What!! you say? It's not even February! How can you have Spring Fever?
Well we've had weather in the 60's for the past week, and according to the last frost dates here in Sierra Vista, I should be able to start planting peas and other spring vegetables in just a week or two. That means that NOW is the time to work the dirt, set up the watering system and get ready for planting.
Yes I've got it bad.
Unfortunately, tax season is also beginning; and I'm signed up to work it this year. I hope I can get things ready soon so I can actually have a good garden this year.
So many good desires, and so little time to pursue them.
And so of course here's another idea I want to add to the list.
Alex and I were asked to talk in Sacrament meeting today on Temples and Preparing for the Temple. (Miriam also gave a talk in Primary on Heavenly Father creating the Earth as a place where we can choose the right. She did wonderful!) Well the combined Priesthood/RS meeting was also on Temples and Genealogy work. And while sitting in the meeting, I was struck with an idea that I would like to run by you all and get your opinion on it.
We always talk in church about doing genealogy work and preparing names for the Temple. Those who have done a lot always talk about the wonderful stories they learn about their ancestors and the loving bond that develops between the generations and the need to pass that precious family heritage down to your children, etc, etc.
Well, I guess I've always wanted to be involved in this process, but have felt incredibly overwhelmed and a little too late in the process. It seems the work has been done for the Sherwood and Kidman lines back to the old kings of England and such. I know Art has started a family tree online somewhere, and the temple work records and genealogy tree are available online. But what about the stories, journals, books, memories, pictures, the family treasures that you would want to share in a family home evening? Although I know there are family stories out there, only a few people know them and how do I go about learning those family stories so I can tell them to my children?
That's when it hit me that maybe another blog could be an answer to all that. Like the recipe blog, one central location, that everyone has access to read and write in, where we can post those family history stories, pictures, journal excerpts, memories, etc. Like a reader's digest version of the gems of our family history. We could use labels to group postings into Sherwood vs other family lines (Leahy, Jenson, etc.) We could have links on the side to the Family Tree Art set up already or to the actual genealogy sites. Those who actually know what work needs to be done could let the rest of us know how we can help. And sometime down the line we could get it printed into a book if we wanted to.
We could record long past as well as recent family stories here. We could post memories of Scott and Marty. Don, I know you've been working on a book of Hartsock Lane memories. You could post chapters here. We could upload the Lake Powell videos. We could get Aunt Sue set up as a contributor since I think she's the biggest expert on the family work. Better yet everyone from Grampa down set up, so we can really collect the family stories.
What do you guys think? Is this a good idea, or just one more thing to put on the "to do" list? Is there already a better medium out there for this kind of online, interactive collection of genealogical data, stories, and pictures? Any ideas? I would really like to hear from all of my immediate (and extended) family on this post.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
Other Visitors
Well, it looks like finding the perfect kitten is going to have to wait a little due to the arrival of an unexpected visitor.
My mother-in-law was visiting several weeks ago and of as usual brought her 2 shih tzus with her. A couple of days before she had to leave back to Mexico, someone actually stole her girl dog, Rosy. She checked the pound and the vets in town, but no luck. She ended up having to leave for Mexico without her beloved dog. About a week afterwards, the girl who stole Rosy took her to the pound after her apartment complex wouldn't let her keep the dog without additional deposits and such. This was right after we had returned our kitten to her old home. So we got to go pick up Rosy and keep her at the house until my MIL could return from Thailand and come take her dog home.
On top of that, it turns out that she was pregnant. So a couple weeks ago we woke up to the sound of a little puppy in the house. The girls have just loved having a brand new baby puppy. They can't wait until I will let them carry the puppy around with them everywhere they go. As it is, I have to keep telling them to put the puppy back in the box (Rosy gets very nervous when the girls start carrying her baby around.)
Here it is just after being born:
Here's some more recent ones:
It really is quite cute.
On a different note, I also finally learned how to do a fishtail braid. (basic I know, but I've never done it before.) I thought it turned out really neat.
My mother-in-law was visiting several weeks ago and of as usual brought her 2 shih tzus with her. A couple of days before she had to leave back to Mexico, someone actually stole her girl dog, Rosy. She checked the pound and the vets in town, but no luck. She ended up having to leave for Mexico without her beloved dog. About a week afterwards, the girl who stole Rosy took her to the pound after her apartment complex wouldn't let her keep the dog without additional deposits and such. This was right after we had returned our kitten to her old home. So we got to go pick up Rosy and keep her at the house until my MIL could return from Thailand and come take her dog home.
On top of that, it turns out that she was pregnant. So a couple weeks ago we woke up to the sound of a little puppy in the house. The girls have just loved having a brand new baby puppy. They can't wait until I will let them carry the puppy around with them everywhere they go. As it is, I have to keep telling them to put the puppy back in the box (Rosy gets very nervous when the girls start carrying her baby around.)
Here it is just after being born:
Here's some more recent ones:
On a different note, I also finally learned how to do a fishtail braid. (basic I know, but I've never done it before.) I thought it turned out really neat.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
A Brief Visit from Princess #4
We found her on Craigslist for free and made a special trip up to Tucson to go get her. She was by far everyone's favorite Christmas gift this year. Only 6 weeks old and actually just a little too early to leave her mother, but she adjust well and fast and was litter trained after only 1 day.
She stole our hearts from the start and was so lovable and good with the girls. She spent most of the first couple days in Princess M's lap or arms and once she felt comfortable with our home was bounding all over the place. She quickly learned how to use her claws (she would climb straight up my pant leg in order to get in my arms.) But she was really really good about not scratching the girls. She even would let Little Mouse crawl over and play with her.
After playing with several names, some good, some not so good, the girls decided to call her "Princess." And really, how could she be anything else in this house full of princesses. Isn't she just the most beautiful kitten you've ever seen?
Unfortunately, as you can probably predict from the title of this post (and the way I've been talking about her in past tense) her stay with us did not last very long. Princess M, who has been around cats her entire life, began developing puffy, itchy eyes on the second day. Ironic, isn't it that the little girl who loves her the most, would end up with an allergy to her. After about a week, we made the agonizing decision to give her up. Princess M drove with her to take her back to her mother in Tucson. She cried herself to sleep that night from missing her so much. Her only consolation is that we promised her that we would try again with another kitten.
We're hoping it's just that she seemed to be a long haired cat. Our old cats were both short haired. We've tried some kittens at the pound this past Monday, but they just seemed too feral and hissy to have around the girls (and especially Little Mouse.) I guess Princess just set our expectation so high now. So we're now just waiting for a new litter to show up on Craigslist with a short haired, lovable, cuddle-loving, adorable kitten to try and fill Princess' shoes (without filling Princess M's allergy.) Wish us luck.
She stole our hearts from the start and was so lovable and good with the girls. She spent most of the first couple days in Princess M's lap or arms and once she felt comfortable with our home was bounding all over the place. She quickly learned how to use her claws (she would climb straight up my pant leg in order to get in my arms.) But she was really really good about not scratching the girls. She even would let Little Mouse crawl over and play with her.
Unfortunately, as you can probably predict from the title of this post (and the way I've been talking about her in past tense) her stay with us did not last very long. Princess M, who has been around cats her entire life, began developing puffy, itchy eyes on the second day. Ironic, isn't it that the little girl who loves her the most, would end up with an allergy to her. After about a week, we made the agonizing decision to give her up. Princess M drove with her to take her back to her mother in Tucson. She cried herself to sleep that night from missing her so much. Her only consolation is that we promised her that we would try again with another kitten.
We're hoping it's just that she seemed to be a long haired cat. Our old cats were both short haired. We've tried some kittens at the pound this past Monday, but they just seemed too feral and hissy to have around the girls (and especially Little Mouse.) I guess Princess just set our expectation so high now. So we're now just waiting for a new litter to show up on Craigslist with a short haired, lovable, cuddle-loving, adorable kitten to try and fill Princess' shoes (without filling Princess M's allergy.) Wish us luck.
Goodbye, Princess! We love you and miss you!
Christmas Recap
We had a nice quiet Christmas at home this year. Alex's mother, Lynda, came to visit for a couple weeks which was GREAT! The girls just loved every minute they got to spend with her. We celebrated the 4 advent sundays before Christmas and on Christmas day we had a nice relaxing morning opening presents, just being together, and we made up the girls' hair into princess crowns for church. They looked quite lovely!
Little Mouse (who's squeek has evolved into more of a falcon's screech, only higher and more jarring,) had a great morning scavanging any bits of candy she could find laying around. By the way just yesterday she stood all by herself for a full 10 seconds with no support at all. She was quite the star.
Banana Girl has taken to wearing a swimming suit whenever she possibly can: night or day, sun or rain, warm or cold. So she was thrilled with her very own ballerina outfit for Christmas. She models it so well.
This was a present for the whole family, picked up a few days before Christmas, but was still by far Princess M's favorite gift this year.
As it always does, Christmas ended all too soon. We enjoyed a thoroughly lovely New Year's Eve, playing games with friends. The girls actually made it all the way till midnight. And we were very grateful that our new church schedule didn't start until 1:00pm this year.
Little Mouse (who's squeek has evolved into more of a falcon's screech, only higher and more jarring,) had a great morning scavanging any bits of candy she could find laying around. By the way just yesterday she stood all by herself for a full 10 seconds with no support at all. She was quite the star.
Banana Girl has taken to wearing a swimming suit whenever she possibly can: night or day, sun or rain, warm or cold. So she was thrilled with her very own ballerina outfit for Christmas. She models it so well.
This was a present for the whole family, picked up a few days before Christmas, but was still by far Princess M's favorite gift this year.
As it always does, Christmas ended all too soon. We enjoyed a thoroughly lovely New Year's Eve, playing games with friends. The girls actually made it all the way till midnight. And we were very grateful that our new church schedule didn't start until 1:00pm this year.
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