The Grandparent Chronicles

  NEW BEGINNINGS   January is a good month to think about new beginnings. With the dawn of a brand-new year come new opportunities and exciting anticipation of new ventures and new challenges. New phases of our lives don’t always wait until January to begin. On Christmas day 2022, Allysen and Thabian Carpenter blessed us with our 1 st great-granddaughter, Valentine! At that moment we became new great-grandparents and Blake and Michelle became grandparents! (Yes, we now have a grandpa for a son!) This December 21 st we greeted Valentine’s baby sister, Zelda!   This New Year,on January 2 nd , Janelle and Zack blessed our family with another great-granddaughter, Rowen! As we are just getting a good start at being great-grandparents, Blake and Michelle are experiencing the new beginning of being grandparents and the Carpenters and Wademans are starting a new fun beginning called parenting! With new beginnings come new responsibilities. What does society expect of ...

             A GREAT GRANDCHILD’S TRIBUTE On December 5, 2022, family members and friends of Donna Lou McAllister Wade (those who could) gathered to pay tribute to her and her amazing life. Wonderful tributes were given from each of her five children as well as a beautiful remembrance from Stacey Lopez, representing her 19 grandchildren. Because of time constraints, none of her 72 great grandchildren had that opportunity. So- we thought it only fitting that we share with you a beautiful tribute paid to her by one of those great grandchildren. When Blake and Michelle’s Spencer was in 2 nd grade, he had a school assignment to report about a grandparent. Spencer chose to write about his great grandmother.   Not many kids still had one of those to talk about, much less a special one like his! Here’s what Spencer said, “My Great Grandma Donna   - I know many things about my Grandma Donna. She was born in Mesa, Arizona on September 20,1928...

                    PRECIOUS   MOMENTS When Annette’s father passed away, her mother decided to that she would like the family to remember him in a special way. On the anniversary of his passing, she would gather, with as many of her children as could, at the Precious Moments chapel in Carthage, Missouri. There we would each write a memory or fond thought of Dennis and record them for posterity in the journals there provided for that purpose.   So, on November 6, 2022, we were there on the anniversary of his passing. Those who couldn’t make the trip sent letters to read. As we recorded our thoughts and read the letters, not a dry eye was to be found. All there experienced a very “precious moment” while at the Precious Moments chapel.   The following thought that came forcefully to my mind and heart that day is the topic for this month’s   Grandparent Chronicles.     “Precious moments can and should be ...

                                                        Polished Stones   On the northern coast of California, near Fort Bragg, is an amazingly beautiful beach called “Glass Beach.” It’s colorful gems of blue, red, green, amber, and crystal clear are what remains of a previous dump site where broken bottles were deposited.   Over time, the grinding sand and tumbling waves have smoothed all edges and what remains are beautiful, smooth, and polished glass gems. Nature accomplishes this same feat over hundreds of years with hard jagged rocks.   After years of tumbling by waves and sand, sharp rocks are transformed into beautiful, polished stones. For centuries, man has refined ways to duplicate natures process. From ancient Egyptian slaves stirring selected chips of stone in a trough with sand and water to Lapidaries in India usi...

COUSINS   (WHAT EXACTLY IS A 2ND COUSIN TWICE REMOVED ??) Recently, Annette and I had the privilege of being with lots of my cousins. (See picture) We had gathered to pay tribute to a life well lived, Bill Norman, (my cousin Darlene's husband.) As we visited with all these 1st cousins of mine (our parents were all siblings), we were introduced to some of their children and grandchildren and enjoyed getting acquainted. It was fun to meet these wonderful people and enjoy their personalities. I knew we were all related, but unsure what our relationship was actually called. What exactly is a 2nd or 3rd cousin? What is a cousin once or twice removed? I had heard these terms but had to admit to myself that I didn't clearly understand their meanings. Not long after our gathering, I noticed on Family Tree two "Cousin Charts" with explanation of just what those cousin terms mean! We thought it might be fun to share with you our newfound knowledge (for those of you who just mig...

   THE VOICES WE    CHOOSE TO HEAR    Around 2,000 years ago, the Apostle Paul warned the Corinthians of  “so many kinds of voices in the world.” If Paul were alive today- with the invention of radio, television, the internet and social media, we can only imagine the increased concern he would have with the thousands of additional voices vying for our attention! “The voices I hear are persuasive, seductive, fascinating and confusing.    Speaking across the earth, they are part of a mighty battle that is being waged for the minds of men.”(Gordon B. Hinckley April Gen Conf. 1966)   “Too many voices are deceptive, seductive and can pull us off the covenant path.”(Russell M. Nelson, “Make time for the Lord”, General Conf. October 2021) “If most of the information you get comes from social or other media, your ability to hear the whisperings of the spirit will be diminished. If you are not also seeking the Lord through daily prayer and ...

                        Ellen Jane Perks Johnstun BLESSED, HONORED PIONEERS July 24, 2022, marks the 175 th anniversary of the Latter-day Saint pioneers entering into the Salt Lake Valley, when Brigham Young declared “this is the right place!”   Each year since, Latter-day Saints celebrate this culminating event with parades, rodeos, and devotionals.   Russel M. Ballard said, “what we celebrate on July 24 th is mainly the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ and His inspiration for our early leaders and faithful pioneers.”   Our family is blessed to have some of these faithful pioneers as our ancestors. These faith filled ancestors made great sacrifices because of their testimonies in Jesus Christ and his newly restored church they ardently believed and followed. We’ll highlight one of their stories here and encourage you to become acquainted with their faith filled lives, learning from their lives and ...