TrekStrong

Wayne and I were parents to a family of 8 teenagers at our stake's recent youth Trek. Christina and cousin Michael went as well....we all had an amazing journey that will stay with us forever.

Christina and Michael started off with the rest of the youth at the Boston temple where our stake President reminded the youth how the saints were driven from Nauvoo and directed by the prophet, Brigham Young to go west to the Salt Lake valley. The tree-lined path down the center of the temple parking lot was lined with pioneer quotes about the journey west much like you find on Parley Street in Nauvoo. The youth walked silently down "Parley St.," read the quotes, and boarded the buses heading for the trek trail.

Meanwhile Wayne and I were up at the trail head. We worked with the other Ma's & Pa's to get our wagons, coolers, and food bins prepared for our families.

We were directed months prior to pray for our trek kids, and we were anxious to learn who they were! People were at the park where the trail began and we did a little missionary work there too. One girl from the Ukraine wanted to join us on trek....maybe someday!

The youth arrived, and Trail Boss McQuivy divided the families.

We immediately bonded with our kids...Christina, Moises, Brian, Bryn, Jessica, Jeffrey, Talia, and Conor. We were the Allred family.

We spent some time getting to know the kids who came from all sorts of families and environments. We had lunch and a mini devotional. Wayne talked about why we chose the Allred surname. He shared the story of his ancestor, Reddick Allred who was one of the few who heeded the prophet's call to rescue the Martin Handcart Company and brought saving supplies to the destitute, suffering saints at the Sweetwater River. We knew we'd be doing a river crossing and wanted the kids to be invested. We felt like we got off to a good start as a family.
Christina was in our friends', the Lund's family. She really clicked with her big sis, Carmela, and with her whole Trek family. They walked behind our handcart for the first leg of Trek and it was so great to hear Carmela honest kindness toward Christina. Christina was glad that I was there to document her Trek ...not!

Some highlights from our Trek:

• The scenery. We were on shaded trails much of Trek. Both campsites were beautiful, esp. the second night where we camped on private property with a manmade, trout-filled lake, and beautiful waterfall.
• Inspired leaders. There were so many prayers and much fasting for this Trek to be meaningful for the kids. To hear leaders tell the kids how they spent hours on their knees on their behalf, you couldn't help but feel of their genuine love and concern for the youth. I was so impressed and learned much about leadership on Trek.
• The food! We were far more pampered than the original pioneers in an effort for the kids to focus on the spiritual lessons Trek has to offer. We marveled at the time, thought & effort that went into the menu and feeding 120 youth + dozens of adults.
• Families. One of the great lessons of Trek is the importance of families. We had to work together, we had several family devotionals, and as we talked along the trail, we all tried to mentor one another as it became clear that there were some among us who came from difficult environments. It's been days since Trek ended and I'm still thinking of my Trek kids and I'm sure I'll always love them and pray for their welfare.
• Fun! We talked and talked, played tag (Michael started it), played Pioneer games like the stick pull and leg wrestling, started Team Michael, braided hair, and told funny stories for much of trek. We square danced Friday evening. It was such a long day on the trail and I could have easily gone to bed, but we had a blast dancing with the youth. By the time we were done, we were really ready to sleep on the ground. again.

• The Women's Pull. This is the part of Trek where the men are called to serve in the Mormon Batallion. The boys double timed it along an off shoot of the trail and we women gathered around our wagons and said a prayer of gratitude for the men in our lives who sacrifice and teach us mercy and faith, for US to have the strength to pull through this leg of Trek, and for our Savior who is our perfect Example of mercy and strength. We worked hard, and as we began hearing the cheers of the men, our girls started RUNNING! Sis. Rollins and I thought the handcart was getting away from us, so we pulled on the break rope. When the girls yelled, "Don't break!!!" we realized they were running and we dug in and ran along with them. It felt great to pull together as women & honor the courageous and strong pioneer women who led their families for thousands of miles while their husbands and sons were part of the Mormon Battalion.
• Continue The Rescue. "CTR" has another meaning now for our Trek group. We did a symbolic reenactment of the Sweetwater River crossing. We focused on the meaningfulness of the rescue, on many levels... obedience, mercy, courage, trust, faith. Everyone was silent or spoke in whispers as family by family crossed the little creek helped along by a few young men. Wayne carried me across on his back. One of the women was helped across with her newborn baby in her arms. It was a beautiful experience. One YW said of the experience, her CTR ring reminds her to "continue the rescue."
• Coming HOME. I felt such anxiety as we approached "the Valley" and could hear the cheers of family and friends. I was dying to see my kids! We all ran that last leg of Trek and it felt so good! We were supposed to stay with our handcart, but I saw my sweet Caroline and had to run to her and squeeze her tight. I found all of my kids and our friend, Neal brought Wesley to me. Wes didn't know what to think, poor thing, but I was overjoyed. Like others I couldn't help but relate this to our reunion in heaven. I spoke with one of the ward members later and she shared her special perspective on the welcoming side. She said, "It was a privilege to be there early and help prepare for your arrival. Helping with the food tables- cutting up watermelon for you was a joy! We couldn't help but cheer you on as you arrived. It felt like a heavenly homecoming."

Tug of War at the Stake "Welcome to the Valley" reunion.... Grace isn't one to shy away from a challenge. She marched right over to anchor position and dug in. Wesley looked at me like I was crazy while I kept yelling at him to "PULL!!!" Gosh, it was great to see him!

As hard as trek was, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. We worked hard, loved our families, got to know lots of youth and leaders in our stake, strengthened testimonies, and came away grateful for the experience.

We were SO thankful to my brother, Adam, his wife Mari & "baby Des" for taking care of our crew so we could do Trek. It was nice knowing our kids were spoiled with fun & love while we were away.

We love our crazy bunch!

Why I blog...

I love giving and receiving comments on blogs---sharing thoughts and support; keeping in touch that way.

And then there's the main reason.... last week I spent 3 consecutive days putting my first book together based on my blog.

I used Blurb and their BookSmart program. It felt GREAT organizing my 2008 blog posts and making this book for my family. I left out a few misc. posts, and focused on our family memories of '08. There's a sidebar on the left of BookSmart that links my iPhoto albums, my blog posts, and the imported photos or photos that I posted on my blog. I loved being able to easily add more photos, or better quality photos than the flickr photos I've used now and then. It was easy to edit the book, choose from lots of layouts, and create my own. For the last page I copy/pasted the '08 "quotables" from my right sidebar. I was amazed that in 3 days I pulled together an entire year (although the laundry sure piled up). I'm going to order one hard cover copy for Wayne and I and one softcover copy for the kids to thumb through whenever. As the kids get older and leave the nest, I'll order them their own hard cover copies of our family history, and they can order more copies themselves.

A major family Christmas gift and labor of love checked off my list!

xo,

Rebecca

Celebrating 15 Years Together

Reminiscing....

For our honeymoon we drove up the coast of CA. (Funny note: We chose this honeymoon thinking that whether we were rich or poor we'd be able to come back anytime, as opposed to say, Hawaii. Fast forward 15 years...other than an unplanned overnight layover in SF on our way to HI, we haven't been back to No. CA, but have been to HI twice). We stopped in beautiful Big Sur, Monterey, Carmel, San Fransisco, Salsalito, & Yosemite. We took in the beautiful coastline, yummy chowder on the SF wharf, didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or scream (speaking for myself- I did all of the above) while driving 5 miles/hr down the hills on the streets of San Fran while Wayne LAUGHED & recorded this scene from the passenger seat, ...& we hiked Half Dome...

For the family journal....I thought we were at the top of Half Dome about 1/2 way into the hike....Not so! When we finally got to the face of the mountain the last leg was straight up with metal rods connecting a rope for us to pull ourselves up to the top (click HERE & scroll down for a visual). I knew I was going to die and never have children. As I stood staring at the last climb/pull/death, I saw some women in long dresses coming down and thought that maybe, just maybe I had a slim chance of survival. If they could do this, I could, right? Well, we made it to the top, and I told Wayne to never let me do that again! It was hands down one of the scariest (but admittedly most amazing) experiences of my life. The view from the top is breathtaking!

We've had our share of frustration, heartache, uncertainty, tears & loss....but JOY has outscored those moments with many more days of peace, kindness, respect, fun & beautiful memories. A blessing fulfilled.

Discovering Hawaii together ('08)

Hyannis Sprint Tri - We each have completed 1 & for our 15th anniversary we'll compete together in September...can't wait! (Don't you love dragging out celebrations?)

Summer '06 - one of our many cross-country excursions...together!

Grace graduating from CICU 8/02. Making it through...together.

Our FULL hearts welcoming Wesley & closing a chapter.

All of the moments, big and small from "I do" through today.

15 years ago as we left the temple (and before a stop at Tito's), going forward with faith hand in hand felt new & exciting. I love who Wayne & I are individually more today than I did back then. It feels good to progress on our own and still be the love of each other's life. Our marriage is no longer new, but I feel that same feeling of moving forward with faith. I feel that same excitement for what lies ahead for us. Together.

Happy Anniversary, love.

xo,

becca

Thoughts of mother- Wishes & Treasures

June is an exciting month over at Dare to Dream. The founder, Whitney Johnson has collected thoughtful guest posts from her treasure chest of friends and invited one and all to listen and comment. Each comment will put your name in the hat for a $75 spa certificate, and Whitney is giving away one cert. per week! Take the time to read....you'll be glad you did.

This week I'm guest posting based on a recent challenge I've taken on much thanks to Whitney's encouragement. I'm compiling lessons I've learned from my mom (& I've invited my siblings to contribute) based on letters and journal entries my mom left behind. Her text is a treasure filled with gems of life lessons; her thoughts and experiences while raising a household of 10 children, working hard on to her marriage, laughing at antics, crying at losses, etc. Her text is evidence to me that she has walked in my shoes and knows how to be there for me now. Head on over to Dare to Dream for a snippet of my labor of love for the mother I miss dearly.

This experience of writing my mom's story got me thinking of two things; what I regret not doing with my mom while she was alive, and things my mom left behind that I treasure today. Feel free to pass this blog post along...

What I regret not doing...

• Whitney requested a photo of me and my mom. I looked & looked & looked. Nothing. The photo on the left is priceless...my mom offering love to her baby and toddler (my brother & sister) simultaneously. I do think there are a couple photos out there somewhere of me and my mom, but probably just a couple. How did this happen? I would love a photo of me with my mom taken without us knowing while we were doing everyday things....cooking, mating socks, reading, weeding...anything. Too late. But it's not too late for me to give that to my children. And so I have learned to get out from behind the camera now and then...

• I wish I had more silly memories of me and my mom, even just one more. I ask my kids what we've done together that's simply silly & fun and they say: screaming on a rollercoaster ride, water balloon fight, funky dance moves, steam rollers.
• I wish I went to the temple more often with my mom. I only got to go once with her and it was wonderful.
• I regret any grief I gave her. From her writings I have a better picture of her mental and emotional state. Now that I'm a mother I have an idea what her schedule was like. I have an idea what her adult stresses felt like. I don't want my kids to feel the burden I've felt, and so we talk through things a lot. It's hard work. It can be draining. I know my mom gave all she could. I wish I was a better listener & didn't roll my eyes (mostly in my head) the way I did. She was so wise & honest, and it was hard to hear the truth sometimes.

Has your mom passed away? Is there anything you wish you had done with her while she was alive? These questions could be broader...have you lost a loved one, ie. sibling, father?

Treasures from my mom.....

• Her journals and letters. When she was sick she even had others dictate for her at times. She was an honest writer, and it wasn't all flowery and pretty. I still learn from her writings that she has walked in my shoes and knows exactly how to relate to me and help me through my troubles. Sometimes when I wonder what she would do I look to her writings & I find her wisdom there.
• The photographs I do have of mom and our family are priceless.
• I have a couple pieces of her jewelry...I love them. I love that her sterling silver CTR ring came to me well worn.
• Recipes. There are particular favorites. I'll include them in her memoir. A friend of mine from growing up found me on facebook and recalled how my mom could whip up a wonderful dinner in no time.
• The embroidered sampler my mom made just for me while there were no less than 8 kids in the house. This gift inspired me to make lasting gifts for each of my children... for Wayne too.
• I have her voice on a tape she recorded for me while I was on my mission. To hear her say in contemplating who I'd marry that "No one will be good enough for our Becky" still brings me to tears. My mom never said anything like that to my face. Every child should hear their parents speak genuine loving praise...heart to heart.
• A letter from my mom telling me how she felt the day I was born, why she and my dad gave me my particular name, her love for me, and her testimony. Because of this I will never wonder how she felt about me, or where she stood. She inspired me to share these things with my children.
• Important conversations...owning up to mistakes, FORGIVENESS, "I love you's," and questions about eternal things. Hearing her say, "I'll always be there for you at the crossroads of your life." Feeling in our last hug that we will in fact reunite. No doubt.

What has your mother given you or left for you that you treasure?

I would love to hear your thoughts...even if you don't know me personally, this is something that we can all relate to as a child, parent, and/or sibling.

Treasure one another,

Fishing

I only went fishing with my Grandpa once or twice.

I don't remember where we were or if anybody else was there. I know we didn't catch anything but that didn't seem to matter to me or my Grandpa. I was just a kid, maybe 7 or 8, and I relished the undivided attention that my Grandpa gave me, even if I have since forgotten any practical advice he gave me about landing a trout or tying a lure onto my line.

What I did learn, although it took me a few more decades to realize, was that fishing wasn't about the fish, or at least it wasn't when he and I were fishing. Good thing, given the lack of success we had those few times. I'm sure it would have made the day more exciting to have caught something. . . anything really, but it wouldn't have made the memory any more clear and might have actually made it harder for me to recognize what I was taught.

Last week these memories came back to me.

The Scouts had a fishing camp out planned for this past weekend. In preparation for that trip, I went out and outfitted myself with some basic fishing gear, including a few extra rods and reels for our kids. The week before this trip, I found myself with an unexpected evening free and some brand new fishing gear in my trunk.

I got home after work that day and told Thomas we were going fishing. We headed out to a local pond and found ourselves a spot. I taught Thomas the finer points of casting and we tried a few different types of lures while fishing until it got dark.

We caught a lot of weeds and a few tree limbs but not even a nibble from the fish. Highlighting our failure, the guy down the way from us was catching something about every third cast.

This worried me. I thought Thomas might get discouraged by his dad's obvious lack of fishing skills but then he made a declaration; just one short statement of fact.

"Fishing is awesome, especially when you're with someone you like."

With those few words, I remembered the time spent fishing with my Grandpa and I hoped desperately that I had expressed a similar sentiment to him. With a simple phrase, I finally learned what my Grandpa had wanted me to understand.

Fishing is not about the fish.

There's a lot of things I wish I could talk to my Grandpa about now that I am older. Things that I didn't know to ask only a few years ago. Now, with a daughter on the cusp of her teenage years and a son not too far behind her, I wish I had a few more years with him. I wish I could capture just a little more of his wisdom and experience.

For now I'll have to settle for the memories made and the lessons learned, even if it takes me a few years to understand them.

Memories of my Grandma's Garden-by Ama

One of the purposes of our family blog is to share stories of inspiration found in our family history.  

*The following thoughts were recorded by Teresa Brower Timms (Ama)

Grandma had the most magnificent flower and vegetable gardens at her home in Blackfoot, Idaho. She took great pride and care of both gardens.  She had several long rows of strawberries, which we as grandchildren were welcome to raid at any time.  She also grew gooseberry's with which she made my brother Bruces's favorite pie.  Her string beans were sweet and often picked fresh and eaten raw by all of us, as were the peas.  She even grew rhubarb and asparagus along the banks of the irrigation ditch that ran across the back of the yard.  Meals at Grandma's house were a cornucopia of variety and indescribable taste, my favorite being new red potatoes and peas in a cream sauce.  She cared so meticulously for her gardens.  One could NEVER find a weed in her gardens.  She crawled on her knees up and down the rows pulling out the teeniest of weeds and putting them in a gunny sack which she carried with her.  One of my favorite breakfast treats at Grandma's was a bowl of fresh raspberries which she would go out early and pick for her grand children's enjoyment.  We would always go home with bags full of fruits and veggies - the rest she would can or make frozen jam with.  Her vegetable garden took up 95% of her backyard.

The side yard was planted with rows of a huge variety of flowers - the smallest flowers, which were blue Bachelor Buttons, closet to the grass, graduating to several rows of tall Hollyhocks,  Hibiscus and Gladiolas of all colors, in the back, which lined the neighbors driveway - a fence of flowers.  This flower garden was as big as her vegetable garden.   Florists would come to Grandma, when they ran short of flowers in their shops, and Grandma would give them flowers.  She always had us help her cut flowers and take them to her neighbors and also to church to put next to the pulpit.  I remember how each time we'd visit, during the blooming season, Grandma would have us help her cut flowers and we'd go out to the cemetery to put flowers on her daughter, Hazel's, grave.  Grandpa hand crafted special vases which he put into the cement on both sides of the headstone. This way they were out the way of the maintenance men and would be left on the grave all week, until new ones were put on.  Grandma took great care to wash out the vases each week and then arrange the flowers in them.  This simple act of tenderness taught me to love an aunt I did not have the blessing of knowing.  After she would tend to her daughter's grave she would then help us take flowers over to my Uncle Wesley's grave, where another set of hand crafted vases were in place and we would repeat "caring" for his grave.

One of my favorite Primary songs growing up was, "Grandmother's Old-Fashioned Garden".  It always reminded me of my Grandma.  It was composed and written by Mildred T Pettit, who also wrote "I Am A Child of God'.

    My grandmother has a garden, old fashioned and quaint as can be.
    The flowers so rare, that none can compare,
    Neath the plum and the apricot and cherry tree.
    Would you like me to show you the garden?
    Then follow me now and we'll go...
    'Round the old grapevine arbor, back of the walk,
    Where the birds and the butterflies and flowers grow.

    The Daisies and Lilies are telling of grandmother's kind tender care.
    Sweet William and peas, Heliatrope and Heartsease, 
    And Violets, modest tho' fragrant and fair.
    I still long for my Grandmother's garden;
    With Hollyhocks, stately and tall....
    And sometime in my dreams I see her, it seem,
    My dear grandmother standing there closing to the wall.

    In my grandmother's old fashioned garden,
    There are flowe'rs of ev'ry hue.....
    Daffodils, Pansies and Hyacinths and old fashioned pinks are there too...
    I belong to my Grandmother's...
    I was picked from the family tree;
    So out in my Grandmother's old fashioned garden,
    If you come there you will find me.

~Ama

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!

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.

For my girls...

A few years ago I fell in love with Spring Fever by Buggy Barn and had the grand idea of sewing 3 of these quilts for my girls.  Well, it took a while (and finding an amazing and affordable long arm quilter in Iowa), but they are DONE, finished, complete, and are already being put to good use.  This calls for the dance of joy!

A note on the binding.... These quilts are nearly twin size and so the binding was going to be a lot of material, or a lot of good 'ol store bought binding.  I debated on going to our local Jo-Ann's, but decided to rummage through my remnants instead.  You see, I've been influenced by Wayne's Grandma W. in this way.  She was so thrifty and hated to see the littlest scrap of material or notion go to waste.  She gave me pieces of 10" long lace trim just in case I could use them.  A few years ago when I started quilting baby blankets, and had my first case of "what to do for binding," I felt a stroke of inspiration to piece together remnants and make my own binding.  I did this for quilt backings too and I've always been happy with the results.  I'm thankful for Gma. W. and for this sweet and simple guidance I feel she's given me.  Christina's binding was fabric I've had for years...basic pink gingham.  Grace's and Caroline's are remnants of the fabric I used to make these quilts.  Grace's binding is continuous and Caroline's ends at each corner.

Stitched with lots of love,

Mom (or as Caroline would say, "Mudder")

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!

What's on your family playlist?

Now that my early Mother's Day gift has been sent to my siblings, and my secret project is out, I can do some explaining...

I was playing around on iTunes the other day and got in a sentimental mood thinking of the songs that used to play in the house I grew up in, in the family van on road trips, and in general all through my childhood. We had plenty of Mormon Tabernacle Choir and instrumental music, but I was thinking of a less reverent mix. I made a playlist labeled "Remembering Mom" because like most families, my dad was at work all day, so we were most influenced by mom's musical taste (we'll make one with you in mind, dad:)).  I love the memories that come to mind when I blast this playlist and go about doing what otherwise would be mundane housework. My kids get a kick out of some of these songs too.

Wayne had some printable CD's on hand, and had crafted a CD holder out of a Cheerios box to hold the CD in when it went to print.  I used this classic picture of my mom on the top of the CD's.
For posterity I'm posting the thoughts that come to mind with each song. 

1.  "Hooked on Classics"

2. "Top of the World"- this was a favorite Carpenters song in our family. We memorized it and sang it at the top of our lungs on road trips. Think 8 track tape and a VW van.  This very well may have been playing when we swerved to miss an oncoming car and my brother Dan flipped from the back of the van to the front.  This was before buckle up laws.  It was probably Dan's best acrobatic move to date.

3. "Little old Lady from Pasadena"- favorite Beach Boys song. I'm sure we only knew the line "She's the little old lady from Pasadena!" I especially remember singing this at our grandparents' house when we were there on many occasions to swim on hot So. Cal summer days.  Grandma brought out lemonade or popsicles and in season we'd eat fresh blackberries from their yard.

4. "Time Stand Still"- My brother, Dan was an incredible drummer and a huge Rush fan through his teenage years. He also went into minimal conversation mode through those years. My mom, seeking to somehow bond with him, went with him and my dad to a Rush concert to see what the fuss was all about. As you read through this playlist you'll realize just how far from her comfort zone (or my dad's really) Rush was, but that's the beauty of the story. She had a great time and was impressed with the drummer. We were all impressed with our parents, and that outing has become a beloved parenting moment.

5. "Sweet Caroline"- Mom, along with all her friends, loved Neil Diamond's voice. If she were alive today she'd have his voice on her GPS.  This was a favorite song.

6. "Sing"- Another Carpenters favorite. My mom taught this song to the primary kids in our ward and it was a hit with them too.

7. "America"- More Neil Diamond. This played a lot at our house, especially when we were in the So. Cal dance festival and this song was the big group number.

8. "We Got the Beat"- the Go-Go's. Mom was in a girl band for a church talent show. They lipsynced this song and had one of the best acts of the show. This is on my to-do list....it looked like a blast!

9. "Part of the Plan"- Dan Fogelberg.  This song reminds me of when my mom taught the older teenage girls in our ward.  They adored her and called her "mom." She saved their wedding announcements and kept in touch with them over the years. She was a good leader and friend.

10. "It Takes Two"- Donny & Marie Osmond.  We were faithful watchers of the Donny & Marie Show. We'd throw down our big mexican blanket from Tj, add a huge bowl of air-popped popcorn, and gather to sing along and enjoy the show.

11. "Teach your Children Well"- Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. I loved hearing this song and still do.

12. "The Golden Rule"- Carol Lynn Pearson (My Turn on Earth). This song is hilarious, and we sang it so loud and often you'd think it would sink in.

13. "My Story"- Carol Lynn Pearson (My Turn on Earth).  We sang this tune a million times as well.

14. "What One Man Can Do"- John Denver. We listened to a lot of John Denver. I especially remember these songs on road trips and camping trips.

15. "Annie's Song"- another John Denver favorite.

16. "I am your Child"- Barry Manilow. Mom loved Barry Manilow. We had nicknames for him that I won't mention, but at least us girls had fun learning some of his songs and singing out with mom.  

17. "We've Only Just Begun"- Yet another Carpenter's favorite. Did I mention that we loved the Carpenters? We did.

18. "Greatest Love of All"- I probably need to apologize to my brothers for putting Whitney Houston on the playlist, but we all remember mom making an amazing slideshow (pre-you could do this via computer days) for her RS class. The stars of the slideshow were the kids from church, so she was essentially showing this to their moms. She set the slideshow to this Whitney Houston song as well as "I am a Child of God." It was beautiful.

19. "Moon River"- We loved old movies and Breakfast at Tiffany's was one of our favorites. Audrey Hepburn sings this in the movie and on this recording. We memorized it and sang along.

20. "You Are So Beautiful"- Joe Cocker. Mom wanted us all to feel like we were beautiful inside and out. She didn't remember that being an important message in her childhood home, and so she tried to offer us self confidence. This song reminds me of her desire to get this message across to her daughters.

21. "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again"- Phantom of the Opera. Mom LOVED Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables. She blasted these soundtracks over and over and over and over. I always think of mom when I hear this song.

22. "End Title (Karen's Song)"- from one of mom's favorite movies, "Out of Africa." 

Project in the works....The Beantown Menzies' playlist.  What's on yours?