January happenings

Have had the great opportunity to be helping the youth put together temple work for the Elijah Project our stake is promoting.  Come March 8 temples have been reserved for the youth to go and do baptisms for deceased ancestors.  We don't have a large youth group in our ward, but still 30 is a lot to focus on to help.  Slowly I am going through and helping each individual to see their family history and find where work could be done.  We are also having them focus on putting in Memories for a selected grandparent.  I feel that will be way more advantageous for these youth to connect to an ancestor through adding memories than doing a baptism for a distant cousin.  But we are trying to do both and we hope that there will be many wonderful spiritual experiences through all this.  I can only do what I can do and let the Lord make up the difference.  Already I have had some interesting experiences.  Have had to figure out Hispanic genealogy.  The naming patterns are different.  The father's name is not the last name--the mother's name is.  Have to really think as you are doing that genealogy.  Each person's history is so unique--and there is always a challenge trying to sort it out. 

One of the best family history stores ever!

Hallie and Christian Kehr with Sherm Harward 1/2015.  Sherm is their great uncle.  A very strange "coincidence" of how they found out they had family in their ward.  This is a story that should be written up and put in the Ensign.  Amazing family resemblance, don't you think. 

 

Looks like Kay and Derek are moving to Louisiana.  One good thing that will come from that--we will want to fly out there to visit them.  That will make us want to take a genealogy trip to Mississippi (the next state over) and see if we can find some more Sullivan genealogy. 

Doug and I have signed up at the Rec Center to use their exercise equipment, pool, etc.  So we manage to make it over there 2 times a week.  The other day a week , we try to take Cooper to the River bottoms to run.  Cooper seems to be smiling when we load him in the truck and head out.  And when we unleash him to run free, he is in heaven.  Smelling everything and going into the river for a drink or splash.  He is always oblivious of the many birds around.  I don't think he has much Labrador in him or he would be pretty serious about seeing the geese, ducks and other fowl.  We usually don't run into any other people down there along the river in mid January, so it is pretty awesome to be by ourselves. 

We have finished up the 500 items we were sewing for Days for Girls Service project.  Thanks to the help from Sophie, Hallee, Emory and Grace who came on 2 different Saturday's we got them sewed and serged and turned in.  Of course, it is an ongoing service project, so I think I will bring home some more and call in the crew.  It was really enjoyable to work with the granddaughters to complete.  Some great memories. 

Winter doesn't seem like it wants to last this year--or maybe never really get started.  It has been pretty mild and we are starting to see some buds on some trees!  I continue to work on my own family history, and have pursued cleaning up the records for Ellen Briggs.  Have felt prompted to do that, and attached a sister to her that she mentioned in some letters written back to England.  In the process we have some more temple work to do.  This is what keeps me going.  I really do love this work.