Week of January 20, 2013

Sunday

We have been teaching a class on Family Trees and it has been so fun.  It is good to see how fast it can be picked up.  I have the handouts that explain step by step, or all you have to do is click around.  When you think we are trying to connect the whole world into one big pedigree that is quite an undertaking.  It still has problems, but it is good.

Monday

It was Martin Luther King day and we decided to have a holiday.  It's hard to have a holiday when you are both retired.  We took Ellen and Mike out to lunch at Chuck-a-Rama.  It was fun to spend some time with both Mike and Ellen. Usually one of them is at work, so it was good.

 After we dropped them off, we went to see the movie, 'Lincoln'.  We have both wanted to see it, but just haven't taken the time.  Mike & Ellen saw it in Colorado with Tom & Mel, so we didn't feel guilty seeing it without them.  We both really loved it.  

Tuesday - Happy Birthday Paul
 We called the day before so as not to interfere with the day, and I didn't like not talking to him the day before and not on his birthday.  But I spend time thinking about you and your life.  I honestly don't know where time goes.  I love all my children and grandchildren very much.

We went to Salt Lake City and spent the day.  Our zone leader had passed away at the end of December just before we went to Colorado, so we missed his funeral.  We went to visit with Sister Pay and see everyone from our mission.  It was so good to go back.  There sure have been a lot of changes in both missionaries and staff.  We sure miss is, but have many great memories, experiences, and so many people that will be life-long friends.  I can't wait to go on a mission again. We spent the afternoon at the Family History Library.  I have started researching on Ellen Rigby's line.  The city of Wigan, Lancashire, England is made up of Rigby and Ellison families I'm sure.  There is no way to tell how they are related.  The thought came to me that I should look to see who Ellen Rigby Capener did temple work for because she was doing it for her parents and their siblings that were born in the late 1700's.  It has really opened up the door for research and putting the families together and knowing they are the right ones.  

Wednesday-Thursday

Good days filled with extra study time, visiting teaching, extra cleaning (I'm to the dinning room cupboards now), and I even go and quilt on Thursday mornings with the 'quilting ladies' in our ward.  I love being with them and feeling of their greatness.  I also went and listened to children read at Fielding.  It was so good to get back to working with kids.  Part of me misses it a lot, but not everything else that goes with it.  

Friday

We were at the Family History library today.  We decided to go to the temple as soon as we were done.  We even scheduled to do baptisms.  I have only done baptisms one time as a youth, one time when we went to England, and now on Friday.  So it was the first time to be baptized by my husband.  It really was a wonderful experience because I had just done the research and still felt such a part of the people.  I loved the feeling of being baptized, and it was neat to have Robin do it.  I might have to join the grandkids and be baptized next time we go.  To make it even better, we had a lady come into the library that morning and needed some help.  It was 30 minutes before I had to teach a class at the library, but I helped her clear her step-sister's name to do temple work.  She is a convert and her sister died a year ago. She was the sweetest person.  She was going to go to the temple that morning and felt prompted to go to the library instead.  She had been in an accident several years ago and is still suffering some problems from it.  She couldn't do the baptism but could do everything else.  I offered to do the baptism and told her we had an appointment at 1:30.  She started to cry and said I was an answer to her prayers.  She followed us down to the temple and was there to witness the baptism and then she went after to do the next stage of work.  Dad was baptized for the sister's husband and then completed the rest of his work. We spent the whole afternoon in the temple with the rest of the work and did an endowment session at 3:30.  I love the temple so much.  I love to see how much the Lord is a part of our daily life.

We got home just in time to eat and go back to the high school for Josh's Foundation Choir concert.  I have always loved the Foundation Concert because it gave everyone the chance to rub shoulders with great musicians.  Mr. Peterson teaches choir at the middle school, so this was the first year the middle school got to join in with the high school for the concert.  The guest was from UVU and seemed very professional and fun.  

Here is Josh:

Saturday

After I got back from exercising, dad went to Logan to the library to do more research for his book on his dad.  I read the War Chapter this past week, and I think it is one of my favorite chapters.  There are so many letters written to his mother from his father and it tells so much about their relationship and what it was like and what they were like.  History should only be written from the 'normal' people's journals and letters.  I had the day to myself and I think I went on a family history binge.  I can't believe how much I am finding and clearing up because of what we found at the library on Tuesday.  I feel so close to my great-grandma.  I feel like I am picking right up where she left off.  She knew the people but couldn't do the work for so many because they were still alive (or not born yet), and now I can complete more work.  That is why genealogy is never done.

I love this gospel that offers joy and happiness to all of God's children, no matter when they lived.