time I was born in 1922 until I watched his casket lowered into the grave at the base of the Wasatch Mountains on May 8, 1942, I was bathed in love by this man."



There's more news about some of the men in my family. We have two new babies since the beginning of the year. My little brother, Brad and his wife had their first little one...a girl. The look on his face says it all.











And my other brother, Greg and his beautiful wife had their fourth child. From what I hear she loves to be sung to and smiles at the sounds and attention.


Daily life in my own house is fun and all, but it's hard to think about those things when loved ones are coming and going with such regularity.