Mission, ROOTS Tech, and Grandchildren

Due to the worldwide Pandemic, Roots Tech, an annual family history conference, went completely online.  We have off and on attended the conferences which are held in Salt Lake.  We loved them but felt like we couldn't justify attending every year if we hadn't put into practice or action the things we learned at the last one.  This year it was free as well and our mission encouraged us to be involved and get others involved.  Although we didn't get to watch quite as much as I was hoping to, it was quite amazing and I still have classes on my playlist which I can watch for the next 11 months.  People's lives are amazing and fascinating!  The last Roots Tech had around 30,000 people and the Salt Palace was packed especially for the youth and young adult events.  This one had almost 1/2 million people from 200 countries and territories register and join it at some point.  Maybe your Facebook feed included posts about it.

One challenge they gave us was to write about our experiences during the pandemic as in the future there will likely be other pandemics and how we managed might help others down the line.  They suggested that you focus on:  how you lived, who you loved, and what you learned! I have written in this blog about some of that, but I think I will write something specifically addressing those topics--you should too, if you were alive during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Saturday after a number of hours of Roots Tech watching and housework, I decided to update my grandchildren pictures on the fridge and the grandchildren plaque.

Jessica made this plague for us for our anniversary and used it to announce that baby 3 was on the way. (However, if you remember Baby 3 brought baby 4 with her, but they had put a bunny sticker over Baby B on the ultrasound so we wouldn't know until the gender reveal on Mother's Day.)  They had put an "extra" clothespin "just in case" they said.  Since then, we have added 2 more in addition to the twin.  With Ezri's arrival, I had to reconfigure the whole arrangement and finally did that yesterday.

And new pictures on the refrigerator--I love seeing their faces everyday! (I know, we are the only people in America who still hang a paper calendar on our refrigerator...at least that is what it says on Facebook.) 

And mission work continues well and keeps us busy..........
 

Random Photos From the Grandkids

I made little Valentine sacks for the Grandkids but as I was putting them together, I realized that I hadn't picked very well---WHO puts heavy duty toothpicks in the hands of kids 6 and under??  I knew they would all love the sharks so didn't think clearly.  So I warned my kids and sent them anyway

They are fun...

The Valentine packets---

Needless to say, the grandkids loved them.  Tosha sent these photos of her kids playing with them.

 

And no injuries were reported from the toothpicks--at least that my kids told me.  I will try to do better next time.  Jessica or Tosha pointed out that I had toothpicks in their Thanksgiving turkey craft as well.  Note to self--no more toothpicks!

Tosha also sent the set of pictures of Ava:  She loves spaghetti and she has a big personality!

From Jessica:  

Zander drew this picture of you (Meaning me)--in the rain--

It looked a bit scary, so I told Jessica to reassure Zander that I love to walk in the rain.  He said, I know.  

From Scott and Chantel-

Look at this cute card Scarlett made for her parents--

These grandkids are growing up and developing their personalities and their interests.  It is fun to have a front-row seat to that (but not directing the play like their parents.)

We Got Our First SHOTS

During our mission devotional on Thursday, our mission president started off his talk by saying, "I just got an alert on my phone and the governor has just announced that individuals 65 and older can now get appointments for the Covid-19 shot."  Now in the future, you might know how this "big" experiment worked out to mass vaccinate the population of the world to stop the Pandemic.  Hopefully it is successful, but maybe  it won't be.  However, right now, it seems like the best route to take for us individually and for our society.  Each person needs to understand the situation and make the best decision for them.

I was able to get on my phone and make our reservations on Thursday as we were driving home from visits in Salt Lake.  So Saturday afternoon, Gary and I went down to the Fair grounds and got our vaccines at a very well organized drive-thru shot clinic.  We didn't even get out of our cars.  Gary got his shot in the left arm, me in the right--which works out for how we sleep---

Driving into the rodeo arena---

Inside they had many "stalls" which each held two cars each.  One person came to your car window, confirmed some details, and then another person came  and gave you the shots.

You then drove out and sat for 15 minutes in your car as volunteers walked around to make sure everyone was doing okay and then we were out of there. No waiting, no fuss---

We will get our second shot in three weeks--March 13 or after.  

Gary and I have sore arms today but nothing else.  Scott had his second one this past week and had a bad headache for a day or so, but that was his only reaction.  Hopefully we will have mild ones as well to the second one.

I have to admit that as we pulled out of the arena, I got a little teary eyed.  I am grateful for those people who worked so hard and probably through evenings and weekends to make this possible.  Of course there are unknowns that only time will tell if this worked and if we reached all peoples in all places and we handled it in the best possible way with compassion and love for all men---only history will tell the final story of this pandemic.  But we are living it--and how we choose to manage ourselves and be an impact for good is up to us as individuals!

I have said before that life is an adventure--how true that is.  Not all adventures involve travel to fun places, some of them are pandemics and earthquakes and hurricanes and personal illnesses.  We need to embrace them all and use them to grow closer to God and to our fellowmen.  (End of Soapbox.) 

A Winter Walk With Grandkids

On Saturday, we met up with Jessica, Elessia, and their kids for a walk on the Jordan River Parkway.  We have been trying to arrange an outdoor activity when the weather was good enough to be outside for a bit.  We continue to try to mostly stay home and social distance as much as possible, so we haven't seen them much.  It is not possible to wear masks and social distance from preschoolers...

As you can see, we had blue skies and white fluffy clouds, but there was a bit of a wind that kept it a bit colder.  Nevertheless, it was fun to be together for an hour and to be outside.

They love their Aunt Jena....

On the bridge, but Carter had already slipped away before baby Ezri joined the photo!

Carter----

Alex---

Liam---

Ezri---

Zander---

Elessia, me with Zander and the twins

Jessica sent these photos later---

It has been a bit of a hard week for us as Carter has been diagnosed with Chiari Malformation Type 1.  This means that her brain is growing faster than her skull and it is putting pressure on her brain.  They did an MRI this week which discovered this problem.  It can explain all of the different problems that she has been diagnosed with since her birth, but it wasn't anything that the doctors had expected. She has an "urgent" appointment with a neurosurgeon on March 11 and will likely have surgery at the end of March or in April to reduce the pressure on the brain.  It has the potential to eliminate all of the problems or only some of them depending on the extent of damage to the nerves being impacted.  It is a big scary thing, but with the potential for amazing help for her.  As you can see, she is a happy darling little girl.  We are glad that finally there are some answers, but it is still a very uncertain time.

Bodies are amazing but very complicated!  We will keep you updated.

Tiny Little Goal Accomplished

I made a goal this month to try a new recipe for dinner.  And this week I actually did TWO new recipes and they both were easy and tasty.  One benefit of ordering groceries on line is being able to sit with the recipe book on hand to make sure you get all of the needed ingredients.  I was so proud of my Ground Beef Enchiladas Casserole I posted a picture to our family thread.

Both of the recipes I tried were from this cookbook by the 6 Sisters.  Everything has only six ingredients and are very simple to make.  I got this book for Jena, but find it is my style of cooking as well.

The other thing I made this week was called "BBQ Biscuits."  I didn't take a picture of mine but they looked like the photo in the cookbook.  

Both of these items reheated well which is also great, because I like the "Cook on Sunday-eat Sunday and Monday"--Plan of cooking.

It is a small thing, but something I wanted to do and I did it---sometimes you need to celebrate things like that.

Doctrine and Covenants 121:27

This post is about that scripture, but really reading 121:25-28 is good as well.

The scripture:  (Taken from the Church's website)

25 For there is a ^atime ^bappointed for every man, according as his ^cworks shall be.

26 God shall give unto you ^aknowledge by his ^bHoly Spirit, yea, by the unspeakable ^cgift of the Holy Ghost, that has not been ^drevealed since the world was until now;

27 Which our forefathers have awaited with ^aanxious expectation to be revealed in the last times, which their minds were pointed to by the angels, as held in reserve for the fulness of their glory;

28 A time to come in the which ^anothing shall be withheld, whether there be ^bone God or many ^cgods, they shall be manifest.

The story:  At devotional on last Wednesday, a member of the mission presidency, President Parker, joined a bit late.  So at the end of the devotional, our assistant zone leader acknowledged him and asked him if there was anything he wanted to share with the zone.  He said no, but stayed on afterwards while members of the zone were chatting together over Zoom.  After a couple of minutes, he said, "Hey, I have something to share"---or words to that effect--and he shared this verse and commended about his thoughts about the word "anxious"--that those in the spirit world have been anxiously awaiting for this time in history so that their temple work could be done.

While he was talking, I pulled out my scriptures to find the verse.  He had mentioned the section but not the verse, but I was able to find it quickly and the words that capture me immediately were "which their minds were pointed to by the angels"---I understood in that manner that only comes from the spirit that the angels were the missionaries who are teaching the gospel in the spirit world and that the spirits there---our ancestors and all those who have lived on this earth had been taught-- "their minds were pointed to"-- that we in the latter-days would have the tools to do their works for them--

I brought that up in the discussion and we all enjoyed a sweet interaction that can come as we share scriptures and impressions one with another.  Later that day, President Parker brought it up in a leadership meeting we were at and led another good discussion  with the other zone leaders.  Elder Carter pointed out that it ties well with D & C 138:30. 

I have read these scriptures many times.  I have probably taught them in Gospel Doctrine.  I took D & C at BYU...and yet, I have never stop and thought about what is being taught in this one verse.

Aren't the scriptures amazing?

Snow Days and Grandkids

This past week there has been a cold "spell" across the nation which results in record colds and huge power outages in part of the nation--most notably in Texas.  All six of my siblings and their families living in different parts of Texas (Amarillo, Lubbock, Grapevine, Austin, and Buda) experienced loss of power for a time--some up to a couple of days.  Many people have also struggled with getting fresh water.

Liam and Alex were just happy to see some snow in Utah which has had a very very dry winter so far.  They were sad though because the snow didn't last very long.

Tacoma, Washington, also got snow which is unusual for them.  They have rain usually.  Niki, Cooper and Ava loved it!

I think it was Ava's first real experience with playing in the snow.  

Meanwhile, in Arizona-- weather is clear and perfect for outside play.  This is a photo from James' birthday party last Saturday along with the cul-de-sac boys.  They all loved the bounce house.

On Friday during our video chat with Ben, I was able to share some of these and other pictures of the grandkids with him using PowerPoint.  He liked it and wants me to share again next week.  He likes seeing these cute faces almost as much as I do, I think.

FACEBOOK VALENTINE"S DAY LIST

This is recopied from my grandmother Facebook Group- Sweet Dreams, Little Ones" which is why I refer to Gary as Dad/Grandpa.

"This list of questions has been going around Facebook this Valentine season. I don't want to put it for all of Facebook to see, but I thought it might be fun for you to read:

Here’s our story:

First Date: Depends on what you call a date--technically we say going to Star Wars the day after we got engaged was our first official "date". We did do a few things as friends at BYU including going to a movie (that he needed to attend for a class--I paid my own way in.) and spending the day at Hogle Zoo.

How long have you been together: 48 years

How did you meet? We met on our first day at BYU playing Red Rover, Red Rover

Married: Yes!

Kids: 5 children and 10 grandchildren

Age difference: I am 2 1/2 months older than Dad/Grandpa.

Who was interested first: I would say Dad/Grandpa but it was very close.

Who is taller: Dad/Grandpa

Who said I love you first: Dad/Grandpa

Favorite tv show to watch together: Maybe MASH

Most impatient: Probably about the same--depends on the situation

Most sensitive: Me (Grandma/Mom)

Loudest: Depends on the situation

Most stubborn: Probably Dad/Grandpa

Falls asleep first: Dad/Grandpa

Cooks better: Me, but Dad/Grandpa hasn't really tried so he might be better.

Better morning person: Dad/Grandpa

Better driver: Dad/Grandpa

Most competitive: Dad/Grandpa

Funniest: I think we are both funny.

Where do eat out most as a couple? Where Jena picks

Who is more social? Me (Grandma)

Who is the neat freak? Except for my desk, I think we are pretty similar.

Where was your first kiss? My parents' house in Amarillo, Texas

Do you get flowers? Rarely.

Who plans date night? We both do.

Who picks where you go to dinner? Usually Dad/Grandpa makes me pick if Jena isn't around or if he thinks I have had a very busy day.

Who is the first one to admit when they’re wrong? Probably me.

Who sings better? Dad/Grandpa

Hogs the remote? I don't try to hog it, but I have a longer list of preferred shows. And of course, if a BYU football, basketball or volleyball game is on..................I am in charge.

Spends the most? Me

Did you go to the same school? We both went to BYU in Provo, Utah.

Who drives when you are together? Usually Dad/Grandpa unless on a trip.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together? Depends on how you measure this-- the farthest point from Utah we have both been to is Malaysia which is 8760 miles, but we went when we were living in Hong Kong. The longest flight we have been on together was to Hong Kong from Utah which is 7268 miles.

The photos I posted with it:

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY AND PRESIDENTS' DAY TOMORROW!

Happy Valentine's Day, Gary....and Jena, too!

I have admired these personalized pillows on Facebook for a couple of years and then my sister got one for her and her husband so I decided that I shouldn't "copy" them but then I did anyway....at least I got a different color.....

But I was really into cheesy this year which resulted in this....

which made Gary laugh and he didn't tease me TOO much about them.  They will stay on our bed until after our anniversary next month  (I bet he is glad that it isn't too far away.)

Jena made this Valentine chain and hung it on our door knob last night....

and I set up the Valentine treats on the kitchen island..........

and had to do something for her door at the last minute...................

I thought I was clever to get a picture of it from inside her room (without climbing under it and waking her up), but the joke is on me---Sunday morning robe wear..............

ANYWAY----we had a nice Sunday and Valentine's Day.  Hope your day was great as well!  Hug someone you love---who lives in your house, because, you know, COVID!!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAMES!

James is now 4 years old and he reported that he had a GREAT Birthday which included a weekend stay from his Berenyi grandparents, a birthday party which was followed by a neighborhood Valentine Party at their next door neighbors.  James said it was all good.

They loved the bounce house.

James likes all things Super Heroes and dinosaurs.  He goes to preschool a couple of times a week and likes that, too.  He loves to swim.  He likes to build things and play with matchbox cars...sounds a lot like his dad at that age although Scott liked the Ninja Turtles rather than Super Heroes which makes sense because Ninja Turtles was more popular back then.  I am sure Scott would have liked a bounce house as well but that wasn't a "thing" either.

Odds and Ends of The Past Week

Last Wednesday, I decided to use the gift card I had gotten from the UDSF for my service on the board and as President and Gary picked up dinner from Outback.  We have rarely branched out much with our take-out even with Covid, so it was a fun change of pace for us.  Jena, of course, had chicken strips and fries.

I ordered this puzzle for Gary for Christmas and he completed it this past week.  It was a funny puzzle with the letters A-F on the back of the pieces (imagine the puzzle divided in sixths.)  We thought it was odd at first, but actually came in handy putting the puzzle together.  The pieces were quite thin (and cheap) and many of the pieces were very similar.  And, in the end, there was one piece missing and three extra pieces that didn't fit any where.  Now, if that doesn't sum up 2020!!!

It was a fun way to remember 2020, although 2021 hasn't changed much yet.

Friday morning, I took a walk on a trail in Centerville while Jena served at the Distribution Center.  It had been raining but it was just crisp and enjoyable while I walked except for about 3 minutes of rain.

Along one piece of the trail were painted rocks with a variety of designs...also with a sign to leave the rocks where they were at.

Also seen along the trail was this display---the saying "one person's trash is another's treasure" comes to mind.

However, in the middle of it, there were a few things that made me smile---

And maybe that was the only reason for the display--to encourage the walkers, joggers, and runners that travel along this trail!

Saturday, after the usual P-day stuff--I began the project of sorting, throwing away, scanning, and everything else that goes with this type of project to begin organize all of the paperwork, photos, and stuff that represents the Gibersons, the Halls, and OUR Halls history.  I have some boxes and totes of stuff to put in some type of order so that future generations can learn about us and our experiences (and to throw things away so that my kids will not have to do it for me after I am gone.)

Stuff that these things are--they still hold lots of memories and feelings---or sometimes point out the lack of memory--like who is this or why did I save that?

Some examples:

I might have posted about this before--last time I started this project when I decided to keep this.  Now I realized that my kids and others will never have the same understanding or attachment to this.  So, I took a picture, I remembered, and now it is gone.

My sweet friend, Jill Eyring, made this for me when we moved from West Jordan to Hong Kong.  It is a collection of letters and cards from the sisters in the Relief Society where I had served as president for the two years before then.

This is a letter from Julie Pugmire. They happened to be in the same foster/adopt classes that we took and they adopted a son whose name was also Scott a month before our Scott arrived home to us.  We shared those first months together which was such a great thing for us.  Actually, she is the one who mentioned to Jayne, another sister in the ward, that we were looking to adopt and she was the one who heard about Scott and put us in touch with the Allens---that is another story.

This is Jill and her sweet family of four girls.  Their third daughter Heidi was Jessica's first best friend.

A letter from Lynnette Judd--one of the kindest and best people I know.

It was amazing to review these letters.  Some of them talk about things that I no longer remember--interactions we had, or things that I said in talks or lessons.  However, I do remember the sisters and my love for them.

I went through other stuff and found this picture of my "oldest" friend--Kathy Nelson.  She always points out that she is only a few months older than me so she really isn't my "oldest" friend, but she is the one who I have my earliest memory of when we were about 3 years old.  She is currently serving a mission with her husband in Africa.

Another picture of my BYU roomates--this is from our second year. Not sure why we posed with this bull.  Judy Hutch (in front of me) thinks it was Jody's who is under it.

Then I moved to the chest in my room.  It was my mom's and my grandparents before that.  It contains my mom's journals and other scrapbook and poetry books.  As I sorted through things, my goal was to keep things that reminded us of our parents and our childhood.  I want to bring this chest to family reunions in the future and have the things inside that make us smile and remember the great things our parents taught us.

I filled our sibling thread with lots of pictures of stuff as I tried to decide what to keep and what to throw away.

The newspaper article about my Mom after her heart transplant-  A keeper!  (Notice the cute photo of Jessica and Scott on the piano.)

The Giberson Book of Trivia--I think there is five of them.  They are scrapbooks of random stuff generated when you have eight kids involved in lots of stuff!

For example, I am sure that my brother, Rick, did not expect that this little note which he put into the egg carton in place of egg(s) he used for a school "egg drop" contest would be immortalized in Giberson lore--but here it is-----

There were a few t-shirts connected with different children.  This one clearly belonged to Scott, my youngest brother and UT graduate.

And Dad, sorry to say that after taking this picture--I threw away all of the yearbooks that have been in this chest since Mom went to Linfield College.

There were these newspapers which probably can be found in the local history museums in Richland and Amarillo, because they highlights such big events.  My brother Scott wants these.

And family photos----

I scanned about 280 photos last night during the BYU Men Volleyball match (we won) but this is what is left that I need to sort and decide how to keep or what to throw away.  My goal is that everything related to the Giberson/Owen history will fit into the chest.

There is still lots to do---and then I have the Hall/Quigley stuff and then Our Hall stuff---slow but steady is my plan!

And that was my week!  How was yours?