Saturday, February 6, 2010

I've been working on genealogy this past week and have found some really interesting stories and pictures. Knowing something about early American history helps when you start digging into the 1700's & 1800's . I also found it interesting to track families as they migrated from one area to another. Another interesting aspect is how young some of the women were when they married and started having children. I read about some early settler's in upper state NY one of whom was stabbed five times with a spear and scalped by the Indian's...AND SURVIVED! If our family line connects to hers I would understand why I'm so hardheaded (ha ha). This past fall I traveled to some of the cemeteries where our ancestors are buried and made pictures of the tombstones. Here are a few.

Earnest M. (the M stands for Malcom) was my mother's younger brother who died from blood poisoning after stepping on a rusty nail. I remember my mother and grandmother fussing at me when I was young running around outside with no shoes on...They would say, "You go inside and get your shoes on, you're going to step on a rusty nail and die of the lockjaw!"

These are my grandparents (my mother's parents)


This is another of my mother's younger brothers, who was killed when a train ran over him. The story is that...as the older kids, which included my mom, were walking into town, Jessie was following them. At the edge of town was the trainyard. The older kids had just crossed the tracks and, Jessie not wanting to be discovered crawled under a train that was sitting nearby. When he crawled under the train it started with a jerk and the big steel wheels ran over him crushing him to death.



Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Deployed Airbags

Smashed frontend

This side took the brunt of the hit


Notice the Alabama Tag...still intack...could this be a sign of things to come!




Tom and I were enjoying this past weekend with the Stake Nativity Open House and all. That is until Tom had a wreck and totalled his car. It was a dark and stormy night...oh that sounds like a scary story...but it was a dark and stormy night when he was headed up to the church to help me with the nativity displays that it happened. Long story short...airbags deployed, OnStar responded...everyone was ok. Our son, John, told his dad that if he wanted a new car for Christmas, he should've just ask for one (haha) Here are some pictures of the damage!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

With only 2-1/2 weeks left before Christmas arrives, we are all rushing around getting everything ready. David will be home on the 18th. He will be in his best friends wedding on the 19th and here for Christmas. We can't wait for him to get here! It will be nice to have at least half of the kids home, even though the other's can't make it. :(

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Summer 09















Summer of 09


Tommy, Tiffany, Cameron, Caleb, David, John and Liz were all here visiting the 1st week in August. We had a great time fishing, going to the beach, tubing and canoeing, eating out and shopping. Great having them come - sad seeing them leave, but the memories will be with us forever!

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Glass Mosaics

Bathroom Hooks



Picture Frames


Lazy Susan


Small Flower Pot


Medium Flower Pot


Square Bistro Table


Sunburst Lazy Susan


Round Bistro Table


Bird House


I have been doing glass mosaics for about nine months now. It is fun and rewarding to watch simple pieces of furniture or items take on new shape and life. I have posted some of my "creations". Enjoy!

Friday, April 17, 2009




























Last week Elizabeth and I took the kids to a strawberry farm in Baker, FL. It's called "Akers Strawberry Farm". This is not a large farm only about 8 acres, but lots of strawberries. The kids had fun running around picking the biggest strawberries they could find. After about an hour of picking we had picked almost 75 pounds of berries! The best part of the trip over and picking was getting a cup of homemade strawberry ice cream! yum, yum! The next day Elizabeth and I made 75 pints of strawberry jam! Lots of work, but sweet rewards!







Sunday, January 25, 2009

Thanksgiving in NYC 2007

Some of the world's best hot dogs come from street vendors like this one!

The Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center


Santa's Elve's on Strike

In November of 2007, Tom and I flew to NYC to spend Thanksgiving with Rachel, Garrett and the kids. On "Black Friday" , the busyest shopping day of the year, we ventured onto the streets of Manhattan to see how the folk up there shop! What we didn't expect was all of Santa's elve's to be on strike! It was the funnest sight.
As we were making our way down 5th Ave. Up pulls two tour buses and one unloads 25-30 elve's all carrying signs and chanting! The 2nd one was carrying this guy dressed in a white tux and an all black choir singing. News reporters with camera crews were chasing after them for the story of the day! All I can say is, "Only in New York City".