This picture was taken a few years ago (obviously) not far from home. Note our missing relative in yellow on the bottom row.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
The lost is found
Just wanted to let everyone know that our "special treasure that the cat coughed up" is alive and well. Her computer is on the fritz and they are working on a solution. Hopefully she can rejoin us soon as we are missing her a lot. 
This picture was taken a few years ago (obviously) not far from home. Note our missing relative in yellow on the bottom row.
This picture was taken a few years ago (obviously) not far from home. Note our missing relative in yellow on the bottom row.
Monday, October 24, 2005
My dad
If I had enough time I could write a real tribute to one of the bestest men who every lived. We all have our own special memories of him and we need to share these so that our grandchildren can know him.
He was a great cook, well he liked to experiment and try new things. Danny got that talent from him and he makes some good stuff. He would pull out his dutch ovens and cook fried chicken and biscuits and potatoes with onions. He would be cooking them all at the same time and would have his head wrapped in a red bandana to keep the sweat from dripping into the food. When he wanted to know if the chicken was done he would take a piece and test it. I think he did enough testing that when everything was done he didn't eat anything. There isn't a lot of food better than that meal cooked outside in dutch ovens.
He was a great singer, well not really, but he sure loved to sing the old cowboy songs. I remember him singing Billy Venero, which he never could remember all the words to. I rounded up those words after he died and wish that I could have found them before that. Just remember him singing until he wasn't sure then he would tell us what happened next and then finished the song. He always sang when we would drive home from Globe when I was little, and whenever we would go on a road trip. He loved the hymns also he would love it when one of us girls would sit at the piano and play them. His favorite of course was “Love at Home”. He sang, “You Are My Sunshine” to Helena, and we got him to sing that on a tape that he sent to us. We listened to that tape a lot and I will try to find it and see if we can preserve it for everyone.
He was a great farmer. He planted flowers and roses along with the cash crops. He grew a garden and even though I am not sure how much he worked out in it, we had wonderful watermelons and other things including okra – which mom would coat in flour and fry in a little bit of oil, tasted just like fried chicken. He didn't like sweet corn as much as Mexican June - a white field corn. It was so good on the cob. One year mom made a casserole that was similar to green corn tamales with that corn. I think that is why I like green corn tamales- they remind me of him.
He was a great dad. When we were little he worked so hard and don't know how much free time he had. Once in awhile we would load up and go to the mountain and have a picnic. He would tell us stories along the way about the area. Stories about the stage robbery, the old Carter sawmill, the Powers family massacre, and others that his father had told him. He loved to spend time with us and made every one of his kids feel special. Our last Christmas in Pima he didn’t even let us know that the entire world had fallen apart, that he didn’t have a job. Everything was as normal as it could be. After he got a job offer in Wenden, he brought Danny, mom, and me together and told us that we had seen everything in the area and we were moving to the other side of the state, there would be new things to see and explore and we would get the chance to see them. He never made it look like a negative thing, and yet you know that was a hard thing for him to do.
He was a very spiritual man. When we moved we had to drive 60 miles one way to church on Sunday, but we faithfully went. He would take Danny early every Sunday morning and mom and I would drive out later. He would stay beyond the regular meetings and fulfill his responsibilities as a member of the bishopric. The farm work would wait on Sunday. After a few years in the valley, the local gin owner called a meeting of the farmers in the area. He told them that the gin was going to close on Sunday so that there workers could get a day off. Several farmers complained that there would not be enough time to get everything done that needed to be done without all seven days. The gin owner turned to my dad and said, “Lynn has one of the biggest farms in the area. He never works on Sunday, his workers get a day off every week. His crop is always one of the first ones in.” The gin was closed on Sundays after that. There is now a branch in that small town and the people don’t have to drive far to church. I know that we ended up out there because dad would provide the influence that the community needed to get a building built. Abe was the first new member baptized in the Wenden Branch, when dad baptized him he said that he would have to welcome him as a son-in-law since he had the opportunity to drown him and didn’t. He served as Branch President for many years up until a few months before his death.
He was a big man. I was never sure how tall he really was. When you looked up to him literally, with his cowboy boots and hat he looked so very large. He always wore boots, a western shirt, and Levis. He never wore tennis shoes or t shirts. He always had his shirt tucked in and a red bandana in his back pocket. On Sunday he wore a western cut suit. He wore a straw hat or felt one depending on the season. He loved to have his bald head massaged as tif-do remembers. He would tell you that if you rubbed it maybe it would help his hair grow back or it might bring you good luck. He would have you check to make sure there weren’t any long hairs trying to grow in, and if you found one you had to pull it out. His eyes were a pale grey blue and there was always a twinkle in them.
When we moved our family to SD, he followed us the two miles down the dirt road to the highway. There were tears on his face and he told us it was just the moisture in the air. I never knew how hard this was for him until we had children and grandchildren of our own so very far away and then it was easier to understand. He called us every Saturday, and after his death I would have a real hard time on Saturday, knowing that the phone wasn’t going to ring.
When he died I would have dreams that he was still here, that it was a bad dream. I know that he is still watching over our family. I really feel that he spends time with each of our children before he lets them come to earth - he had a hard time letting Gwen and Maddie go since he loved their moms so much.
Some of these things you all know and have probably heard, but we need to write them down so that our children and grandchildren can understand this great man who was the patriarch of our wonderful, big, crazy family. I am glad that we now have a way to share our thoughts and day to day doings with each other so that we can get to know each other and at the reunion next summer it will be family who knows each other and loves each other, not just a bunch of strangers who are somehow related.
He was a great cook, well he liked to experiment and try new things. Danny got that talent from him and he makes some good stuff. He would pull out his dutch ovens and cook fried chicken and biscuits and potatoes with onions. He would be cooking them all at the same time and would have his head wrapped in a red bandana to keep the sweat from dripping into the food. When he wanted to know if the chicken was done he would take a piece and test it. I think he did enough testing that when everything was done he didn't eat anything. There isn't a lot of food better than that meal cooked outside in dutch ovens.
He was a great singer, well not really, but he sure loved to sing the old cowboy songs. I remember him singing Billy Venero, which he never could remember all the words to. I rounded up those words after he died and wish that I could have found them before that. Just remember him singing until he wasn't sure then he would tell us what happened next and then finished the song. He always sang when we would drive home from Globe when I was little, and whenever we would go on a road trip. He loved the hymns also he would love it when one of us girls would sit at the piano and play them. His favorite of course was “Love at Home”. He sang, “You Are My Sunshine” to Helena, and we got him to sing that on a tape that he sent to us. We listened to that tape a lot and I will try to find it and see if we can preserve it for everyone.
He was a great farmer. He planted flowers and roses along with the cash crops. He grew a garden and even though I am not sure how much he worked out in it, we had wonderful watermelons and other things including okra – which mom would coat in flour and fry in a little bit of oil, tasted just like fried chicken. He didn't like sweet corn as much as Mexican June - a white field corn. It was so good on the cob. One year mom made a casserole that was similar to green corn tamales with that corn. I think that is why I like green corn tamales- they remind me of him.
He was a great dad. When we were little he worked so hard and don't know how much free time he had. Once in awhile we would load up and go to the mountain and have a picnic. He would tell us stories along the way about the area. Stories about the stage robbery, the old Carter sawmill, the Powers family massacre, and others that his father had told him. He loved to spend time with us and made every one of his kids feel special. Our last Christmas in Pima he didn’t even let us know that the entire world had fallen apart, that he didn’t have a job. Everything was as normal as it could be. After he got a job offer in Wenden, he brought Danny, mom, and me together and told us that we had seen everything in the area and we were moving to the other side of the state, there would be new things to see and explore and we would get the chance to see them. He never made it look like a negative thing, and yet you know that was a hard thing for him to do.
He was a very spiritual man. When we moved we had to drive 60 miles one way to church on Sunday, but we faithfully went. He would take Danny early every Sunday morning and mom and I would drive out later. He would stay beyond the regular meetings and fulfill his responsibilities as a member of the bishopric. The farm work would wait on Sunday. After a few years in the valley, the local gin owner called a meeting of the farmers in the area. He told them that the gin was going to close on Sunday so that there workers could get a day off. Several farmers complained that there would not be enough time to get everything done that needed to be done without all seven days. The gin owner turned to my dad and said, “Lynn has one of the biggest farms in the area. He never works on Sunday, his workers get a day off every week. His crop is always one of the first ones in.” The gin was closed on Sundays after that. There is now a branch in that small town and the people don’t have to drive far to church. I know that we ended up out there because dad would provide the influence that the community needed to get a building built. Abe was the first new member baptized in the Wenden Branch, when dad baptized him he said that he would have to welcome him as a son-in-law since he had the opportunity to drown him and didn’t. He served as Branch President for many years up until a few months before his death.
He was a big man. I was never sure how tall he really was. When you looked up to him literally, with his cowboy boots and hat he looked so very large. He always wore boots, a western shirt, and Levis. He never wore tennis shoes or t shirts. He always had his shirt tucked in and a red bandana in his back pocket. On Sunday he wore a western cut suit. He wore a straw hat or felt one depending on the season. He loved to have his bald head massaged as tif-do remembers. He would tell you that if you rubbed it maybe it would help his hair grow back or it might bring you good luck. He would have you check to make sure there weren’t any long hairs trying to grow in, and if you found one you had to pull it out. His eyes were a pale grey blue and there was always a twinkle in them.
When we moved our family to SD, he followed us the two miles down the dirt road to the highway. There were tears on his face and he told us it was just the moisture in the air. I never knew how hard this was for him until we had children and grandchildren of our own so very far away and then it was easier to understand. He called us every Saturday, and after his death I would have a real hard time on Saturday, knowing that the phone wasn’t going to ring.
When he died I would have dreams that he was still here, that it was a bad dream. I know that he is still watching over our family. I really feel that he spends time with each of our children before he lets them come to earth - he had a hard time letting Gwen and Maddie go since he loved their moms so much.
Some of these things you all know and have probably heard, but we need to write them down so that our children and grandchildren can understand this great man who was the patriarch of our wonderful, big, crazy family. I am glad that we now have a way to share our thoughts and day to day doings with each other so that we can get to know each other and at the reunion next summer it will be family who knows each other and loves each other, not just a bunch of strangers who are somehow related.
Monday, October 17, 2005
QandA
1. Favorite quote, verse or song lyric?
"I am a child of God, and he has sent me here"
2. If you could meet w/ anyone dead or alive for lunch, who would it be?
My dad, oh, how I miss him.
3. Sweetest thing your significant other does for you with or without knowing it?
Calls me up when he gets home from work to see when I will get home.
4. Do you wish on stars?
Not really, but I enjoy looking at them on those dark desert nights when we are sitting outside away from town.
5. Favorite drink?
Okay, this is my greatest sin - Diet Coke
6. Favorite meal?
Almost anything spicy.
7. Last person you spoke with on the phone?
Garrett for just a few seconds, he was calling to wish his dad a happy birthday
8. Favorite month?
Probably October because it is finally starting to cool off and the holiday chaos is only a few short weeks away.
9. Favorite day of the year?
Probably our wedding anniversary - Sept. 18th
10. What was your favorite toy as a child?
My Chrissy doll. I even sewed clothes for her when I was too old to play with dolls - when was that anyway?
11. Who is the friend you have had the longest?
Actual keep in touch with friend? I haven't been the best at this, Lowette Rohrig - Kim's oldest sister was my friend when we moved to Wenden and I meet with her at the CTE summer conference in Tucson. But new old friends would be Crystal. She is the one we call when we need a quick makeover or decorations for something. She has been through a lot and has been there for me when I needed that little extra boost, both spiritually and otherwise.
12. When was the last time you cried?
When I was writing the answer to question number 2.
13. What are you afraid of?
My greatest fear is heights. No matter how hard I try to overcome this fear, I just can't get past the first step.
14. Favorite flower?
Jasmine for the scent. But the wildflowers everywhere, anywhere are my favorites.
15. How many states have you lived in?
Just two, AZ and SD. SD - a great place to visit, but don't want to live there.
16. If you could change one thing in your life what would it be?
Okay, leaner, you know the answer to this - since we are on the same page. Getting a degree simply because so often in this great big world people value it more than the knowledge we have.
17. A favorite memory of a family trip.
The last year we went all together to SD. The ride home when it was 99% humidity and over 100 degrees. Stopping in Omaha at Winter Quarters and trying not to die from the sheer misery of the outside air. The air conditioner literaly freezing up on the old Suburban.
But, oh how we loved those crazy road trips and the silly sites we saw. The Big Well, Dalton gang hideout, hole in the wall places that were tourist traps, but probaly better because we had a chance to get out of the car for a little while.
18. A nice thing you did for someone and it backfired.
I seriously can't think of anything to write here, maybe I don't do nice things for people very often because I have to think everything through too long before doing it.
19. Something you always wanted to do but are afraid to
Not so much afraid, well, maybe a little - go on a cruise.
20. Who are your idols?
There are a lot of people that I would like to be like, but don't have any real idols.
21. Favorite Dessert?
Anything sweet, and possibly nutty, and gooey.
22. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wasn't going to be anything except someones wife and mother. Thought I would marry a rich farmer, stay at home, cook, clean, sew, be the president of the PTA, etc. Guess that didn't work as well as I thought.
23. How many candles where on your last B-day cake and when is your B-day?
According to Abe who has a top ten reasons why they didn't put candles on my cake, there weren't any. My B-day is Feb 15.
24. Do you dye your hair and if so what color/brand do you use?
No, the two times in my life I did I didn't like the amount of work involved in maintaining the look. Will wait and see how I feel in a few years.
"I am a child of God, and he has sent me here"
2. If you could meet w/ anyone dead or alive for lunch, who would it be?
My dad, oh, how I miss him.
3. Sweetest thing your significant other does for you with or without knowing it?
Calls me up when he gets home from work to see when I will get home.
4. Do you wish on stars?
Not really, but I enjoy looking at them on those dark desert nights when we are sitting outside away from town.
5. Favorite drink?
Okay, this is my greatest sin - Diet Coke
6. Favorite meal?
Almost anything spicy.
7. Last person you spoke with on the phone?
Garrett for just a few seconds, he was calling to wish his dad a happy birthday
8. Favorite month?
Probably October because it is finally starting to cool off and the holiday chaos is only a few short weeks away.
9. Favorite day of the year?
Probably our wedding anniversary - Sept. 18th
10. What was your favorite toy as a child?
My Chrissy doll. I even sewed clothes for her when I was too old to play with dolls - when was that anyway?
11. Who is the friend you have had the longest?
Actual keep in touch with friend? I haven't been the best at this, Lowette Rohrig - Kim's oldest sister was my friend when we moved to Wenden and I meet with her at the CTE summer conference in Tucson. But new old friends would be Crystal. She is the one we call when we need a quick makeover or decorations for something. She has been through a lot and has been there for me when I needed that little extra boost, both spiritually and otherwise.
12. When was the last time you cried?
When I was writing the answer to question number 2.
13. What are you afraid of?
My greatest fear is heights. No matter how hard I try to overcome this fear, I just can't get past the first step.
14. Favorite flower?
Jasmine for the scent. But the wildflowers everywhere, anywhere are my favorites.
15. How many states have you lived in?
Just two, AZ and SD. SD - a great place to visit, but don't want to live there.
16. If you could change one thing in your life what would it be?
Okay, leaner, you know the answer to this - since we are on the same page. Getting a degree simply because so often in this great big world people value it more than the knowledge we have.
17. A favorite memory of a family trip.
The last year we went all together to SD. The ride home when it was 99% humidity and over 100 degrees. Stopping in Omaha at Winter Quarters and trying not to die from the sheer misery of the outside air. The air conditioner literaly freezing up on the old Suburban.
But, oh how we loved those crazy road trips and the silly sites we saw. The Big Well, Dalton gang hideout, hole in the wall places that were tourist traps, but probaly better because we had a chance to get out of the car for a little while.
18. A nice thing you did for someone and it backfired.
I seriously can't think of anything to write here, maybe I don't do nice things for people very often because I have to think everything through too long before doing it.
19. Something you always wanted to do but are afraid to
Not so much afraid, well, maybe a little - go on a cruise.
20. Who are your idols?
There are a lot of people that I would like to be like, but don't have any real idols.
21. Favorite Dessert?
Anything sweet, and possibly nutty, and gooey.
22. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wasn't going to be anything except someones wife and mother. Thought I would marry a rich farmer, stay at home, cook, clean, sew, be the president of the PTA, etc. Guess that didn't work as well as I thought.
23. How many candles where on your last B-day cake and when is your B-day?
According to Abe who has a top ten reasons why they didn't put candles on my cake, there weren't any. My B-day is Feb 15.
24. Do you dye your hair and if so what color/brand do you use?
No, the two times in my life I did I didn't like the amount of work involved in maintaining the look. Will wait and see how I feel in a few years.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
The Bear
Our Bear (aka Andrew) called over the weekend, he is back in the states. Now stationed in New York State. We decided that they wanted to keep him as far away from us and still have him in the continental US. He assures us that his platoon is rebuilding and won't be going back to Iraq for at least 12 months.
When he called he told us it was rainy and looks like it is going to be a cold winter. He doesn't mind the cold as much as his mom does, and that is a good thing.
This is a pic of him upon his return to Germany getting ready to attend the ball they held in their honor.
When he called he told us it was rainy and looks like it is going to be a cold winter. He doesn't mind the cold as much as his mom does, and that is a good thing.
This is a pic of him upon his return to Germany getting ready to attend the ball they held in their honor.
Friday, October 07, 2005
Anyone remember this cute baby? She is now one of the worlds best big sisters. I told her we were going to steal her baby and she got very mad at me. She was so fun to take care of for a few days. She told me this story one night.
Once there was a baby princess and her mom and dad told her they loved her. And they were happy. And then she was a big girl. And then they told her that she would be a big sister. And then they had a new baby and then there was the baby princess and the big sister princess. And they lived happily ever after.
Not bad for a four year old I think.
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)