The Wreath Making Party

Tonight is my former ward's annual wreath making party. I'm going with a few other former ward members...I can't wait to blog all about it:)

To Virginia, MD, DC...and back!

We drove down to VA to spend Thanksgiving with family. As we drove around the beltway, viola, the DC temple spires came to view...what a site! We stopped to walk around and enjoy the beauty of the temple. They are in the process of decorating the grounds and visitors center for Christmas. We admired the dozen or so Christmas trees and the room dedicated to nativities from around the world. My grandma had a nativity just like the one in this photo. I remember watching the different tiers go round and round. I loved it as a child. I believe this nativity is from Germany.
Next stop...Uncle Dan & Aunt Julee's in VA! What fun we had! They have a beautiful home on a few acres. We enjoyed an amazing Thanksgiving feast with the best rolls I've had since Grandma's last batch. Thurs. evening we visited a family from Pasadena Stake. They have a beautiful home on a farm not far from D&J's. I caught up with a friend I haven't seen in just about 20 years! This is no admission that we're old just yet! It was amazing that after all that time we could pick up and enjoy each others company as if no time had passed. It was a lovely visit and we walked away with a recipe in hand for an amazing pear torte... thanks, Sharon! Friday, Mari & I took the kiddos to see Enchanted. We gave it 2 thumbs up. Having been to NYC many times, our kids loved the setting. Of course when asked their favorite part they all mention the 2 seconds where Pip poops. I loved the whole song and dance sequence in Central Park as well as the "Mary Poppins" clean up spoof. I only wish I had Giselle's sewing skills.Saturday I got sucked back into the Mum puzzle Julee started...oh my! She must think we're smart or something. It was a doozy, but we love the puzzle tradition. To our surprise, Grace was a great help.
Julee loaded us down with snacks for the ride home...THANK YOU!... and we headed off w/ 2 stops planned. We stopped at Adam and Mari's in MD. We had a nice visit there and saw the "storybook" room they've painted for their first baby (due in March). We are so excited for them. Come to find out ALL 4 of the sisters-in-law on my side of the family are expecting and due from March-July. They are all either wonderful parents already or will be soon! On the drive home I was reflecting on what wonderful sis-in-laws I've got and how my mom must be smiling from heaven. I know she is!

We also stopped in DC. We visited the WWII Memorial. What a tribute! If you're ever in DC, this is a must see. We were in awe at the beauty of this memorial and moved with gratitude. The Freedom Wall, the inscriptions, the sculptures...it's all so beautiful. 

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We are thankful to be home safe and sound and for the wonderful memories made. We look forward to another DC/VA vacation!

Live in thanksgiving daily

"...live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you." -Alma 34:38

When we read the Book of Mormon as a family we stop and talk about scriptures that we can relate to our lives. We read until we're able to do this, which believe it or not makes for a long (truly rewarding) course in reading the Book of Mormon. A while back we read Alma 34:38 and it popped out at us. The context is beautiful and the verb "live" makes this scripture of thanksgiving unique. We've revisited this scripture many times and so recently we made a family project of it. The kids painted this big red heart and we included part of Alma 34:38 on our painting. Someday I'll frame it, but for now the canvas hangs strategically in a high traffic area of our home so we're constantly reminded of it's message.

We're heading south to visit family for Thanksgiving, and since I probably won't be posting to our blog until we get back, on behalf of our whole Beantown Menzie family I wanted to wish you all a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving. May we all have wisdom to witness the Lord's hand in our lives & live in thanksgiving daily.

Best Wishes,

Wayne, Rebecca, Christina, Thomas, Grace, Caroline & Wesley

Wesley Claridge Menzie

Today our Wesley is 6 months old. He's still too sweet for words and loved more than I can express. We thought we were done having kids after Caroline was born, but now we can't imagine our family without Wesley. What a blessing he is! Wesley's middle name, Claridge, comes from my ggg-gpa, Samuel Claridge. Books have been written on his life and we know he was a man of faith and service. We treasure his legacy. The name Wesley came from Wayne's great uncle, Wesley Brower. We really didn't know a whole lot about Wesley except that he was KIA in WWII and that Wayne's grandpa thought the world of his brother, Wesley. After our Wesley was born, and we decided on his name, both Wayne and I did some searching for information on Wesley Brower. Some pictures surfaced (thank you Ama!) and we learned about the dreadful battle he fought in Hurtgen Forest. Yesterday, being Veteran's Day, I was again feeling my thoughts turn to Wesley, but this time when I googled Wesley's name I found a wonderful tribute printed in the Carlisle, KY newspaper just 10 days after our Wesley's birth. This was written by Wayne's mom's cousin, Stephen Scalf, who is currently serving in the army. We were deeply moved by Stephen's words and I was thrilled when I checked my email tonight and found an email from Stephen giving permission to include his tribute on our family's blog. No doubt Stephen was inspired to bring to light the great man that Wesley Brower was so we can appreciate his honorable service and remember our servicemen and their tremendous bravery and sacrifice.
Thank you, Stephen for sharing this with us. May you continue to be blessed and kept safe as you give so much and serve so honorably for freedom's sake.

Love, the Menzies

-------

The Carlisle Mercury - Carlisle, KY
Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Wesley Brower was a Christmas baby, the second-born son of a farming family in rural Idaho. Over the years, he tended to fall in the shadow of his taller, more athletic, and better looking older brother. Wesley loved to make jokes, but often voiced them quietly, as if saying them only to himself. Still, he almost always wore his trademark smile.

He was a conscientious worker, completing all his farm chores on time and meticulously.

In spite of his quiet nature, Wesley served as a positive influence for his peers.

As often happens when a group of kids get together, somebody would suggest causing some mischief “just for fun.” Wesley invariably provided the voice of better judgment, suggesting an alternative that would still be fun but wouldn’t get anyone in trouble.

The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 drew the United States into World War II. Shortly before his 20th birthday, Wesley was drafted into the Army.

He received training as an Infantryman and was assigned to the 8th Infantry Division. Private Brower adjusted well to Army life, demonstrating the same quiet commitment to completing his duties that had marked his life growing up on the farm.

Serving in the Army held its own rewards for Private Brower. In his letters home, he wrote of his new-found passion – his rifle. He had always wanted a rifle, but his mother hated the things and refused to have them on the farm.

Private Brower would spend hours caring for his rifle – carefully cleaning and lubricating it and polishing the stock until it was as smooth as glass. He loved marksmanship training and became an excellent shot.

After the D-day invasion and the initial successes at Normandy, the United States sent multiple divisions into Europe, hoping to quickly rout the German Army.

However, the Germans were firmly entrenched in the Hurtgen Forest in Belgium.

If they gained control of the Hurtgen Valley and its numerous dams, they would be able to flood the entire valley, delaying the American advance by months.

Additionally, the forest terrain was impassable to the Armor units, forcing an infantry battle, which allowed Germans to conserve their scarce petroleum supplies. And so America became engaged in the longest single battle the Army has ever fought - the Battle of Hurtgen Forest.

This battle involved elements of the 8th Infantry Division, including Private Brower’s unit. Soldiers who had been at Omaha Beach as well as Hurtgen Forest later said the latter battle was even bloodier – an even worse nightmare – than Normandy had been.

By Oct. 31, 1944, the Battle for Hurtgen Forest had been raging for nearly six weeks.

Americans continued to test the German lines, gaining ground inch-by-inch, foot-by-foot.

During one of these advances, the platoon leader asked for volunteers to low-crawl up a hill to take out a German machine gun nest.

Private Brower and two other Soldiers stepped forward. The three men began creeping up the hill with Private Brower in the lead. A German sniper, hidden in a well-placed tree stand higher up on the hillside, noticed the team’s advance, selected his target, took careful aim, and fired.

The others spotted the muzzle flash and returned fire immediately, killing the sniper. But it was too late.

The sniper had found his mark, hitting Private Brower between the eyes, killing him instantly.

And so, Wesley Brower died as he had lived, quietly and conscientiously performing his duty.

He joined the numbers of over 24,000 Americans who lost their lives in that battle - largely forgotten, because of the more famous Battle of the Bulge, which began shortly afterwards.

The face of war has changed dramatically since World War II. The war in Iraq does not compare with any previous war – including Vietnam.

The insurgency in Iraq would be more like Vietnam without the North Vietnamese Army.

The experts call today’s style of combat asymmetric warfare because it “includes threats outside the range of conventional warfare that are difficult to respond to in-kind (e.g. a suicide bomber).” – from the Dictionary of Military Terms.

We are not fighting against a foreign nation’s uniformed forces.

The enemy is not clearly defined and there is no single leader at the head of the insurgency who we can kill, capture, or force to surrender that can make the insurgency end.

In many ways, what I experienced in Iraq was different than what was experienced by Veterans of previous wars.

I was not an Infantryman. I have never engaged in trench warfare. I never had to use my weapon to shoot my way out of harm’s way.

Still, for the first time I feel a common bond to these warriors from the past. I know what it is like to have bullets striking all around me.

I have experienced being knocked to the ground - the initial shock and disorientation - from the explosion of powerful rockets. I know what it feels like to move from point A to point B, knowing there is a good chance I might not reach my destination.

And like those who went before me, I know the feeling of pride that comes from answering my nation’s call to duty, the willingness to sacrifice all, if necessary, in my nation’s service.

This is my first Memorial Day since redeploying from Iraq. Because of my experiences, I feel I can finally honor the memory of Private Brower:

Private Second Class Wesley T. Brower, I thank you for your quiet service, for your dedication to duty without thought of glory, and for your willingness to give your life for the welfare of your fellow Soldiers and for your nation’s freedom.

May I honor your sacrifice through my service.

Your nephew,
Stephen Scalf

*****Stephen expressed the experience he had that led him to publish the article on Wesley Brower....

In the article, I did not include the entire experience that motivated me to write the article. One evening while I was at Camp Slayer (just east of Baghdad International Airport, I was walking outside with a couple of other Soldiers when bullets suddenly started striking the ground nearby. I shouted out the order for everyone to get inside or seek cover and then started moving for cover myself.

A few seconds later, as I was skirting a cinderblock wall, a bullet struck just in front of my face. Fragments of the wall showered my chin and neck. The Soldier I was with looked at me, told me my neck was bleeding, and then said, "You just go yourself a Purple Heart!"

After the firing ceased, I took this Soldier back over to the wall, picked up a bullet and showed it to him. It was a 5.56mm round, meaning it came from an American M-16 rifle. Some Soldiers had gotten into a firefight some distance away, and what we were seeing were the stray bullets. I explained that you had to be injured by enemy fire to get a Purple Heart, and my very superficial scratches were caused by American bullets.

I then told him that our family already has a Purple Heart. That one came at the cost of my uncle's life. Accepting the same medal for a minor scratch would cheapen that award and be an insult to my uncle's sacrifice.

That experience is what brought to mind Uncle Wesley's experience. It inspired me to learn more about what happened to him, ultimately leading to the article which appeared in the paper for Memorial Day this year.

Once more, thank you for your kind words and support. It has been a tremendous honor to serve in the Army these past 24 years (as of 17 Nov this year).

Much love,

Stephen Scalf

Thank you....

We named our son, Wesley after Wayne's great uncle Wesley. This photo shows Wesley with his brothers. Wesley was killed in action at the battle of Hurtgen Valley during WWII. Today our thoughts have been with those who are serving and who have served in our military for freedom's sake. Thank you!

Tagged...

Cami, Julie, & Shayla, your tags were great! here's mine....

5 things you may not know about me....

1. I love taking road trips, yet I'm a "home-body."
Wayne and I started our marriage with a road trip honeymoon up the CA coast (craziest fun honeymoon memory was hiking Half Dome at Yosemite together). I love discovering new places w/ Wayne. He's my GPS (see #3). Since then we've made many fun family memories this way...discovering the good 'ol USofA together, visiting church and US history sites, museums, temples, and playing with extended family & friends. Oh, the good times!
THAT SAID...I am a home-body, and love to be home with my family. I've thought a lot about this and I'm pretty sure it has to do with losing my mom at the tender age of 49, and having a close call when Grace was born w/ a heart defect. Although I often feel like I live in a zoo, I love time with my family and fully realize that our time together is a blessing to be treasured. Sometimes while I'm doing the "ordinary things" (help w/ homework, breaking up squabbles, dinner, carpool, grooming kids, etc.) I can hear my mom's voice telling me, "Cherish this!"...so I do.

2. I am anxious to fully recover from my c-section because I love to exercise. For me, exercise is the catalyst that effects how I eat and feel. My goal is to best my time in a sprint triathlon next fall. We have a super fun triathlon here for people of all shapes, sizes, and abilities...my kind of race. It's on Cape Cod, one of our fav. places in MA.

3. Having said I love road trips, this next fact is worrisome:) ...I am directionally challenged. Right now our church building has a circular hall with all of the classrooms on the outside of the circle and the chapel & cultural hall in the middle. I honestly wonder if I'll ever figure it out! Wayne and I kid that on the day they passed out the inner GPS gene, I was absent. I'm pretty confident a GPS is all I'm getting for Christmas this year.

4. My favorite parties are Christiansen parties. Because we live far apart, C. parties don't take place nearly frequent enough and maybe that's why they are so full of energy and the volume is so high; talk about a ruckus! The most recent C. party I attended was a bridal shower for my sister-in-law. She sat there taking it in ("who are these people?"), and dished out a few times too. Oh my, we knew Ange was a great family fit when she still spoke with us after that:):):)...her mom was there too! We fully admit we're nuts and we simply have a ball together. Come to think of it, C. parties are really essentially parties including my cousin Sharlene and my sis, Sherry....hmmmm! LOL!

5. Sometimes I wonder if my sisters and I are twins separated by years. After not seeing each other for months and months, we'll show up to a family gathering with coordinated outfits, (without pre-coordinating). The first year Wayne and I were married I decorated our tree with red little bows all around and heirloom ornaments. We stopped in Vegas to visit my sister on our way to CA for Christmas and sure enough her tree looked identical to mine! The latest thing that made me lol, was a picture I sent of our sons' room. It's blue with horizontal sage and navy stripes 3/4 of the way down the wall. My sis sent a picture of her sons' room which I'd never seen and it was the SAME only her stripes were vertical. We've been through SO much, my sisters and I....we've got enough differences to keep things interesting and enough seasoned love to keep us close. I'm thankful for sis-in-laws I love like sisters too.

That's all I got...Now I tag Melanie, Ellen, Rolana, E. Beutler, and all of my sisters & sis-in-laws.