Pioneer Day

July 24th

~an official state holiday in Utah~ Sarah has a great post about the Pioneers on her blog.

Ann has a great post about the Pioneers on her blog.

Our family has a wonderful pioneer heritage. Pioneer names fill the maternal side of my family group sheet, and both sides of Terry's pedigree chart. When I think of the pioneers, my mind thinks of the long covered wagon trek.

However, this painting by Bob takes my mind to a different place.
Tennant Farm, England
This is what Bob says about this painting: "Tennant Farm is a nostalgic remembrance of the farm. I felt that as those enduring the hardships of the handcart experience remembered the comfort and beauty of where they had left, they would romanticize it even more. Hence, late afternoon light, smoke from a warm fire, sheep grazing. An idealic memory. A place that put into question the decision to come to Utah, and yet, they kept enduring the elements and moving forward."

I am so thankful that my ancestors kept moving forward. I want to do the same.

Since we are living in the Age of Information we can simply "google" many of our ancestors and learn lots of info. Try any of these family folks: Ute Perkins or Dudley Leavitt or

Charles Coulson Rich.

"Holy Moly", as Skyler would say,

It's Grandma Kelley's birthday today.

Happy birthday to my sister Debra Ann.

So, I've got brown eyes, brown hair, and light brown skin,

and my along comes my sister with blue eyes, blonde hair, and much lighter skin.

We might not look like sisters, but we are sisters in every way.

What a great sister she is, and has always been.

I love her sense of humor.

She is VERY funny.

I love her work ethic. She is a finisher.

When she starts a job, she finishes the job.

I love her consistent support.

She is there if you need her to be there.

Here are some photos of Debbie,
my cute blue eyed blonde younger sister,
my funny sister,
my working sister, and my supportive sister.

Josh, you made the cut twice!

Happy birthday dear Debbie, happy birthday to you!

And many more!

Genetics

Cora Allen Hunter & John Frederick Bishop

Born this day, 15 July 1890, Cora Allen Hunter, my paternal grandmother. Grandma was born in Benton, Missouri. She married my grandfather when she was just fifteen-years-old. Together they had ten children. My dad was number nine. Grandma and Grandpa were farmers in Kansas. After the Great Depression, they moved west, to California. Their home was about twelve miles from our home. We visited my grandparents often. I remember the family getting together every summer to pick apricots from their huge tree. We'd eat apricots, bottle apricots, and make apricot jam. To this day, I love apricots. I also remember Grandma's delicious sugar cookies. I've never had a sugar cookie like those Grandma made. I think the recipe was from Germany, the land of her ancestors. Grandma was a good seamstress. She could make clothes without a pattern, and she could cut the fabric in such a way that there were hardly any scrapes of material left over. I watched her in amazement. Grandma was not tall. She was 4' 10", and Grandpa was over 6' tall. It is interesting to me to see how the genes line up. (I'm sure it is also interesting to my awesome nephew, Nathan, who loves the science of genetics.) My dad was only 5' 8", but he had a sister who was 6' tall! And Grandma had the flattest fingernails I have ever seen, until one day, as a little girl, I looked at my hands and oh my heck - flat fingernails. Grandma passed the gene for flat nails right on down to me! One year for Grandma's birthday, Grandpa bought her a beautiful ruby ring. Her birthstone was the ruby. Today the ring belongs to my sister Debbie, also born in July. I am glad Deb has the ring. It would look silly on my flat fingers.

I always remember Grandma Bishop on July 15th.

Grandma died on Mother's Day, at the age of 90.

Grandma was nice!

Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy!

My baby girl is having a baby boy!

Congratulations to Elizabeth and Adam.

turning 3 days into 10
I am lucky enough to only work four days a week. This year since Independence Day was on Friday (a great holiday), and since I do not work on Mondays, I was able to take three days vacation (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday) and turn it into ten days off! Sarah was called to be the ward Girls Camp Director. She needed someone to watch the children.

I volunteered, and I had a great time with Bradley Bear and Jamison June Bug.
Sarah the Girls Camp Director

---------the happy campers------------


I made sure Jamison got her afternoon naps.


I think Bradley had fun with G'ma M.

This boy played so hard during the day,

it took less than 3 minutes for him to fall asleep at night.

Happy Birthday

to the good ol' USA How I love America.

I am so thankful to be an American.

I believe America is a choice land.

For your listening pleasure - click here!

(The website is a bit cheesy, but the vocal performance is the best.)

I've lost my marbles!
Marshall Tyler Harris was born one year ago today. Because his eyes were SO huge, he soon acquired the aka, Mr. Marbles. I thought his mama had big eyes when she was a baby, but Marshall's eyes are about twice as big as Ann's eyes. Well, maybe not twice as big, but bigger than I remember Ann's eyes. Today Marshall has "grown into" his eyes. They're still large, but they fit his chubby little face just fine.

Two weeks ago, I was able to spend a week with this special guy, while his mom and dad were asked to spend a few days being ma & pa to eight teenagers as they reenacted a Pioneer Trek. (When the Latter-day Saints longed to gather in the West from 1856 to 1860, handcarts were a means of helping them on their journey. Today, youth and adults seek to grasp the spirit of faith, courage and determination these saints represented. Many youth dress the part and pull handcarts over the original trial; others pull handcarts on land in their areas. No matter where they are, all who participate open themselves to having their hearts touched by the pioneers’ sacrifices and testimonies of the Savior. The first of the Mormon pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley in July 1846. I never let a July go by without remembering my pioneer ancestors. I am forever grateful for their sacrifices.) While Ann and Tyler were trekking, I was having a great time with Mr. Marbles. Today Marshall is back with his family, and I have lost my marbles. I miss him! He is such a sweetie. Happy Birthday Marshall. You're one-year-old today.

Marshall, what big eyes you have! Look at those eyes. Compare Marshall's eyes to Jamison's eyes. And, BTW, Jamison's baby blues are not beady little eyes by any means.