The Sweet Month of May - A Collection of Family Moments~

Life is bright, colorful and fun for 

children making the May Pole run~

"Sweet May hath come to love us,
Flowers, trees, their blossoms don;
And through the blue heavens above us
The very clouds move on."
-  Heinrich Heine, Book of Songs

Precious Family Moments of May Fun~

On May first our youngest daughter Tiffani and her family were here for lunch only. They dropped by to see us quickly. It was fun. We took some pictures of course and then someway I only ended up with this one above. The rest went out into space somewhere on the computer. I was really bummed out and have continued to search for them. 

Sarah my granddaughter and Tiffani~ 

 Our Daughter Christina and our son in law Brandon arrived here from Australia. They came for his Grandmother's funeral and other family activities. They were here for a week and we had so much fun being with them. One of our favorite events was attending the Payson Utah Temple Open House. If you have never seen inside one of our temples go to the open houses before they are dedicated. The temples are so beautiful inside and out. This was a fun one to tour. We had a great time. You can find pictures of the Temple's interior here. 

 Roger and LeAnn & Christina and Brandon at the Payson Utah Temple~

We traveled to Heber City after the temple open house to have dinner with our Son Sean and daughter in law, Mary's family. We met at Cafe Rio and had a great dinner and family time with them. There's nothing better than sweet moments with family. 

Sean and Mary with their children, Gillian, Joseph, Jonathan, Jeffery and Joshua -  Jessica our granddaughter in law with our three great granddaughter's Jadyn, Lilly and Myah -

Over the Memorial Day Weekend we headed to Richfield, Utah to decorate graves. Here are some pictures of those moments. We had a great time. We visited with my dearest Aunt Alene and Uncle Keith. They are both 94 years old and we always love it when we can see them. It was a great weekend filled with some tears when visiting the graves of those we have lost. We found some of our ancestors graves this year and were able to decorate them; which was awesome. We took our beloved dog Sammy with us and he was fun. 

Well that's all folks for our month of May~ Hope you all had a great month too. Hugs~

In Memory Of The Unread Letter ~

Front row - My Mother, Leone, Me, and My Father, Millan

Back row - My oldest brother, Mac and my younger brother, John ~

As I have been anticipating Memorial Day Weekend this year; my heart has turned to my own family. This will be the first year without my brother John. Memorial day is to not only honor those who have given their lives for this great country but also those near and dear to us who have passed on. Since 2001, I have lost my parents and both brothers. Tears have been shed the last few days as my thoughts have been turned towards them all. I am looking forward to decorating their graves this year and remembering precious moments with them. 
Memorial Day has always been a big tradition in my own family. Each year we would travel to the cemeteries that our grandparents were buried in. I didn't know my grandparents on my Dad's side. His oldest brother, Max died at the age of two from pneumonia in 1914.  My Dad was born in August of 1916. His mother Maggie passed away from Brights disease in January of 1917. My father was only 5 months old at the time. 

My Grandmother, Maggie with my Dad, Millan~

 My Dad's Father Herbert was in the 1st World War and was killed in the trenches over in France on June  14th, 1918. My Dad was only 22 months old. 

My Grandfather Bert with my Dad, Millan Gledhill~

I have in my possession letters that were written between my Grandfather, Herbert (nicknamed Bert) and my Grandmother, Lillie Belle Gledhill. 

The following letter is the last one my grandfather wrote on June 13th,1918. He was killed the following day on June 14th,1918.

Dearest Parents;

 Once more I sit down to drop you a line. I am writing in a hurry to give to the runner to mail. I am still OK enjoying life as well as possible under these conditions. I will write you a long letter as soon as I get back from the front. A soldier friend just gave me this paper so I might write you and tell you I was still here and that the Germans didn't have me yet. I have received two or three letters from you since I last wrote but have been unable to write sooner and only by chance now writing on my knee. By your letters it seems like you are worrying about me now. Don't do it, for I am all right. I have had some real experiences all right but can't expect any thing else over here. Well the runner is here waiting for my note. I know him, so he is waiting. I am showing the picture of my boy to entertain him while I write. Give my love to all the folks, McMillan s, also I will write them all as soon as I can. I received a letter from Marion S. He had me beat for experiences on the ship but nothing to compare with mine on the land. I will tell you more of them when I can write. Well, will close with the love of a true son. 

Pvt. Herbert F. Gledhill. 

My Great Grandmother Lillie Belle Gledhill

Here is the letter that my Great Grandmother wrote to him; which was after he had already been killed. His parents were not informed of his death until June 27th, 1918. This letter was written on June 20th,1918. 

Our darling boy;

 How are you my angel, how are those crawlers using you. Did you get rid of them. I see by the papers that those lice are scattering fever and disease among our Americans. Tell me the truth about it, I feel so anxious about you and they certainly would not object to you letting one know how you are. And darling, are you in the trenches? Have you had to fight? We see by the papers that the Americans are doing wonders. They are very courageous and fight like demons. They have held their lines well, drove the enemy back and back, etc. We are happy when we hear they are blest and doing so well to bring peace. It seems a dreadful thing to shed so much blood to bring about peace and righteousness. The world is certainly ripe with iniquity and God will have a righteous people. If they will not listen, troubles will be fall them and sweep them of the earth and a more perfected people rule. 

My but it seems terrible though, but we are proud of our Solider Boy who has sacrificed so much for his country and people to help bring about peace. Some mothers has given their all; some two, three, and four boys. When I know of this I think, oh what a sacrifice but how great the blessing. My thoughts by day and by night is upon you. Sometimes, I feel your presence with me. I feel you near me with those loving arms around me and I am trying my best to be as you want me to be. 

Our darling son, God bless and take charge of you. Keep yourself pure and clean my boy. Use your influences for good every chance you have. Explain the saving principles of the gospel to your associates and comrades.If you can get but one soul to forsake sin and work for eternal blessings great will be your reward.  We know we feel assured you are preaching the gospel. I just heard of a man who had written home, that had been on 2 previous church missions and was right in the trenches. But says he; I have done more good by living right and every opportunity I have I explain our teachings of the gospel, our organization, etc, than done in all the 4 1/2 years on my missions. I have investigators; they love to hear of us and our people and our country. We boys are missionaries over here; many testimonies do we hear of like so many boys there, so many writing to their folks at home. 

We do tell of our boy doing his best; wishing he knew more to tell of our faith but we know with out a doubt he is preaching by his living. You can do so much there and you are going to do so much to bring about righteousness in the earth. Never get discouraged darling, trust in the Lord every day, every hour. You need him. Bullets may fly all over you and yet if it's God's will, he can save you. So darling trust I know you do, but I want to keep you thinking and praying every minute for the strength to carry you through safe. 

Well I am 2 or 3 days behind with any letter, sorry to say I have been cleaning house since I came from the temple and have been so tired I couldn't write. Our Conference Relief Society and Stake next Sat. and Sun. at Monroe. I am expecting to take the visiting sisters home with me, so I had to get to work. I could not let them see us so dirty and I've only done so little too. I can't do as I have done before. I give out and get so tired. I just sit down and cry as if that would help the work. I am not so young as I was a half century ago. 

The folks are all well. I sent your letter to Jane on to Manti where she is working in the temple. I will send your locket with this letter. I have been trying to get the picture of Maggie taken small enough to go in it to Mrs. McMillan. ( my Grandmother's mother) She had one taken of one at Salt Lake. She just brought it yesterday so I will send it right on to you. You can wear it around your neck and carry it with you everywhere night and day. It has our Monogram on the outside and will be a comfort to you to see your wife and baby with you. You will feel her influence too and help to guard you from harm.  

I must close for this time, we haven't had breakfast. Papa was to mill yesterday for grist. It's been raining everyday a little for several days. It's cleared and fine, we certainly appreciate the rain. As the crops were burning all the canals have broken through with the floods. 

Boys are in the beets everyday; they work so hard. Well darling be wise and careful. Take good care of yourself - write as often as you can. Verge is on the ocean. Frank Kane in Texas. 

May God bless and care for our angel boy, take charge of him and return him safe to us. Won't it be a day of rejoicing though when you all come marching home. Those loving words you wrote to Mother on Mother's day; that pamphlet of sweet sentiments of yours. I prize every word every line. Tell me when you get your locket. Did you get the crystal for your watch? You should send the one your Papa gave you home and Papa can get it fixed.

(Transcribed from the original letters)

 Here are pictures of this precious locket mentioned above with a picture of my Dad on one side and a picture of his mother on the other. It is one of my greatest treasures.

May you all remember those that have gone on before and enjoy celebrating their lives and perhaps decorating their graves this Memorial Day~ 

Kindness Begins With Me~

When I think if moments where I have felt great happiness it has usually been around a moment of kindness. Acts of kindness are tremendously powerful. I have found that simple acts of kindness can have a long lasting effect on those involved. 
The thought Pay It Forward has been used in reference to acts of kindness. 
Here is a sweet story  entitled; "Pay it Forward- Kinks in the Chain of Kindness by Don. H. Morris. 

“Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together.” Goethe

Have you ever had someone do something really nice for you, but you didn't know who it was to thank them? When I was in graduate school on a limited budget I was running very short on funds one month. One day when I checked my mail, there was a plain white envelope with no return address. Inside was a twenty dollar bill, with a note that read, “Enjoy!” The note was unsigned. I never found out the identity of my unknown benefactor.

I still remember twenty-five years later the extra boost I got from knowing someone out there sensed my need and demonstrated their love in so tangible a manner.

Years later I heard about “Random Acts of Kindness.” The idea is that you do something unexpectedly nice for another human being, without expecting any thanks or pay. Often Random Acts of Kindness are done anonymously, as in my experience. In this way a domino effect is created. One person receives a kindness, then passes it on to others, who pass it on to still others. Tiny points of light are multiplied, until the whole world becomes brighter.

In this spirit, you can play the Generosity Game. To play, simply do something good for someone anonymously, and give them a card that says: “It’s Your Turn! Pass It On.”*

But kindness and generosity need not be either random or anonymous. In the movie Pay It Forward (Warner Brothers, 2000), a junior high class is given the assignment to do something that will change the world. Young Trevor McKinney (played by Haley Joel Osmont) decides that if people consciously choose to “pay ’em forward” when someone does something nice for them instead of “paying ’em back” for slights and insults, then the world could indeed change for the better.

Trevor started the ball rolling by doing something nice for three people, and asked each to do the same for three others. When they “paid it forward” they were to explain why they did what they did, and ask the people they helped to keep the ball rolling. At first the Pay It Forward project seemed to be a failure, since the recipients of the good deeds did not follow through with good deeds of their own. When they finally did, Pay It Forward became a popular movement across the country.

Pay It Forward was only a movie, with an unsatisfactory ending. But author Catherine Ryan Hyde’s vision lives on. Every day across the world millions of people find themselves as links in a chain. They receive many acts of kindness, both large and small, both from anonymous benefactors and from people they know and love. Many of them in turn show kindness and love to others in their lives.

So join the ranks of people who perform acts of kindness, without any thought of payment or thanks. Do something nice to brighten the day of people you encounter as you go through your life.

But don’t limit your kindness to strangers. Your friends and family need your planned, intentional demonstrations of caring, too. Be a Cage Opener who nurtures the dreams of those around you. Break chains of negative behavior by responding to insults with compliments. Look for opportunities to lift the spirits of someone who appears discouraged. Share the blessings you have received with those in need.

A popular song reminds us that “it only takes a spark to get a fire going” (from Pass It On by Kurt Kaiser). Be that spark today!

About the Author: Don H. Morris is a life coach in Memphis, Tennessee, who helps people discover their strengths and achieve their dreams. Don often uses television, movies, and popular songs as metaphors in his coaching. See more of Don’s articles here.

I  challenge to all of you dear bloggers out there; "Pay It Forward" - Join in the generosity game. Be part of a story you can share. Let's bring the joy of kindness into our lives. You can always find someone to be a recipient of an act of kindness by you.  Enjoy this challenge; it will bring a warm feeling of happiness to you. 

Dearest Mothers - You Are Enough~

Today I am wishing for all you awesome Mothers and Grandmothers out there

 a very Happy Mother's Day!

Through the years as a mother; I never felt I was enough. I knew I wasn't a perfect Mom and I now know that there is no such thing. But, I do know that I desired with all my heart to be a good mother. I know that is your desire too. We all make mistakes in mothering our children. We are all new when beginning motherhood and each of the special spirits that bless our lives come with various personalities and needs. It is up to us to discover what those individual needs are and try to meet them. I now know that the scriptures are a great parenting manual; I didn't know that then. There will be times when we won't know the perfect thing to do but we do our best and we are enough. 
I know that there are so many mothers out there in different circumstances. There are very young mothers, older mothers, mothers who have adopted their children, women who have not been blessed with children. There are women that have lost babies and or older children through sickness or accident. There are single mothers which struggle raising children by themselves. There are some mothers that despite their best effort their children struggle and turn away from their teachings.There are working mothers and I have been one. It is hard to balance home life with work. 
I believe that being a mother is all a part of being a woman. It is a divine role. We can all mother children while on this earth in some way. If we aren't blessed to have children in this life we certainly will have children in the Celestial Kingdom. We will not miss out on those promised blessings. Here is a wonderful message entitled: "Are We Not All Mothers".
 I believe that we do have a Heavenly Mother. It doesn't make sense that we would have a Heavenly Father and that we are his spirit children without a Mother in Heaven. I am grateful to know and feel this deep within my heart. Check the links above for more information.
As a mother of six plus spouses, grandmother of 32 and great grandmother of 4; I have had a few years of experience. I have learned many lessons about how to be a mother and if I could be a younger one now, I think I would be a better mother than I was. However, after all the mother's day programs where I felt lacking; I now feel enough. I wish I could have felt that earlier.
I know that I loved and do love each one of my precious children, grandchildren and great grandchildren with all my being.

Our Wonderful Granddaughters and Grandsons~

Plus Our Missionary Grandson~

 I think of all the precious moments of mothering. What a privilege it was to bare and give birth to each of my children. I carried those children inside close to my heart. I felt them moving about with a few somersaults and felt so blessed. Giving birth to each one of them were powerful spiritual moments in my life and that of my dear husband. I can bring forth tears just thinking of holding each one of them for the very first time. It was so fun to watch them as they grew and progressed. I know that because of working I missed one of my children's first steps and it tore at my heart strings. I didn't want to miss a single minute of motherhood. 
I struggled somewhat with the noise levels in our home as we added each of our children. I had been raised as almost an only child due to my brothers being 6 and 9 years older than me. I sometimes didn't have the patience that I wanted to have. I prayed so hard to always be a patient and kind mother. This was an ongoing goal in my mothering. 

Sweet Moments With My Children ~

I actually enjoyed teenagers which some would laugh at. There were hard moments but so many fun ones. I loved when they would come and share all of their experiences with friends and dates. It was so fun to take pictures of their High School moments and share in their sports activities and proms. It was so fun to hunt for hours for that pattern and material for a prom dress for each of my girls. I didn't sew well like my mom so I had to pay to have their dresses made. I loved watching my boys play in various sports and excel in other things; what memories they bring.  I loved being a Mom. 

My favorite thing to do with a baby; take a nap!

Here Are Some Thoughts And Photos Of The 

Special and Beloved Mothers In My Life~

My Angel, Mom~

My Beautiful Mom and Me~

That brings me to my Mom. My Mom passed away 9 years ago. It seems like forever. I loved her so much. She was an awesome Mom. I always felt I could go to my Mother with any concern and I did. There are times even now when I would love to call my Mom up and hear her voice and listen to her counsel. Happy Mother's Day to my Angel Mom.

 Happy Mother's Day to my dear Angel Mother in Law, Nyal. I treasured her and have tender memories of being with her. She was one of the kindest souls I know. She would do anything for any one of us. I miss her so. 

My Sweet Mother In Law~

I only had one Grandmother that I knew and she meant so much to me.She had a profound impact on my life. I spent many wonderful times with her. She is the reason that I became a nurse because she was one. You can read a short nursing history of her here. She passed away when I was only 12 years old. I have truly missed her through the years.

My Grandmother and Me~

I feel so blessed to have 6 lovely Mothers of my grandchildren and two sweet Mothers of my great grandchildren. They are all such awesome women and mothers. I hope they know how much I love each one of them. These marvelous mothers are enough and I hope they know that. 

One evening I had my dear great granddaughters here. The two little girls went right to the toy closet and pulled out the dolls and the little strollers. It was a perfect picture of future Mothers in training. My heart was full of love for these precious little ones.
To all Grandchildren, remember that your Mom's Rock. They would do anything for you. When you think they are being to hard on you remember that they are there for you no matter what. 
As an example, when my 21 year old son came home from his mission, he was considered an adult. One night he went out and didn't come home at a reasonable time and I stayed up and waited for him. When he finally arrived around 4 am. He asked; "Why are you still up"? I simply told him I couldn't go to sleep without knowing if he was OK. He said, " But, mother I was away for two years and you didn't wait up for me". I replied; "yes, that was true" but now he was home and he would always be my treasured son and I needed to know if he was OK.  "Just call and let me know if you are going to be late while you are living with us" and he did. Remember once a Mother always a Mother no matter what the age of your child. 

ENJOY ALL THE MARVELOUS MOMENTS OF MOTHERHOOD - 

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY FOR ALL!

Here is a marvelous video to watch: #TimeForMom

Our Precious Family Moments - April 2015 ~

This month has been filled with fun family activities. It has been a sweet month of loving and cherishing each family moment. 

 Here are some pictures taken at the 50th Birthday Party for our Daughter In Law, Mary. The best part was the lightening of 50 candles and then her blowing them out. It was fun to see all of their family there and good friends. 

 Next our son's family from Idaho came down for a 3 days; April 6th through 8th.  We had a great with with them. They loved going to a fun center where they could ride and race go-carts, there were batting cages, games, miniature golf course, and a restaurant. It was a delightful day and everyone had a ton of fun.

 On April 12th we drove up to Idaho for Austin, our grandson to be ordained a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood. We brought up with us Joseph who was ordained in February and Christian who was ordained in March. Austin's two cousins were able to stand in the circle for the ordination. There was a lot of priesthood power in that room. He received a lovely blessing from his Dad, Travis. It was one of those treasured spiritual moments.

In the lower left hand corner are these three boys when they were about 6-7 months old. In the lower right hand corner are the three of them at age 16. There is one more grandson to be ordained in August. We are hoping to take these three boys with us to the ordination. We love those sweet times for cousin bonding.   

We had a delightful dinner after the ordination. Nothing like a family celebration. My daughter in law, Amanda is known for her yummy desserts and they were so good. 

 

It's Soccer season for our Grandson's in Heber. We attended Jeffery's game on April 21st, Jonathan's game on April 27th. 

 Here is a picture of Joshua playing Soccer on April 27th. All three of these boys are very talented Soccer players. We always have fun attending their games.

We feel that families are forever and we enjoy having wonderful family moments together. "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints views the family as the most important organization in time and all eternity. The Church teaches that everything should center in and around the family. It stresses that the preservation of family life in time and eternity takes precedence above all other interests. It foundation is as ancient as the world. Its mission has been God-ordained." ( Teachings of President's of the church - Ezra Taft Benson). This lesson entitled; Marriage and Family - Ordained by God. can be found here.