2018 Christmas Tree by Cher

My friend, Cher, has once again blessed me with her talent of tree decorating:

 

For My Husband

On your second Heavenly birthday, I'm missing your unquestioned love and support.

A million times

I’ve needed you

A million times I’ve cried,

If love alone

Could have saved you 
You never would have died.

In life I loved you dearly,

In death I love you still.

In my heart you hold a place,

No one else can ever fill.

It broke my heart to lose you,

But you didn’t go alone.

Part of me went with  you,

The day God took you home.

 

New Crowns

It's been almost 3 years since I started the dental implant process.  Once the crowns were affixed, they needed a lot of tweaks.  Finally, I asked for replacements and just got them today.  I'm going to live with them a little to see if they're a better fit.  I'm hoping these two crowns will work better.  I'm ready for an upbeat fall and winter after the Summer of Issues!  Bad reaction to shingles shot, adjustment of pain meds by doctor, landscaping water issues from broken main to replacement of valves and a wacky controller that either went bad or someone set to run 13 hours per day - I'm SO done with it all.  Looking forward to a visit with my daughter next month.

40 Years Ago

40 years ago, these two happy people said "I do."

 

Our 11th Successful Year

Nine more Devil Pups (and one Eagle) for the future of America!

Fun Visitors

Birthday Visitors in June (Birthday month)

Amy, Taylor and Anne

Utah State Honors-Marine Corps League

CLICK HERE FOR ST. GEORGE NEWS' STORY

Remembering my Marine on Memorial Day

Graduations

Three grand girls graduating this year!

Amy from Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts,

on her way to becoming an awesome social worker.

Jenna from St. Joseph's High School in Alameda, California,

on her way to Chico State.

Claire from Placer High School in Auburn, California,

on her way to Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

 

Ignatius Sollars

My 2^nd great grandmother, Eliza Clevenger, who married my mother's great grandfather, James Parks, had an aunt who married a John Sollars.  That got me interested because we were good friends with Ray and Elaine Sollars when my kids were babies and we lived near USC.  I found a common link at Ignatius Sollars. 

Ignatius Sollars (John’s uncle) was Ray Sollars’ 2d great grandfather.  So Ray’s 2d great grandfather was a first cousin of my 4^th great uncle.  :}}}}  Wish we’d known that when the kids were little.  Ray passed away in 1981 and Elaine in 1987.

Goodman

I am looking for the Goodman family of Randolph County, Indiana and Dayton, Ohio.  Susan Johnson Goodman was the first or second wife of my second great grandfather, James Parks.  I'm still striking out on finding his date and place of death, so I'm going to focus on the Goodman family for a while.  Susan (sometimes seen as Susannah) was born in Maryland in 1799.  Susan's mother's maiden name was Johnson, which seems to be a popular name carried down in the family of Susan and James Parks' daughter, Martha J. Parks, who married George Washington Harshman.  Susan and James married in 1829 in Ohio, and she died in 1842 (most likely in Indiana, but possibly Ohio), the same year as their first child, a son named John, died.  News articles from that time are pretty scarce.  

Winter Blahs

Sometimes you just can't stay ahead of it!  After some allergy issues through December, I came down with a head cold the week before Christmas until the week after New Year's.  Compromised immune system was followed by a tangle with shingles.  Shingles!!  Me!  Never thought I'd ever see the day - talked about getting the shingles vaccination but forgot about it.  So now I'll have to get one per doctor's advice.  I haven't gotten my strength back yet, so it's been nice to have a genealogy project for some church friends, the Covers.  We have had so much fun finding news articles about mystery people in their backgrounds and have had fun documenting major events in life.  I was very glad to have the project to keep the doldrums from setting in.