More Than Names To Second Cousins

            There is a family history fair coming up in May.  Someone had made reference to the importance of it during our conference meeting.  Yes.  It is important.  Good hygeine is important - yearly checkups with the doctor and semi-annually for the dentist.  That doesn't mean we love doing it.
           I have been rereading the autobiography of my former neighbor's mother.  She was 81 when her words were published and lived another 25 years.  She is the oldest living person that I have personally known. It has been interesting reading about the history she has lived. She enjoyed family history. 

            I prefer the picture taking and journal entrees over research and accumulated documents that may or may not be a distant relation. Currently, I have at least three second cousins who enjoy doing genealogy - or at least I assume they do.  More power to them. 

            My dad has only one paternal cousin who married and had four children.  Three are quite older me. It is the youngest of those three who has taken over her mother and father's love for genealogy.  She introduced me to another distant cousin who I am facebook friends with, but have never met.

            My paternal grandmother had three brothers, two of whom died in their youth.  The eldest of her brothers has six children.  The eldest of those six is also deceased.  She had four children - three girls and a boy.  I know the names of her three daughters and her son who is doing family history.  I think he was quite young when his mom passed and may feel the need for connection.  Thus he has been doing my dad's maternal side of the family.

            The last cousin has been doing the family history of my mom's maternal side.  She is the grand-daughter of my great uncle who passed away when we were both living in Kearns.  She seems to thrive on family history, but I do not.  I see evidence of somebody doing my mom's paternal side - though I don't know who or where we fit on the family tree in relation to one another. 

            I was thinking that my maternal grandfather was the youngest of seven children, but I see only five are listed.  He was only a week old when his biological mother died.  His dad remarried and they had three more children - I'm guessing it is someone from the line of the youngest (or maybe one of his sisters) who has been doing the research. 

            There is a bit of information given about my grandfather's biological mother's side, but not much.  I was told that my grandfather was the black sheep of his family.  I did not know him, nor do I believe that my mom knew her father the way that she knew her mother  - though she had mentioned visiting his family when she was young.  I think she liked his family better than she liked her own dad.

            Corey enjoys making connections with the living as he has run across photos and will have questions and has done "detective work" to make contact with someone else who might remember.  For example, my mother had a stepsister.  I don't think she lived with my mom's family but had probably gone for visitations. I think she was only 13 or 14 when my folks were married.  Corey had once asked whatever became of her, but as I barely even knew what her name was, I didn't know.  Corey said he found her son or other relation that told that she had passed away. 

            Family history can be interesting as with the names I mention in this post.  Family history can also be time-consuming.  I'd rather preserve the memories of this present to pass down to the future.  But perhaps my posterity will feel the same way about family history as I.  Perhaps I will have at least one posterity who may have a passion as a few of my second cousins.            
 

           A family history full of common names presents more challenge.  I am grateful for the unique names that exist in my family history.

           

August Grandbabies

            We met three of our granddaughters for the first time this month.  Devin and Ally will be turning two in August.  That was the time we had initially planned to visit our families in Utah.  I was excited that I would be able to give these two granddaughters their birthday gifts in person and that I wouldn't have to spend extra money on postage.  Looks like I'll be spending the money . . .

            I have made quiet/alphabet books for Jenna, Anna and Ester.  It's initial intent was for something that they can look at during sacrament meeting to keep them entertained (and hopefully quiet) during the meeting.  I started to print out just a few pages, but did not have all of the pages of ready to print as I was still hoping to get updated pictures - though not in the manner they were acquired.  I was hoping for an updated picture of Jeanie as well.  I no longer have that option.

            We met Devin first.  Randy had invited us to stay with him and Carrie at their house (formally ours) and so of course we were introduced to their daughter.  She tends to cling to mom and dad.  She is very smart.  She likes to control any given situation and will throw tantrums if she doesn't get her way.  I've seen her smile for the camera, but most of the photos I've seen of her, she always looks so serious.  I think she looks more like her mom.  She is the same height as Ally, but has lost her baby fat.

            Ally is the opposite of Devin.  All smiles and on the move.  She is a happy hurricane in great need of discipline.  She's quite stocky and absolutely no question about which parent she resembles.  Her face is an exact replica of Biff's.  If she wants something, she grabs it.  If she falls, she picks herself back up again.  She is tough. She loves her dad and her grandpas.  She'll go to anybody, but won't sit still for long (another trait from Biff).

            We spent the majority of Friday with Randy's family, David and Ally, and Roland's sister, Jean, and her husband, Bert.  Bert reminds me of Michael Caine's  character in Going in Style. Bert and Jean had arrived the day before we had.

            Roland and I had run some errands on Saturday and Jenna had spent the night with Anna. Biff returned with Ally before Roland went to get Jenna.  At least four of us were at the table playing cards while one or two adults kept watch over the two girls.  When Roland went to get Jenna, he took Carrie with him just to give her a  break.

            We did not meet our youngest granddaughter, Liz, until the following night when we were at the viewing.  I snatched her up and held onto her the entire time my brother and family were waiting in line.  I visited with them and did not let Liz go until Jean insisted she have a turn as well.  I guess it was a first time for her meeting Liz also.

            I wish we could have had the time to spend with each family as we had planned.  Sometimes life will throw you curves and there's nothing you can do to change that.  But you can choose your attitude toward each curve.  Sometimes it can be smooth, but often there are bumps in the road. This hurried roadtrip (I don't want to call it a vacation because there wasn't much about it that lived up to my definition of "vacation") seemed to contain a lot of bumps.  Still trying to smooth over them all - but it takes time.  It will take longer for some more than others.