ldschurchtemples.com

In our church, we have no paid ministry so everyone pitches in by being ‘called to serve’ in various assignments that make the church go around! 🙂  The Bishop (in each ward) and his counselors, are responsible for making those assignments, with input and suggestion from the ward auxiliary presidents (Sunday school, young women, young men, primary, relief society).  [The Elders and the High Priests are generally under the stewardship of the stake presidency, with input, suggestions from the Bishop.]  This is generally the rule, different Bishops or Stake Presidents may run things a little differently.

The idea is that each bishop or auxiliary leader will seek the direction of the Spirit to organize their support staff.  People pray about who should fill the callings and based on how they are feeling, they submit names to serve to the bishopric, who then also pray about the names and various callings and either extend the callings, or ask the auxiliary president to submit different names. 

It becomes a little tricky as the bishop because maybe each auxiliary feels that Sister Terrific Teacher should be in their organization and each has prayed about it and feels like she should be serving with them.  However, the bishop is aware that Sister Terrific Teacher has certain health concerns (which are not public to the congregation) that need to be taken into consideration about her calling and that she cannot serve in all of those callings.  So they have the responsibility to seek guidance and direction under the Spirit to decide where she should be serving.

In these ways, it is not always the best or most knowledgeable person who gets called.  (A lot of times, it is not……)  But what we find in serving is that many times, there is growth all around.  The person in the calling grows, the people served by the calling grow and all get the opportunity to learn to work together to bring about the best good.

Also, sometimes we receive callings we do not want.  I cannot even tell you how many times that has happened to me!!  Sometimes I think a calling will be alright and when I get into it, I find that I really don’t like it.  Other times, I think I am going to hate this.  But then I find that I really enjoy it.  Most times, whether I like the calling or not, I find that I learn many things while serving. 

Another issue, we are taught not to turn down callings to serve.  If we have serious concerns about our ability to fulfill a specific calling, then we can counsel with the bishop or member of the bishopric when the call is extended.  But generally, we should accept callings–in fact, President Eyring said so in general conference this weekend:

Here are a few examples of callings where I have struggled:

zazzle.com

I was called to teach the Sunbeam class (3 year-olds) when I had a brand new baby (1 month old) and I had a three year-old in the class.  (My husband was the bishop–1st time–at the time, which meant that  every Sunday, I was getting five children ready for church, by myself and getting us all there.  Then after the three hour block, I was taking them all home, by myself and getting them fed, napped, or whatever.  And now they were asking me to take the only two hours I had the entire Sunday to spend with other people’s toddlers.  I was NOT amused.)  

I did the best I could for a little while.  It was frustrating!  I hated it!  I complained, a lot!  When the counselor in the primary talked to me after church and asked me to please come to church early to set-up my classroom and then to stay late to clean it up after the children left, I lost it.  When the bishop got home from church that day, I let him have it!  It is probably not what he needed, but I was livid!  To be making the sacrifices I was making to come to church every Sunday and teach those toddlers while I was home all week with my own and doing it by myself almost all day every Sunday, and then to ask me to make greater sacrifice, I just thought that was too much and I was beyond my ability.  (It probably didn’t help that I hadn’t been sleeping because I had a new baby.) 

My sweet and dear husband (the bishop), calmly said, yes dear, I understand your frustration.  It probably isn’t anything they aren’t asking of the other teachers.  (Well, the other teachers don’t have five children, including a new infant, and their husbands aren’t the bishop!—that’s what I was thinking….)  He suggested that I have my older children (who were 9 and 7 and 5 at the time), help me set up the classroom and help me clean it up when we were done.  I was still irritated, but I did what he suggested.  The children learned to help.  The baby got older.  By the time I had been serving them for 9 months, I had learned to really love those other little three year-olds.  The adjustments we had made at home by having the older ones help more really made a difference, especially as I received other callings that needed more attention than just Sunday. 

I learned how to delegate and give more assignments at home, even though I really, really struggled during my calling.

sunshine-sentiments.blogspot.com

Example #2:
I had been serving in Young Women (girls ages 12-18) for about four years in various callings.  I love serving with teenagers!  It is my very favorite place to be.  The reasons I love it so much could fill an entire post—so we’ll talk about that later.  But I was released from young women, and called to teach the 11 year-olds in primary.  I cried and was not very happy.  I just figured  I would have to bide my time until I could be released from serving there and be called into another calling that I preferred. 

I went every Sunday, taught my lesson, and went home to prepare next Sunday’s lesson.  The children in the class were rowdy, their hormones were raging and they all wanted out of primary so they were not very interested in the class or cooperative.  Most Sundays I felt more like I was babysitting than teaching.  But I did what I could.

About a year into that calling, I dropped my older boys off at a youth fireside at the young women president’s home.  As I was driving away from the house, I realized that it was the first time in a year that I wasn’t longing to be in the house with all the youth.  It was the first time that I didn’t wish I was somewhere else, doing something else.  I recognized that I had not put my heart into my calling.  I had been just going through the motions for an entire year.  I repented on the drive home.  I apologized to my Heavenly Father and told Him that I would make my calling mine.  I would put my heart into it.

The following Sunday, I was released.  I was also called back into the Young Women’s organization.  It was as if Heavenly Father was saying, I was just waiting for you to give me your heart.  I really do want you here, but I needed you to know that you would be willing to do something else if that is what I asked of you.

ldsvinyldecals.com

Example #3:
For the last little while, I have been serving in callings that I am ready to be finished with.  I am not quite sure why….well, I know why……but I really shouldn’t put that out here on my blog.

Sometimes we just have the opportunity to serve where the Lord wants us, and that really is where He wants us, even if we don’t want to be there.  Last year at this time, I was also feeling this way about the same calling.  Last year, I received inspiration about something I should do in the calling this year.  It took me a few months to realize that if I was receiving inspiration about service that was a year away, it probably meant I would still be in the calling a year later.  Hey………..Wait a minute!  Ya….I wasn’t too happy about that either!

But the good news and the bad news is:  callings don’t last forever.  The ones you love don’t stay and the ones you hate will go away—of course, in the Lord’s own due time.

Just a quick note to tell you all how much I loved General Conference this weekend!!  It was so very amazing!  I haven’t received answers to all of my questions (but there is still one sessions left), but I know I have received the information the Lord has wanted me to have.

I couldn’t but help feel that the conference seemed to carry the theme:  Hold on, beef up your testimony, here comes the persecution…..hard times ahead.  I heard it in each speaker.  Now I do not think that means dooms day is approaching and I certainly didn’t hear panic or fear in the voices speaking to us.  But to me, the message was clear:  strengthen your testimony, do not neglect your spiritual development, life is going to get harder.  Did you hear that too??  Or was it just my overactive imagination?

I was also really excited that General Priesthood meeting was broadcast beyond the satellites!  I am always anxious to read it and it is the first thing I turn to when the Conference Ensign arrives, mostly because I want to know what the prophets have told my boys so I know what to focus on for them as their mother.  But this time I can actually watch the presentation and hear their inflections!  Sweet!!

Also, our boy Spanky (lucky dog!), got to listen to all three conferences sessions yesterday in the conference center!!  He is suppose to get to see the afternoon session today too.  I am just a wee bit jealous!  Drew and I were able to attend one session at the tabernacle, before the conference center was built….but obviously it has been a while!

OK….I’m going to go now so I can watch that last session and get my little guy down for a nap!  Too-ta-loo!!

nydailynews.com

Over the last couple of days I have been attending our friend’s funeral services.  (Yes, you heard me right—the last couple of days.)  He was/is Samoan.  The funeral went something like this:  Thursday 1-4 p.m viewing, 4-7 p.m program with open microphone, family wake 7 p.m.- whenever.  Friday morning 10 a.m. viewing, 11 a.m. family prayer, 11:15-12:30 p.m funeral service, 12:30-1:30 p.m graveside, 1:30 p.m.- whenever luau/BBQ/whatever you want to call it.

Drew and I were there from 5:30-7 p.m last night and today I was able to attend part of the viewing and the funeral.  During the open mic part last night, people just got up and shared stories about the deceased and what they loved about him.  There was a lot of laughing and many tears.  Some people got up and sang as families or small groups.  The casket was open and in front of the congregation, surrounded by his wife and children.  When it was over, his Samoan family took, pictures with him in the casket and they hugged him while they just sobbed and sobbed over the body.

advancedetiquette.com

Last night, they all wore black, but today, they all wore white.  I wasn’t dressed appropriately either time.  Silly me, I went American style—nice brown pants, white shirt, colorful jacket last night, and black today.

What I really appreciated about the entire service was how ‘healthy’ their grieving appeared.  They took off TWO full days to visit with each other, share their emotions, and mourn the loss of their loved one.  It seemed so healthy and healing compared to us Americans who might take off two hours during the work week to ‘pay our respects’ to the deceased and their families.

The contrast between the two cultures was so stark!  I have been to dozens and dozens of American funerals, some conducted by ministers not of my faith, and even one Asian one.  But this Samoan one was by far the healthiest one I have ever seen.  People shared their emotions freely.  Some believed in an afterlife, some were not sure.  They shared it all with each other.  Grown men stood up and watered the floor with their tears as they spoke of their great love and brotherhood.  His sister expressed all of the reasons she would fight with her younger brother (the deceased) and she even shared some of his retorts.  His wife shared that they had good times and bad times.  Her words:  “It wasn’t all peaches and cream.  But I have hope for you young couples who just got married.  You can do it!  You stick together and you make it work!”  Even his oldest son said, “I am the black sheep of the family,” [now paraphrasing] my dad and I didn’t get along.  We were always butting heads.  But I knew he loved me and I will miss him.

My dear sweet friend’s husband was only 49!  When I hugged her on Thursday night (the first time I had spoken to her since her husband’s passing), she told me that they had had a great weekend together and spent the morning (that he passed away) visiting with each other and the kids.  He passed away at home.  She said she wouldn’t have changed a thing, except she wished that they had more time.

It was just a testimony to me that we all need to do what we can to leave our loved ones on happy notes.  We just do not know when the Lord will call us home or what the circumstances regarding our home coming will be.  How sweet it is that they had been spending some quality time with each other and their relationships were at peace.

Good-bye my dear friend….until we meet again!  Thank you for the things your culture has taught me about how to grieve! 

dreamstime.com

Sorry I have been AWOL lately.  My computer has been having a love affair with the screen above.  Finally, on Thursday, it just bit the dust.  No amount of coaxing would bring it back.  The good news is…..(my husband and I have this little joke where in any given situation, we express the good with the bad 🙂  So the good news is that I had a back-up drive on my computer.  The bad news is that I hadn’t backed it up since June.  Yep!  We lost a lot of stuff!  Hopefully, I can recreate most of it.  The good news is that my computer is now up and running.  The bad news is that it cost me a few hundred dollars.  But I really should not complain!  Our computer guy came Friday morning and had us back, up and running on Monday morning, with a few improvements!  Yipee!!!

So to recap what has happened to us during our absence, last week we had a friend pass away.  He was only 49!  (That is only a few years older than me….)  He left a wife and four (?) children.  His funeral is tomorrow.  I have been thinking about them a lot and wondering how I would handle such a trial.  I have no profound thoughts, except that I read this article in this month’s Ensign and felt peace.

Today, I have had some other experiences that I have been pondering.  The first was a conversation I had with one of the mothers at our elementary school.  I was there for an award assembly where Smiley received the Scholar Award.  She asked me if I had a son who graduated in 2010.  (I had to really think…did I?  I have so many, that I wasn’t really sure which one it would be and which graduation she was speaking of…..?)  Then she said, Slim.  Oh ya!  He did graduate in 2010.  She asked me what he was doing and what his plans were.  I shared that he was attending Southern Virginia University and would graduate in April and was taking the LSAT this week to start his law school applications.  (I didn’t bother to mention his service as a missionary in Brazil.)  “Oh Wow!  Great!” was her response.  Being polite, I asked her what her son was doing.  “He wants to be an architect so he is working for this company in the Bay Area.  He hasn’t gone to college yet.  So we will see.”

Drew graduated in 1993

At this point, I was feeling a little sheepish.  I was not intending to brag about Slim….that is just what is happening in his life and what his plans are.  I was worried that maybe I had gone overboard in talking about Slim.  But all of a sudden, I was hit with the realization that there are plenty of other young men, about Slim’s age, who are doing all sorts of things with their lives that don’t include getting a formal education or even thinking that direction at all.  I just never really thought about it.

I think there are plenty of things (noble and righteous things) to do with your life that do not include a college education.  I grew up in a home where my father was not a college graduate.  Because of that, it was SUPER important to me, to have one.  (That and my father was always asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up.)  I worked hard to get my degree.  By the time we got married and started our family, I had only finished one and a half years of college.  By the time I received my degree, we had four children.  I finished my degree by taking six credit hours a semester—for five years.  But I finally did it!!

The second interaction I had today was a phone call.  The principal from our high school called to talk about Speedy.  In his English class, he has been opting out of many of the assignments because of morally objectionable material.  The teacher has said that she will support him in not reading or viewing material he finds objectionable.  But after he has refused to watch the third video and has not read two books, in the space of seven weeks, she was concerned.  I was not expecting my conversation with the principal to go very well.

But the good news, is that it did.  I explained that we are extremely selective about the materials we let our children view and read.  We can talk all about the base things that happen in our society without needing to read the graphic details or view it in all its debauchery.  Her main question was, “How are you going to handle this in college classes?”  I immediately went to the fact that the colleges we attend don’t have that problem either.  But she was talking about the junior college here where we live.  It took me a minute to realize that is what she was talking about.

Slim 2009

The funny part was that I had just jumped from high school classes to university classes and she was talking about junior college classes.  (I hadn’t even considered junior college classes as college classes…..  Ya’ I think maybe I am kind of a snob!)  When I realized what she was talking about, that was easy enough.  I have had almost four children graduate from our junior college and viewing and/or reading objectionable material in their English classes has not been a problem.  We only have issues in the high school.

Spanky 2010

I am expecting a phone call from the teacher.  So we will see how that goes.  But I think it is important that we help others to understand that we can still teach about, talk about, and find solutions to any of the major moral problems of our society without exposing our children to them, especially in an educational setting.  I mean really, if I wanted them  to experience the vices in our society I would put them on the streets, not send them to school.  What happened to studying Shakespeare??  There are plenty of moral issues in the classics to discuss and consider, without personally experiencing them.

Scuff 2012

I had more to say on the issue, but my baby’s blood sugar is low and he is sitting on my lap as I type, demanding that I feed him.  So I guess I had better go and help him out 🙂  Remember to stand for truth and righteousness, even when everyone else around you is not.

TWO posts in ONE day…….Scary!  I am participating the Family Proclamation Celebration put on this year by Chocolate on my Cranium, A Well-Behaved Mormon Woman, and Mormon Mommy Blogs!!

Here are my photos this year:

Here is last year’s Family Proclamation Photos 2012

We have a super crazy week this week!  Yesterday we cleaned the church.  Today we have a funeral.  Wednesday I have my monthly committee meeting.  Friday, a baby shower.  Saturday, Sport is starting his Eagle Scout Project.  Sunday is our Primary Program (which is where the children share thoughts and music about the doctrines they have learned so far this year, it is always a huge treat—kids 3-11!), and I am the chorister.  Those are just the extra things we have going on this week…that doesn’t include the normal stuff.  I’m not sure how much blogging I will get done. 

But, at least I can post the photos I promised.  So without further adieu…

Here they are:

Well, there you go, from about 12 months to 19. 

wakemedvoices.org

Sometimes, the most important thing you can do to take care of your family first, is to take care of the caretaker (ie person home with the kiddos).  I am going to walk you through the emotional events of this week for me personally.

Tuesday I had another Miss P incident (reference here and here, if you missed it).  Being in a decent place emotionally with the Miss P situation, I sent a prompt email.  Basically, I’m tired of this.  Please stop!  Not rude, not biting, simply ‘This is the behavior.  It bothers me.  Please stop.’  Send.  I didn’t even tell Drew I sent it, until later that evening. 

Wednesday, I posted about my family of origin (post here), where I obviously had some unresolved issues.  After I wrote the post, I spoke with my sister for about two hours—just normal sister talk about life, kids, school, etc…  By the time evening rolled around, I wondered if I was stuffing feelings.  By morning, I knew I was.

I am always amazed at how efficiently and unconsciously I can do it.  I have noticed with new emotions and feelings, I have grown enough that I don’t stuff it.  If someone says something today or at church and my feelings are hurt, I can cry and be upset in the moment.  But if the feelings are deep and old—I have usually stuffed them before I even knew they were there.  It’s scary that it happens so quickly and without any thought.

I talked through my feelings with Drew in the morning.  I realized that I had never emotionally walked through the door of leaving my little sisters behind when I left for college.  My family was falling apart.  The ship was sinking and I couldn’t save them.  I couldn’t take them with me.  The pain was so deep and so intense that I had to block it out so that I could keep functioning and survive.  All of these years and I had never chosen to open the door to those emotions, mostly because I wasn’t even aware they were there.  But here they are, still waiting for me after all these years.

I needed a good cry—as my friend Linzy says, the ugly cry—the one where your face is all puffy and red, and your nose is clogged from all the crying.  You know the look.

this is close….

My sweetheart gave me a great perspective.  He said, “Carin, why did you leave?”  I came up with many answers—to save myself, to go to college, so I didn’t sink with the ship….  “No,” he says, “you left to go and prepare the lifeboat.  If you had gone down with the ship,” to continue the analogy, “everyone would be lost.  By leaving and clinging to the gospel and building your family within its framework, you show them where to go to find peace, happiness, and healing.  You are their light in the lifeboat saying, ‘Swim this way! Over here!’  If you didn’t do that, how would they know where to go?!”

artistsinconrwall.com

His words brought peace to my soul.  I have always known I made the right decision.  I did not have guilt because of my choice.  But I had also never acknowledged the pain and heartache of not being able to rescue any of my sibling, but particularly my sisters because they were so young and innocent.  Wednesday morning I was walking through the pain.

Wednesday morning was also when I received Miss P’s response to my email, simply, “I’m sorry. That wasn’t my intent.  I didn’t mean to offend on of your children.”

Because I was already in such an emotionally vulnerable place, I was able to respond to her email immediately and from the heart.  I just said, “My feelings have been really hurt.  I know things have been hard for you too.  I am tired of this.  Can’t we be friends?”  And I let it go.  I do not know if she will respond or what she will say.  And you know what?  It really doesn’t matter to me.

Here’s the crazy part.  I believe that if I had not been in such an emotional state, I wouldn’t have responded so honestly and openly to the pain and heartache which had been happening in the present.

Today I have been nurturing my soul.  I threw my diet out the window (not binge eating, just not strictly following the plan).  I have spent hours this week writing, reading, and visiting with people I love.  The rain is falling and I’m watching a cheesy, but clean romance.  I’m having one of my favorite dinners and reminding myself why I love my life and me.  🙂  (I may even cut my hair!)  Because I made time to take care of some emotional baggage (past and present), nurture myself, and feed my soul, I will be a much happier and nicer mother!

me being my happy self!

Happy Friday!!

A long while ago my mother brought several photos with her for me to scan into the computer.  The deal was, she would leave them here for me to scan and then I would mail them back to her.  I still have yet to mail them, but I did scan them!!!  I thought you might like to see some of them?

You can compare them to my children.
Family photos first:

Before the baby. (early 70’s)

After the baby, same dress and pants 🙂

Mid 70’s

Late 70’s

Early 80’s

Late 80’s

I think I will post the individuals another day.  One thing I couldn’t help but notice was my father’s eyes and facial expressions.  In the early family photos, he seems so happy and he looks twinkly.  As the photos age, his countenance drops and his twinkly-ness goes away, my mom too.  The other thing I noticed was how all of our clothing is ‘time-period’ appropriate.  Scary.  I never realized my mom was a fashion guru 🙂

Don’t we look so cute?!!  We started off so very well!!  The gospel became a part of our family and my parents were sealed just before I was born.  During my teenage years things began to fall apart.  I already documented some of my father’s sorrows (Here and Here).  The financial pressures on our family were great and my father kept thinking we needed more money.  I don’t know if he pressured my mother to work or if she decided to work to help ease his burden.  Whatever the reason, working proved to be the straw that broke my family in two.  My mother was stretched thin.  My father was stretched thin.  No one was home to keep tabs on us children.  I kept busy with school things and extracurricular activities.  My brother got into trouble with substance abuse and the law, which caused more stress on my already maxed out parents.  Sundays became a day to rest and recuperate instead of a day to worship and most Sundays, we were not attending church because it was just one more thing to try to get done during the week.  All of this stress and time spent away from the family and everyone’s needs not being met, provided fertile ground for Lucifer to introduce many, many temptations into everyone’s lives.  As some of us fell to those temptations, feelings were hurt and relationships destroyed.  Fear replaced faith.  Fatigue replaced anyone’s ability to nurture and help others.  Everyone was on a course for themselves.

My mother ran away because she was overwhelmed with burden and grief.  My father, who was not a nurturer anyway, just tried to keep busy with work and console his aching heart with other women.  I ran off to college, because I knew if I stayed I would be drained of my ability to do anything.  This mess was not my responsibility.  Though my father begged me to stay and help out the family, I knew in my heart that was the wrong decision.  How hard is that?  To be a fixer and a builder and to know that if you stay to try and help your efforts will amount to nothing.  This is not a situation that I could fix.  I had to leave.  The ship was sinking and if I stayed, I would go down with it.  My little sisters were only 10 and 9, and I had to leave them home with my parents who couldn’t take care of themselves, let alone their children.

My father is still angry at me for leaving.  Periodically he reminds me that I left when the family needed me.  How can I tell him that I knew if I stayed I would die spiritually with them?  It is not something he needs to hear, just something I have to tell myself when his words wound my heart.

Wow, I had no idea I had all of that to share.  This was just suppose to be a post with my family photos 🙂  I guess there is still a lot of emotional work to do.  This is just a part of how divorce has affected me personally.  I have been blessed to have the gospel to cling to when these tragedies struck my family.  The family I have created comes from the principles taught in the gospel of Jesus Christ, specifically The Family: A Proclamation to the World and because Drew and I have been and are obedient to those principles.  My siblings have not been so lucky.  Their testimonies were not quite developed when tragedy struck for them.  They have not had the added blessing of the gospel framework within to build their families.

My parents’ choices to fall to temptations instead of fight with obedience and faith has affected generations of people and their ability to build strong, happy families.  Just like a couple who does choose to fight through temptations with faith and obedience, who chooses to apply the doctrinal principles in their lives and to forgive and love and use the atonement of our Savior to heal their hearts will weave a legacy of faith and obedience and willingness to persevere throughout generations of their families.  So then I guess the question is, what are you doing with your choices and temptations and sorrows?  Are you using gospel principles and obedience and faith to fight the battles you have in front of you?  Or are you falling to the temptations?  You will affect generations!  I can guarantee it!

PS….Decided to link this up with Chocolate on my Cranium for Celebrating the Family this week!  Not specifically about a specific part of the proclamation, but definitely addresses the principles.  And if you want to read more, check out today’s post: Family First Friday #5!

I haven’t posted anything Table Talk related in a while.  Here is one of my very favorite soups.  I always think of it as Turkey and Wild Rice Soup, because I put my leftover turkey in it after Thanksgiving.  Imagine my surprise when I was reading the recipe today and realized Turkey and Wild Rice Soup is the name of the recipe above it in the cookbook.  The recipe actually calls for chicken!  Nonetheless, Sport asked for turkey this week in our menu planning and I decided to make this soup with the leftovers.  It always reminds me of fall…..I LOVE the fall! 🙂

In a large saucepan, saute the onion, carrot, and celery in butter until tender.  Stir in flour until blended.  Gradually add broth.  Stir in  rice, chicken, salt, pepper.  Bring to a boil over medium heat or until thickened.  Stir in milk; cook 3-5 minutes longer.  Garnish with chives.
Serves 10.

Serve with a loaf of warm bread and a salad (my kids liked grilled cheese too 🙂
Enjoy!

I’m participating in the Celebration of the Proclamation of the Family.  Today we are posting photos of our ancestors.  I uploaded all the photos my mother brought me about a year ago.  I was so excited to have some of my ancestors!  Unfortunately, they were all ME!  A few of the photos have others in them, so I will include those, but they are still just my parents and one grandparent.  However, after the photos, stay tuned for a great story that happened to me this week in the family history world! 🙂

This is my mother:

Forty ish years ago.  (And that cute little person is me.)  Here she is 20 ish years ago:

And this is her today:

She is an amazing woman!  She has such persevere and determination.  I love you Mom!!

Here is a photo of her father:

His name is OB Biggs.  I think that naked baby is me too.  I wish I had a photo of my grandmother or of them together.  I actually do have one of her, but I didn’t find it to get it scanned.  My mother mostly grew up in Texas.  We lived there when I was a little girl.

Here is my amazing family history story (on the other side of the family):
This week I opened a newsletter from New Family Search (Here’s the letter.) announcing a new feature of their website, search records.  I thought, I’m going to try that.  I had a particular line in my family tree where the information just kind of died after my great-great grandparents.  So I pulled up my information and the ancestor I was looking for and hit the button.  In just seconds, I was able to view all the historical records family search had on file that might match my ancestor.

I found my ancestor and some of his family on the 1880 census records!!  I also found another child that I was unaware of.  Plus, with the information on the census, I was able to pinpoint his birthday within a year and to know that his wife’s death date was before the census because he was listed as a widower, all information I did not have. I put that information into my family tree files.  That information allowed me to then request their names be cleared for temple ordinances, which they were.

Here is the coolest part of the story.  In looking over the records and trying to discern if these were indeed my ancestors, I recognized the name of the family above them.  Wait!  I think that family is also in my line!  I went back to my family tree and sure enough there they were!!  It would appear that two families in my line were at one time neighbors, as the census was not listed alphabetically.  Their children grew up in the same neighborhood.  Now their children did not eventually marry but their grandchildren did and happen to be my great-grandparents!!!  How cool is that??  I went looking for the records of one family and on the same record found two!

I do not have photos of these ancestors, but I will keep looking!  Another amazing feature in the newfamilytree program, I can attach that record to my ancestor!  (See how in the letter linked above!)

I LOVE this work!  I still have to figure out how to link them here (My Family Search) but maybe I’ll do that later today.

http://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=210582