ANCESTRY AND POSTERITY

During the month of June, right after we went to Washington, we had the privilege of going to this beautiful cemetery in North San Juan. Kathy, Kevin, and Kim came out from Utah and Colorado to bury their father's ashes who had died earlier in the year. We weren't so sure we were going to go having just gotten back from the Smiths and that was one of the days that Walt actually had work. We wanted to be there for the family though, especially Kathy, since she has done so much for us in the past and this was so important to her. Walt got home and we decided to go anyway and I am so grateful that we did. The cemetery is old, really old, but very peaceful and beautiful. Walt comes from some great stock. His mom had nine brothers and sisters and they grew up in that area. There are only four surviving members of her family. Carolyn is the second oldest and still doing well thankfully. Shauna had to do a talk on ancestry and temples last week and she talked to me at great length about my grandma Watts and that is who she centered her talk on. She has taken an interest in her and been trying to do some research on her and trying to find out where her journals ended up after Aunt Roxie died. So this subject has been on my mind a lot lately. But back to this day.......

Uncle Dick was unable to attend but Carolyn and her two brothers made it and this is a picture of them and their spouses. Here are Uncle Harry, Aunt Maryann, Gpa and Gma, and Aunt Pat and Uncle George. I am so glad that we have this picture. We had not seen George and Pat in awhile and Harry and Maryann for even longer and so it was so good to see them.

I love this picture. Harry, Carolyn and George. Kaylee actually named her baby George after this uncle and baby George's middle name is Patrick since he was born on St. Patrick's day. The cool thing is that George is married to Pat so it is sort of after both of them....George and Pat like to think that too. George's legacy will always be tied up with the game of cribbage. I think he taught several of my kids to play that game. Like I said in my previous posts, you will rarely come to our home for a family gathering without someone eventually taking out the cribbage board.

I don't know how to get this picture deleted.

Here is the above picture right side up. Since they were doing a memorial for Johnny and putting in a marker for him, they decided to put in a marker for aunt Cookie too. I loved aunt Cookie. She made every family gathering more fun with her quick wit and easy smile. She died of Lou Gherig's disease, ALS, and it was a long, hard death for someone so full of life. Her ashes were placed up in Oregon next to her son, Stacy, who died when he was 12. Some of her ashes had been scattered here too, so they wanted a marker.

This is Kevin, Kim, and Kathy. They are siblings and were born to John Harper and Frankie. We are lucky to have them in our family. We don't see Kevin and Kim too often but we hang out with Kathy every chance that we can. She makes us laugh and she poses really well. She has pretty much taught all of us "cruisers" how to pose for a picture. Whenever we are taking a picture on the cruise someone can just yell out, "Do the Kathy pose" and one hand is automatically put on our hips, our chests are put out just a little, one knee bent and a big, open, pretty much fake smile on our lips. We love Kathy.

Kevin had this marker made for his dad and the interesting thing is that they just went up into the cemetery and dug up some dirt, put some cement in the hole, and plunked the marker down in the middle of the cement and covered the edges with dirt. Aren't you supposed to have some sort of clearance or permit to do something like that.....not so with the Harpers. But then Uncle George has his own key to the gate of the cemetery so maybe he has some pull.

I love this picture of the kids. They just sat there so reverently, without even being asked. They listened and watched without any of us saying anything to them at all. It was if they knew that this was a sacred time.

Kevin getting ready to place the marker. Kathy was having a little bit of a hard time so Kim is comforting her and that is Jessie looking on with Johnny tucked under her arm.

I love that Than and Erica are so supportive of people. They came for Kathy and Grandma and pretty much try to go to anything that they can. I love that they live closer to us and we get to hang out with them more and their kids are starting to really know us now. Than just jumped right into it and began shoveling dirt for the hole for the marker. He doesn't wait to be asked, he just took the initiative to do it.

What a cute couple and baby Gentry. I couldn't do this post without pictures of the kids. Since Shauna has gotten me thinking about my ancestors and their posterity, I wanted to do this post to remember these people and this day. What a great lineage my kids have. Herm's family is pioneer stock in the church. His great grandfather, Levi Ward Hancock, was even mentioned in the Doctrine and Covenants....so cool. Carolyn's family is new in the church, with her being the first member. Her influence and example have been great and powerful however. My grandmother, Agnes Watts, was also pioneer stock in the church coming across the plains from England. Her children were not so active, in fact I think only one of them was. My mom was not active and yet Grandma Watts' influence and example sunk deep into our hearts and out of nine children, five us have been through the temple and received our own endowments. I think about Grandma often and I hope that she realizes what her commitment and faithfulness to the gospel has done for me in my life.

Scotty lookin' quite Bieberish. He is currently obsessed with Justin Bieber and wants his hair like his and to dress like him and to sing like him. He listens to him on my computer. It is frustrating to me, especially the hair debate. The other day Becca asked him what he wanted for his birthday at the end of the month. He said, "A book about how to build guns and bombs." She screamed out, "Mom!" as if I have any influence over this boy. I am thinking in my mind, "Well that is the first time he has ever wanted a book...there's a little progress in the academia area." And hey, he didn't ask for a bag of fertilizer to go with it!! So then she took him over to the computer and they began looking at alternative ideas. He wants J. B. shoes and a hat like he wears. Although I am not thrilled with his passion for Justin, I would rather steer him toward music rather than terrorist activities!!!

And look at this cute, sunburned boy who is a swimmer this year and a very good one I might add. He and Camry, who I don't have a picture of, have started on swim team this year and they are both doing fantastic. I went to one of their meets and it just made me nostalgic about all of the years that I spent on the pool deck watching my kids practice and swim endless laps across the pool and then cheering them on during the competitions.

And the post would not be complete without a picture of this sassy girl. She never lets me take her pictures and so I was happy to get this picture of her beautiful smile. So anyway, I am grateful that we went to this memorial. I am grateful for the people in my life who have been such great examples to me. I am grateful for my ancestors and their example of enduring to the end and faithfulness under extreme hardship. I am so happy to be a member of this church and to realize that this life is not the end and that one day we will be re-united with those who have passed. I am so thankful that Erica will get to hang out with her mom again and love on her and get advice, because I am so inadequate in so many areas that my kids and in -law kids are usually the teachers and I am the student. I love the gospel and all of this has made me more curious about my ancestors and who knows, maybe someday I will even do a little geneology. And I know that most of you have stopped reading this by now, because you all say that I write too much, but maybe someday, one of you or your children or grandchildren will be interested in these writings (like Shauna is in my Grandma's journals) and wonder what THIS old lady was really like.