2010 Devil Pups

The number one project in the Toole home every year is the Devil Pup project. We've been fortunate to have the assistance of the Utah Dixie Marine Corps League Detachment #1270 the last three years for work detail and support when needed for this wonderful citizenship program for young people ages 14-17. Here are the kids we sent to camp this year. They're getting checked into camp and looking forward to a challenging 10 days on the base at Camp Pendleton. Check out the Devil Pup Shutterfly album at http://devilpups.shutterfly.com/ for daily activities.

A Genealogy Angel

Today I e-met a gal who volunteers for FindaGrave.com, as do I, who took some photos of grave stones for me in a cemetery in Whitesboro, New York. I had info on a branch of Bill's Connors tree but no photos. She took photos and uploaded them to the website which completed my memorials to these ancestors. Thank you, Sue Cross!

Sue also sent me the following poem and indicated I could use it and the author's name here. Very cute - explains it all!

The Elusive Ancestor
By Merrell Kenworthy
I went searching for an ancestor. I cannot find him still.
He moved around from place to place and did not leave a will.
He married where a courthouse burned. He mended all his fences.
He avoided any man who came to take the U. S. Census!

He always kept his luggage packed, this man who had no fame.
And every 20 years or so, this rascal changed his name.
His parents came from Europe. They should be upon some list
of passengers to U.S.A., but somehow they got missed.

And no one else in this world is searching for this man.
So, I play geneasolitaire to find him if I can.
I'm told he's buried in a plot, with tombstone he was blessed,
but the weather took engraving, and some vandals took the rest.

He died before the county clerks decided to keep records.
No family Bible has emerged, in spite of all my efforts.
To top it off this ancestor, who caused me many groans.
Just to give me one more pain, betrothed a girl names JONES!

2009 Family Thanksgiving

We are back from a quick auto trip to the Bay Area for a family Thanksgiving with our Northern California kids and seven grands. 1690 miles in five days! It was great to see the kids again, even though California treated us to rain and chilly temps. Here are the grands at Mark & Sam's home in Mill Valley, California.

Returning to My Roots - Piano, That is!

Can you imagine playing a baby grand for church services after a 30+ year hiatus? It's happened to me - with God's help (and He had everything to do with it every step of the way) as today was my first day tickling the ivories at Calvary Chapel. I played MANY years ago for my small church in LeMars, Iowa where I grew up, and then for several years in a large church in Los Angeles. Once I moved away from SoCal, I attended churches already set up with organists and/or pianists and orchestras, so I've had quite the vacation. I no longer have my piano since it was loaned out once we downsized, so I've been alternating between the SunRiver community center ballroom's grand piano and the church's baby grand, recently loaned by a very generous person, for my practice time. I must admit, I love every minute of the practice and the playing. It shows me how much I've missed my piano for worshiping in hymns and gospel songs.

Grandgirls Jenna and Juliette

Dear Grammy and Boppa: We miss you a lot so we are going to send you this picture. We love you!
Love, Jenna and Juliette

Who wouldn't love a card like that???

Tooles and the Military

Bill formed the Utah Dixie Marine Corps League Detachment in St. George. There are many retired Marines who live here and we've made some wonderful friends from that Marine Corps community. He's also involved with the Veterans Coalition of Southern Utah and very much enjoys his military contacts. We've also been involved with the Devil Pups program which Bill has brought to the Southern Utah community. Here we are at a Dixie State College ROTC program at the Courtyard by Marriott Convention Center Spring of 2009.

Utah Dixie Marine Corps League Blog

Grand Girl Visit June 2009

My daughter and two grand girls (Grace, 12, and Claire, 8) were here for four days for a little vacation time for them and to help me celebrate my 39th birthday. I'm officially older now than both my children! Gracie's only request, other than going to Tuacahn Theater to see Footloose, was one or two trips to one of our favorite restaurants, Chuck-a-Rama. The reason it's a favorite?? The home made yeast rolls. This photo says it all.

We took in a bread baking class at Leavitt's kitchen shop, shopped the mall and the outlets (scoring big at Eddie Bauer), made sure we hit all the best restaurants, swam at Sand Hollow Aquatic Center, got Claire's car sickness tendency eliminated by the local NAET doctor, Dr. Pinkston, took in the dinosaur museum (real footprints and impressions of dinosaurs found here in St. George), and saw the most awesome production of Footloose. Thayne Jasperson (So You Think You Can Dance, High School Musical, etc.) played the lead. What an incredible dancer and entertainer. There was even a surprise puff of smoke during the song I Need a Hero when Superman flew across the stage on the high wire. The girls were thrilled with the production and we felt it was the best we've seen yet at Tuacahn, the most gorgeous outdoor theater in the country, tucked into a natural setting of red rock cliffs. The girls are now in SoCal visiting some friends before heading home this weekend to Auburn, California. It was good to have them visit in June. In past years, they have only been free to visit in August - a very ugly hot and humid month for St. George.

I can assure you that it's easier to have kids in your 20's and 30's than it is to have grandkids in your . . . ummm . . . late 30's, so I'm off now to rest.