Introduction to this Blog

I recently returned from my parent’s home in Utah, where my sister Cindy and I had the task of going through Mom's personal things.  After clearing out her tiny closet stuffed full of clothes, all that remained was 13 completely filled journals. 

At first we thought they should stay with Dad for a while.  The next morning, I woke up around 4:00 am and couldn't go back to sleep, so I started reading one of her journals.  That was when it hit me very strongly that the Gold in this house was sitting in my mother's closet.

Mom started keeping journals in 1965, shortly after she joined the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I always knew that she had journals and I remember her taking time to write in them, but I had no idea of just how good of a journal keeper she was until I started thumbing through them.

Mom had a large family and network of friends, and if you were in her life, chances are you are also in her journals.

Sometime after her first journal, my dad told her that she should index them.  I don't think either one of them realized at the time what a brilliant idea that was.  Every major event in our lives has been recorded and can easily be found (as long as I can read her writing) – every birth, every death, birthdays, holidays, weddings, illnesses - everything.

Mom had a very strong testimony of the gospel and she shares her deep convictions on practically every page.  For this very reason, Cindy, Dad and myself decided that it would be a shame for those journals to sit in a closet and collect dust.  There are things in them that need to be shared.

I encourage anyone who reads this blog to post comments with your own memories.  I would also enjoy photographs you have that might be applicable to the post. Even though my first blog post begins with one of her first entries, I think I will jump around in time a bit to include more recent stories that the grandkids might enjoy.  I am also happy to take requests.  If there is an event that you would like to know about, please let me know and I will search for it.

ENJOY!