To Do List...

Tonight I came across this "to do" list my dad scribed for my mom 2 short months before she passed away. There were check marks on everything except the last 2, but I know she did those too....

Late February, 1992

Things I want to do with my extra time:

Write my life's history

Keep reading the scriptures

Have fun things with the kids

Help Ben and Jonathan on their Eagle Scout awards

Finish needle point

Do something for each of the kids so they have something to remember me by

Do things/talk with Tom

Go to the temple

Develop nice relationships with the kids

Tell kids I love them every day

Help kids to have their testimonies grow

Dump Olds. (the Oldsmobile had been "dumped" for years)

Register VW

Adam licensed

Go to family reunion

Read to family (together & individual)

Bear testimony

Things I won't need to do:

No Deeds (mom ran a deed transfer document service)

Worry about finances

Travel, go places

-----------

Thank you, mom for the beautiful trail you blazed. Just a few days ago I was talking with dear friends about how I was sure I am the mom I am largely because of you, and reading your "to do list" supports my thoughts. I love you!

Wesley and grandpa

This is for Wesley and for all of the posterity of Great-Gma E.  I wish I spoke Swedish!  Translation anyone?



Thanks, Dad!

Wesley and Des contemplate life thus far

Family Gathering in VA- baby blessings

It's amazing that two beautiful little babies could prompt such a sweet gathering.

Saturday, July 5 through Sunday, July 6

We pulled ourselves together, and drove down to Dan and Julee's in VA.  We stopped at a roadside BBQ smoker joint and had a different kind of pulled pork.  Wayne's stands up to it, but this was a different kind of delicious....had a great zing-a-ling.

We forgot the girls' bathing suits, so when we were in UT I ran to Wal-Mart to pick up one for each girl.  They only had something that looked like a tankini in Grace's size, but it ended up more bikini-ish.  Grace wasn't pleased, so on our way to VA, we stopped at Target and found a cute one-piece.  I only include this because I love that our girls choose modesty at a young age.  We teach them to not think twice about or judge what another person wears, but to pay attention to how they feel and be true.

We got to Dan and Julee's and started out with hours of pool fun while Dan, Wayne, and Joe (Julee's dad) worked at the grill.  What a spread!  Julee's baked beans were to die for.  Dan's ribs and the Brower chicken was to die for.  Mari's gazpacho was to die for- I love the way she makes it- chunky/salsa-like.  It all was SOOO yummy, and we were all deliriously full by evening.

Dan set the lawn on fire with his fireworks display.  What a hoot!  The kids had a ball with the sparklers and then we scooted off to our hotel for a good night's rest.

Sunday, July 6 ~ JOY

We met back at Dan and Julee's for the blessings of Ceseley Jane and Desmond James....both beautiful, sweet babies.   Ceseley is a strong string bean with a smile that brightens up a room, and Des is a peaceful, chunky cherub.  The blessings were beautiful and fitting.  I caught a look of pure joy on my dad's face as he observed two of his sons exercising their priesthood respectfully and honorably.

Afterward I asked if he was in awe watching his family grow and progress like this, and he acknowledged it was so.  While we were at Adam and Mari's my brother, Ben & his wife, Amanda welcomed their 3rd son, baby William, and this a.m., grandbaby #27 on our side of the family was born, Claire Kimberly.  Including the grandbabies from Ilene's children I believe there are 51.  So, the posterity grows and I'm sure as time passes it will always be joyous to witness and know beautiful occasions such as baby blessings, successes, progression (including repentance), covenants made and kept, prayer, FHE, and love shared.  I could see the look of "cherishing the moment" on my dad's face following Ceseley's and Des' blessings.  I think I'm doing a bit more cherishing of each and every good thing as well.  All are in a sense miracles and evidence of God's existence.

Following the blessings, we once again enjoyed an amazing buffet.  The banana bars were a hit.  Check out the link.  The blog is one of my favorites.   After brunch, the cameras were busy, and after a little Wii time, it was time to go.  I'm feeling the after effects of an intense game of Wii tennis with Wayne.  I can't get my rematch soon enough:)

Aside from I-91 being closed in CT for a few miles due to an accident and our drive taking 2 hours longer because of that and a couple other slow spots, the drive from VA, through MD, DE, NJ, PA, NY, CT and to our MA home was not bad.  How's that for a positive spin on a brutal drive?  We were all glad to get in our own beds and sink our heads into our pillows.  We are so very thankful for our safe travels and the many cherished memories made.  The Minivan that Could passed 200,000 miles heading east somewhere in Iowa.  We're hoping for another 50K.  

And that's how our family traveled through 17 states

(+ Wash. DC) in 12 days in the summer of 2008.

The End.

July 4th in DC!

Well, if we were going to miss July 4th in Boston, celebrating in DC was the next best thing, right?

We spent the morning at Mount Vernon (George's house per Aunt Mari:)).  It was warm and humid, but we had a lovely time.  As we arrived there was a reenactment of sorts going on on the front lawn.  The musket fire was LOUD, and the kids were past impressed after a few shots were fired.  Thomas pointed out the minutemen on the left and the continental soldiers.  Some soldiers picked a girl out of the crowd and pretended to find a paper declaring her loyalty to England, and they declared her a traitor.  She was a good sport!  

Mari, Des, and gpa stood in the long line to tour George's house while gma Ilene found shade, and Wayne, the kids and I walked through the beautiful gardens, through the farm, where the soldiers' tents and liberty bell replica were displayed (men acting as soldiers actually slept in the tents the previous night), and George Washington's original and current resting place.  They had a wreath ceremony at his resting place.  It was nice to pay respects on July 4th.

Speaking of George Washington....  We spotted a man who appeared to be dressed as George Washington.  I hurried the kids along to meet him and suggested to Thomas that he ask him if he was in fact George.  When I prompted Thomas, he came up with his own question for George...

Thomas: Is it true that you insulted Artemus Ward in public?

George:  General Ward?

Thomas: Yes.

George: Well, I didn't insult him, but rather we engaged in a lively public debate.  It is a good thing to be able to discuss differences of opinion, is it not?

Thomas: Yes.

George and I smiled at each other, both pleasantly surprised at Thomas' boldness.  I was happy that Thomas appeared satisfied.  Later we met Martha as well....so fun!

The view from Mt. Vernon over the Potomac River toward MD is something to behold.  It's no wonder George Washington longed to return home following his presidency.  The estate and surroundings are beautiful and peaceful.

After Mt. Vernon, we headed back to Adam and Mari's and decided we would head out to DC via the Metro to see the fireworks.  We hesitated because the forcast called for rain, but we decided we'd brave the weather since we didn't know when/if we'd be back for the 4th.  The ride into DC was easy.  We ended up walking right up to the mall in between the Washington monument and the Capital Bldg.  The fireworks started soon after we arrived.  It was an amazing setting...worth the adventure that followed, and it's not easy to impress a Bostonian when it comes to 4th of July celebrations:).

After the fireworks, we were 7 of 7 zillion who tried to get back on the Metro to return home.  Holy cow, what a zoo!!!!  


We were clinging to each other through the crowds while Wesley slept peacefully in the stroller.  The train door tried to split Wayne in half, but we managed to squeeze in....seven of the many sardines on board.  Then came the tears...Grace: I'm thirsty!  I can't move!  My feet hurt!  Caroline: I want water!  We were standing so close, we had to maneuver in order to be able to find the water bottle and lift it enough for the girls to get a drink.  As soon as a seat opened up, Grace was sitting down and fell fast asleep.  Caroline soon followed.

We enjoyed a good night's rest after an unforgettable 4th of July in DC (& VA:)).

On the road again...

Tuesday, July 1 through Thursday, July 3

Tuesday a.m., Christina and I did a little UT shopping that we just can't do in MA.  We went to Deseret Book and I found this beautiful piece of art by Del Parsons that I decided I wanted to look at everyday. You can't really tell, but the actual canvas has a distressed finish and is in neutral tones. The thick black frame is also distressed. I love the message the image gives & I feel I can relate.

My sister Shayla gave me a quick tutorial on how to make flower clippies and I'm going to give it a go, so Christina and I also stopped by Robert's for their big spring flower sale. We'll see if I can bring some of this cuteness to the east coast. When Shayla was passing them out at the reunion, it was no surprise that Grace was all over them! She wanted one of each color. They are darling, for sure.

Grace loved having her hair done by Ama when Ama came by and visited before Christina and I ran errands, gma Ann took little ones to water slide at Julie's, and Ama, Wayne and Matt picked up our minivan.  When we all returned (minus Ama), we said prayers, thank-yous, and good-byes, left with lots of love, and headed east through UT, WY, NE, IA, IL, OH (thankfully making it safely through a terrible storm), IN, dipped into MI, and stopped in PA.


Thomas collected state post cards (or pics of state signs) for each of the states we drove through.  He was asked to collect them over the summer since he'll be studying North America next year in Social Studies.  He'll have quite a collection to share!  Hey, family and friends, if you want to send Thomas a post card from your state, he'd love to add to his collection!

We spent the night in Cranberry, PA just outside of Pittsburgh and were thankful for a comfy bed, and good night's rest.

Thursday a.m., we got back in the minivan and drove through PA to my brother's home in MD. Again, picking up where we left off was a sweet thing. My dad and Ilene were there as well, and the kids were so excited to run around and play (and get out of the car)! Adam and Mari were so gracious and generous. We are so thankful for them. The kids adored baby Des. We visited and then went off to see Wall-e. Cute movie. I was tired and almost fell asleep, but everyone really enjoyed it.

SLC & Alpine

Sunday, June 29- Tuesday, July 1

We were thrilled to spend the remainder of our UT vacation in SCL at Grandma Ann's and Grandpa Gary's.  Gary was away on business, so we were sad to miss him, but we had a lovely time, as always with Gma Ann.  We laughed at how our Grace Ann seemed to appreciate Gma Ann's floor to ceiling decor more than anyone.  They are 2 peas in a pod in many wonderful ways.  Gma. Ann has been living with her daughter, Julie who is excpecting triplets, and when she mentioned she hadn't had time to clean off her courtyard, we decided to spend Monday morning doing just that.  The kids and I scrubbed away while Wayne took the van in to get serviced.  Later that day we went to visit Julie, her triplets in the wombs, and her 4 amazing kids.  Our kids played together while I folded laundry, and Wayne and I played catch up with Julie, her IV nearby.  She's been so sick, but I was in awe at how great she looks.  In fact I think besides being pregnant with triplets, she's in better shape than I am!  I'm inspired to work a little harder to strengthen my limbs, and if my tummy wants to cooperate and tighten up a bit, that would be icing on the cake!  We're so happy for Julie and her family and can't wait to see their 3 darling baby girls.  They are coming to one amazing family!

Monday afternoon, our family cruised up to Alpine to BBQ with my UT family...sisters Sara & Julie, brother Jon, their spouses and most of the cousins.  Of course there had to be a ruckus, and that came through Uncle baseball....Uncles vs. nieces and nephews.  The latter weren't doing so hot, and the oldest nephew, Josh was getting a little urked.  When a pop fly came right for Samantha, and she dropped it, Josh stormed up to her and then walked away.  When we were curious if he was truly upset, Josh snapped, "They don't know how to freakin' play!"  It was hilarious!  We all cracked up while Josh cooled down.  He's a hoot.  The niece and nephew team quickly fizzled, so the aunts stepped in.  I don't know what happened to my batting skills, but after swinging a million times, and finally making contact I wasn't about to settle for a single.  Problem was my sis, Sara stopped at second.  Since I knew she could appreciate a good steal- her son, Josh is an avid base-stealer, I urged her (OK I gave her a good shove that caught her off guard and sent her flying) to steal.  She couldn't get up she was laughing so hard.  I made it home while Sara laid there at second laughing.  That was a good tummy laughter workout.  I need more of those!

We BBQed, the kids played on the water slide, ran through sprinklers, made s'mores, the big girls (moms included) made darling button clippies thanks to Julie's tutoring), and we all had fun reconnecting.  I suppose reunions in heaven are like this, where you simply pick up where you left off and the love you have for one another makes the time between visits insignificant.

Since Monday, Ange has had her baby!  We just missed baby Claire's birthday!!!!  I love that name.  Wesley and Mia are just a month apart and this was the first time they met...so fun!  Mia walked circles around Wes, but we managed to snap a few fun pics of the two.  Mia will have a ball being big sis to baby Claire.  Congrats to Jon and Ange!

For Dad & for Wayne

Hero...Teacher...Friend...

When I was about 10 years old, our family had a basset hound named Reginald.  We called him "Reggy."  We loved Reggy until he, like all of our dogs, ran away.  I have a feeling our family was a bit too much excitement for some of our pets.  I remember taking Reggy to our cabin in Mt. Baldy.  We had been taught to steer clear of the steep drop off behind our cabin.  From my memory it was a good 24' drop to boulders below.  We scared ourselves with horror stories of people dying from loosing their footing and falling to the rocks below.  On this trip with our dog Reggie, I was sitting on a huge fallen tree trunk with at least one of my siblings.  To my horror I saw Reggie sliding down the drop off, unable to gain footing due to the accumulation of leaves on the ground.  We screamed for my dad to come save Reggie.  Sure enough, my dad carefully slid down the drop, swept a frightened Reggie in his arms and made his way up to where we were.  We squealed with joy that our dad saved Reggie.  I felt right then and there that my dad was a hero, much like Superman.

My dad has been one of the great teachers in my life.  I don't know where to begin.  I will just say that the greatest lesson he has taught me is to seek to know how each trial, each experience, each challenge in life teaches me about Christ and his atonement.  I am who I am today because of that advice.  When I miscarried back in 2001, at first I thought this advice wouldn't, couldn't apply to this experience.  I was too sad to see any "good" to come from this trial.  I prayed to know how I could learn about the atonement through this trial.  Almost immediately I thought of how because of Jesus' suffering in Gethsemane, he knows how to succor us through our trials.  I knew that from the heartache of my miscarriage I could know how to succor other women in my life who would go through the same trial.

I live MILES and MILES from my dad, and with a ginormous family, I don't get to see him nearly as much as I'd like to, but not a day goes by that I don't fully know that my dad is rooting for me, praying for me, and loving me in all of the things I choose to do with my life.  My dad is someone I can talk to about my hopes and fears.  I am thankful to know that I can talk with him about my weaknesses and he still loves me.  He is a true confidant.  I know my name and my family is safe with him.  He is kind where others are critical, and I love that he is this way with every one of my siblings.  He sees me as a child of God and respects me and my ability to make choices.  Even when I fail, he loves me and believes in me.  He is a true friend.

Finally, I want to say thank you to my dad for loving my mom, unconditionally and faithfully.  The way you loved her and cared for her has given me an example of companionship that is hard to find these days.  You were perfect in caring for mom through her battle with cancer.  I love you for that.  Now with your current love, I am thankful for the respect and love you have for her.  I love that you have taught me the wisdom in priorities...God, spouse, children...  

I am sure that because of you and mom, I have been able to raise my family clear across the nation, with more confidence and faith than I knew I had.  Thank you for your support...it has been a constant.  Thank you for being there for Wayne in a healthy, supportive, loving way.

I can't help but think of grandpa as I write these things, but that will have to come another day.  Thank you for honoring your heritage and for making that legacy a rich part of my life.

Happy father's day!  See you in a few weeks!!!

Lots of love,

Becky

For the love of my life....

I have never loved Wayne more than I do today.  I'm sure this comes from experience; through trials, choices, and working through changes together.  I am thankful that in my weaknesses and struggles, Wayne has been patient and loving.   I recently saw a sign in a little local shop that read, "Love is a friendship set on fire."  Wayne is my love, and after all this time together, he still can make me weak in the knees.

I am thankful for the faithful, capable, and wise father Wayne is to our 5 children.  They adore him and I understand why.

For Father's Day today the kids made darling cards.  Grace gave him a paper weight rock painted to look like a lady bug.   We ate too much, but it was all so yummy...peppered tri tip, potato salad, french bread, and lemonade.

We celebrate you, Waynerd and are so very, very thankful for you!

Mom

My mom died 16 years ago.  There's so much I love and miss about her, and yet I do feel her loving presence in my life time and time again.  One of the last things she told me was that she would be at the crossroads of my life and those have been definite dates with her for me....my wedding, births, baby blessings, and baptisms.  There have also been many times on average days when I have felt her grace my life with her presence and love.  It's true that our family is eternal.

A friend of mine, Beth B. once gave a talk in church about joy.  I felt the Comforter when she read John 16: 20-22, and have relied on those words Jesus spoke to get me through life without my mom's physical presence.  I love how Christ understands the pain of loss of a loved one.  The hole in my heart I've had since my mom's death 16 years ago will be healed at our reunion because of our Saviour.  This I know.

A few thoughts on my mom, for posterity....

I've said this many times...I'm amazed how my mom, with 10 children, could connect, truly know, and deeply love each of us.  She saw each of us through the Lord's eyes.  When I received my patriarchal blessing I remember her loving words, "I knew that."  When we made bad choices, she pleaded with the Lord on our behalf, she spoke plainly with us, and did all she could to help us.  She was our biggest cheerleader when we achieved good things.  I love this picture of my mom at my older sister's temple wedding.  I love that she was candidly caught basking in the joy of that celebration.  I remember her being on cloud 9 that day.  After years of sacrifice and dedication, she was quick to recognize the Lord's mercy and love that day.  

I marvel at my mom's efforts to mother each and every one of us.  I'm sure it was exhausting work.  When I came home from my mission for a weekend to visit my mom while she was in advanced stages of bone cancer, she and I were looking at her worn and wrinkly hands.  She was embarrassed about the wrinkles, but I said, "You earned every one of them."  In fact those wrinkles and the bags under her eyes came from years of service and sacrifice for each one of her children.  Cancer wreaked havoc on my dear mother physically, but she was truly beautiful, inside and out, in the real sense of the word. 

  

The Sampler with love for the one...

When I was pregnant with Christina, I thought of a sampler my mom made me when I was a little girl, and I wondered how I could duplicate it.  I looked and looked and couldn't seem to find an alphabet pattern quite as beautiful as the one my mom stitched for me.  Soon after Christina was born, my mom's sister, Karen sent me a package.  She said my mom told her to send it to me at some point, and Karen felt like with the birth of our first girl, I would know what to do with it....my sampler.
 I sat there marveling at the detail in the sampler, something I'm sure I didn't fully appreciate as a child.  I chuckled at the dated colors.  The sampler was more gorgeous than I remembered it being.  I saw the date, "1978," did some quick math, and realized that at that time my mom had 8 children in the house.  How amazing that with all of these children to love and care for, she took the time, months, maybe years, to make this beautiful needlework just for me.   She was a mother of 10 with love and devotion for each one; something I always think of when I see this sampler hanging in Christina's room.

Another treasure...

The Christmas before my mom died, she and my dad gave each of us a journal with their testimonies in the form of letters making up the first few pages of the journal.  What a blessing it is for me to read how my mom felt when she found out she was pregnant with me, her observations of me as a baby, her expressions of love, her testimony....

"...I don't know what the Lord does have in store for me in these next several months, but this I do know, that he lives, that he loves each one of you , my children, and he in his perfect love and wisdom will bless us all.  I may have to wait for you awhile in Heaven, but I will always be your mother and never far from you.  I will enjoy  with you all those things mothers love to share with their daughters--choosing an eternal mate, bringing each of your own children into the world, enjoying their first words, their baptism, graduations, and on and on and on.  I'll be there by you." 

With all my heart, thank you, mom.

Love you more.

Dear Mom,

You've been on my mind a lot lately.... 

It's Mother's Day.

You graduated from this life in May.

Two precious babies have recently left your presence and have come to our large extended family, and two more are due this summer...JOY! 

I think more than anything, the reason why I've thought so much of you is that I'm at a point in my life where I am walking in so many of the shoes you wore... mother, wife, Primary worker, teacher, taxi driver, cook, housekeeper, nurse, etc... I found myself overwhelmed with gratitude for you today.  I appreciate the meals you prepared, the tears you wiped from my eyes (& shed for me), the ouchies you bandaged (& stitched!), your prayers, the housekeeping you did day in and day out, the drama you listened to and actually helped me through, the clothes you made, the rooms you decorated, the straight A's YOU got in paralegal school (w/ 10 kids in tow!), the church callings you labored in with love, the support you gave me in developing my talents & sharing them, the things you made just for me, for teaching me to cook for a crowd (all of our recipes served 12:)), teaching me housekeeping 101, teaching me the gospel and living it the best you knew how, all the while going through nine pregnancies (after I was born), 7 newborns, and ultimately raising 10 kids.

I didn't say, "Thank you" often enough.

I didn't say, "I love you" enough.

You never felt good enough, but I want you to know that what you gave me was more than enough. 

Today I found myself on my knees in gratitude for you.  I could not have asked for a better mother for me.  I have a flood of memories of life with you and today I was especially grateful for my testimony of Jesus Christ, because I know that because of His atonement you are a part of my present as well as my past.  I know that our mother/daughter bond continues and always will.  You are my angel mother, and my children's angel grandma; not just watching over our family, but touching our lives.

Because of Jesus Christ, I look forward to the reunion we'll have some day....."Woo-oo-Woo-oo-Woo-oo!"  Or is heaven more reverent than that?  Oh well, we can whisper, right?

Happy Mother's Day, mom.  I love you more than that!

Grace's Prayer

We welcomed a niece and cousin into our family this morning!  Congrats, Dan & Julee.  Baby was born a month early and is little, but healthy and darling, of course:)

Tonight I listened in on Grace's prayer....

Dear Heavenly Father,

Please bless Aunt Julee and her baby that they'll be healthy and that the baby will grow well.  Please bless the baby to eat good stuff.  Bless Aunt Julee to feed the baby.  Please bless Uncle Dan to get to Aunt Julee and the baby safely on the planes, and quickly....

In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Lots of love and the best of wishes!  

Mommy-Daughter road trip (day 4)

We went to church with Adam, Mari and Des.

After church we headed home via Philadelphia.  What a fun city!  We plan on bringing the whole family back.  The tours were short and many exhibits had hands-on things for the kids to do. Christina and Thomas have studied the American Revolution in school and so they would appreciate the Philadelphia sites more than our younger kids.

Christina did a report on Betsy Ross last year, so visiting her home was a treat.  There was a woman acting as Betsy Ross in her home (no photography allowed) and we had a fun Q&A with her.  Our flag is a miracle considering it was made during such turmoil in Philadelphia and if she was found sewing this symbol of liberty, Betsy Ross could have been tried for treason.  The Rosses rented their home and shared the home with many families.  During the British occupation of Philly, red coats may very well have been living in the home as well, making her brave effort all the more impressive.

We also enjoyed our visit to the National Constitution Center.  We enjoyed the Rising Sun show and the room with the life size bronze figures of the signers of the Declaration of Independence was a highlight.  In that room, you can sign your name in a huge book with the Constitution on the left and space for signatures on the right.  Around the corner is one of the first printed copies of the constitution.

We saw the liberty bell and the original Pennsylvania State House where the Declaration of Independence was debated and signed.  We saw the original Supreme Court building where my ancestor, Oliver Ellsworth was one of the first chief justices.  So we fit in a little family history into this vacation:)  In fact, standing in the rooms where our freedoms were inspired and born made for a very spiritual and uplifting day.

We got home late last night and on the drive home our minds were reeling with plans for our next road trip...NYC.  I'm thankful that Wayne would take our other four kids and make this trip possible.  He's got Fathers & Sons campout in a few weeks, so we'll trade places.  I know it means a lot to the kids to have this one on one time with mom or dad, and it was a blessing for me to have this time with Christina as well.  I'm so thankful for such a wonderful and special first child!

Mommy-Daughter road trip (day 3)

Thomas Jefferson's Monticello

What a beautiful estate!  Monticello's views were spectacular during our visit on Saturday.  From one spot we were told Jefferson could look through his telescope and see the construction of the University of Virginia which he designed. The grounds of UVa are beautiful.

While we waited for our tour to start, we walked around the gardens at Monticello.  Jefferson had a vegetable garden and vineyard.  The blossoming trees and different tulip species were stunning.  Between the flowers and the lilacs in bloom, the grounds were aromatherapy for us.  We kept our cameras busy as we took in the beautiful scenery.  We walked down to where Jefferson and many of his descendants are buried and then headed back up to tour Monticello.  They don't allow photography in Monticello, so our photographs are all of the grounds.

I'm going to be lazy and quote my sister-in-law, Julee's report of interesting facts we learned on the tour.  

"[Jefferson] was bankrupt when he died--in large part because there was a depression/recession occurring at the time and b/c land prices had been greatly devalued by the Louisiana Purchase that he orchestrated as President (which, after he had Lewis & Clark explore and determine the size of the new territory, ended up being purchased for $0.03 per acre).  Supply and Demand.  (Wonder how many land owners whose property values took a dive were ticked by TJ's expansion efforts for the country).  It was also so cool to see so many of his innovative and inventive touches in his home--way ahead of his time.  I also learned that he really didn't enjoy being President.  Among all the many hats he wore, he first and foremost considered himself a farmer."

(-Julee)

In the home are the red leather chair he used as US VP and the red leather chair he used during his two terms as president.  The presidential chair had candle holders nailed to each hand rest so Jefferson could read into the night. Jefferson also invented a "copy machine" so when he wrote a letter or document another pen would make a duplicate copy.

The Monticello website is very well done with many photographs and online tours...check it out if you're interested. 

Mommy-Daughter road trip (day 1)

After many a family vacation catered to the tots of the family, Christina and I jumped at the chance to take off on a mommy-daughter road trip... just the two of us. The only rule was to do things we'd have a hard time doing with the little ones.
Our first stop was to see our new nephew and cousin, Des, and his parents in the DC area. Des is too cute for words! We enjoyed his chubby cheeks, coos, and pretty much everything about him. It's taken 5+ years for him to arrive, so it's a happy, happy time seeing him with his doting parents, and their home all decked out for baby. Des was the subject of many photos; a truly easy subject.  Since we drove in late Thursday night, these photos are from first thing Friday morning...

Joyful news...

JOY... My brother and his wife just had their first baby after many, many years of trying to get him here.  My heart is full and I'm the aunt!  I can only imagine their joy.  I broke the news to our kids tonight and Christina said, "Yeah!  I prayed for Mari last night."  Caroline thought that his name (Desmond) reminded her of Jasmine (Princess Jasmine of "Aladdin").  Grace thought of pie- proof she's Jake's cousin.  What can I say?  It was late and the little gals were in quite a loopy mood.  Nevertheless, they were all happy and giggling thinking of their new cousin.  Congrats to Adam and Mari, and welcome to our crazy, big 'ol family, Desmond!  We LOVE you already!

JOY... Of the four new cousins arriving from today through July, we found out today that there will be 2 boys and 2 girls.  Joy x 4!  That will make the grand total of cousins- 35 (both sides of the family, not including step-cousins).  So, correction...JOY x 35!

JOY... means having Grace as your big sister.