Back to Dallas

After being home for only six days, I was off again for Dallas.  George joined me a week later.  

 Babysitting

The first reason for the trip back to Dallas was to tend Craig and Cassie's children for six days while they went on a cruise.  

While they were having a great time on the cruise . . .

I was having a wonderful time getting to know Riley and Kennedy better.  Believe me, after watching those two little ones for six days, I appreciated how tiring it can be with a four-year-old and an 18-monther!  However, I really had a great time and enjoyed all we did together. 

 Sorry about the quality of the next few pictures.  My camera got clicked on in my suitcase and the battery was totally run down by the time I tried to use it, so these pictures were taken just with my cell phone until George came a week later with my charger.
 Every day, Cassie had a little gift for the kids to open, so they really looked forward to that when they woke up. 

Today's gift told Kennedy to do her happy dance for Grandma, which she promptly did!

 Riley's two biggest loves right now are Angry Birds and Mario Brothers, so most of the gifts were associated with those items.

Yes, that is one happy little face!

We put together this kitty puzzle that I brought Riley so many times I stopped counting!

The only trouble was when Mia wanted to get right where we were putting the puzzle together.  She's not agreeable to being moved either!

 Riley's favorite food is either from Pei Wei or Panda Express.  So, one night we went with Anne and the kids to Panda Express.  Riley ate every bit of this double sweet fire chicken, plus a single portion.  I soon learned the "double" meant double portion, not double sweet.  I had the little man so confused, neither of us knew what we were talking about after five minutes!  Hah!

 One night we went to watch Jaxon play basketball.  The kids were so good and cheered very loudly for their cousin.  Except for my purse leaking milk and making a huge puddle underneath the bleachers from the tipped over bottle inside, everything went very well!  Oh, how I've forgotten all the joys of motherhood!

I love to watch our grandchildren in all of their activities.  Jaxon played so well, his team won, and it's always fun to see our sons as they coach their sons like their dad did to them.

I had seen little Kennedy copy everything she saw someone else do.  Those little minds are just always thinking and learning!  She did the same while I was there.  Whatever I was doing, she had to be right there doing it with me.  She even climbed up on the counter and wanted to dangle her feet in the water while I was washing dishes!

George came after I had been there a week, and we were packing up our suitcases to go and stay at Amy's house, but I couldn't find my watch anywhere and figured it had slid down between the bed someplace.  When George got down on the floor, there was little Kennedy looking, too.  She didn't know what for, but just figured it looked like fun to help her Grandpa!

And, no, we never did find the watch!

Soon, Riley came in to help his Papa up!

Such cute little helpers!

The weather wasn't the greatest for the first few days I was there, but started getting better after that so the kids could play outside more.

I count it as a real accomplishment that I taught Riley how to pump while his parents were gone!  He was so proud of himself, too!

It was looking like so much fun, Papa had to join in!

One morning we went shopping and, of course, had to ride on the little rides.  I remember when I was taking Kevin and Alison at this age over a couple of blocks when we lived in Glendale, California, to help pass the time until their Dad came home.  With not having a car, I wore out lots of strollers in those first few years!

George and his Dental Work.  

The second reason we went back to Dallas was for George to get some crowns put on his teeth that Kent had prepped a couple of weeks earlier.  This time, Kent's assistant put on the crowns.  No pictures yet of the finished product, because Kent still has a few more teeth to go.  It is going to look so great!

Isaac's Baptism.  

And the final reason for going to Dallas was to attend Isaac's baptism.  We were so thrilled for Isaac's desire to be baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Issac with his mother and father, sister Lola, and brother Garrett

It has been revealed that children do not need baptism until they understand the difference between right and wrong. The Lord has revealed that children should be baptized at eight years of age. (See Book of Mormon, Moroni 8:8-24; Doctrine and Covenants 29:46-47, 68:27)  Isaac had just turned eight in March and was now able to choose to be baptized.

He was so excited for his father who holds the Melchizedek Priesthood to baptize him.

His mother fixed up a darling table with items about Isaac and his baptism.  (CTR stands for "Choose the Right.")

At the baptism, I spoke about baptism, and George spoke about receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  In addition, Isaac's Primary President spoke, as well as his Bishop.  I, also, played a piano solo of "My Heavenly Father Loves Me."

After the beautiful meeting, Amy had planned a wonderful buffet for everyone in the serving area of the church.

Isaac looked so happy and had such a wonderful time with so many friends and family there for his special day.

Garrett with his Grandpa George.

Isaac with his Primary teacher.

Riley and Mason, two of Isaac's cousins, with Isaac

Garrett, with his cousin Zach Barlow, and a friend, Scott

Cousin Hailie Barlow, a friend Spencer, and Lola

Sydney with her friend Abbey

Cassie with Riley and Kennedy.  Since they had just gotten back from their cruise, Craig had to work and wasn't able to come.

Amy with Isaac's primary teacher who helped us so much in getting the buffet set up.

Kellie, a very good friend of Amy's; plus Anne and her sister (also named Amy), and Cassie.  By this time, Cameron had to run Jaxon to a practice, so I didn't get a picture of the two of them before they had to leave.

Mike (Jeff's brother) and Amy (Jeff's sister; another Amy!  There were three there that day!); Issac and his dad. 

 So here are the three Barlow siblings who live in Dallas and all were able to attend this special day for Isaac:  Craig and Amy, Mike and Elaine, and Jeff and Amy.  You can see that Jeff and Amy have lots of relatives living in Dallas on both sides!

 So many beautiful women:  Elaine (Barlow sister-in-law to Amy); Cassie (Copeland sister-in-law); Anne (Copeland sister-in-law); Heather (bff of Amy's); Jenn (another bff of Amy's); Amy, and Kellie (another bff of Amy's).

Mike and Elaine and their three darling children, Zach, Hailie, and Macie

 Either my kids are getting taller or I'm shrinking! 

 What a special day for Grandpa George and me to be at our grandson's baptism!  We're so proud of you, Isaac!

 Lola had gotten a new dress for the baptism, so I just had to take a picture of her and how beautiful she looked.
 
 Lola with their little dog, Frisco.  Such a nice little dog, but he chews on everything.  If you didn't put things up off the floor, you knew he would go after it!

 The next day, on Sunday after church, Amy had a wonderful dinner for everyone at their home.  The kids always have such a great time together!

 Their basketball standard was well-used that day!

 Craig decided to take on Jaxon and Isaac.

 Even though he had them on height, those guys were great defenders and it was fun to watch!

 We stayed two nights at Jeff and Amy's and except for coming in to eat once in awhile, Issac was out practicing!  He absolutely loves playing basketball!  Amy is counting on him for their retirement!

Right before we left to then move over to Cameron and Anne's for the night, I snapped the picture of George with two of his sons, Craig and Cameron.  He loves watching them interact with their sons in sports just like he did with them.

After spending the night at Cameron and Anne's, Anne took us to the airport the next morning, and we were off for home after me being gone for 11 days and George for 4 1/2 days.  We had such a fantastic time and want to thank all three families for their generosity in putting us up in their beautiful homes, providing transportation for us while we were there, and for all the fun times!  THANKS to all of you! 

The Badger Mountain Challenge

It is so  amazing to me how one little boy can make a such a big difference in so many lives!  This past weekend,  the Badger Mountain Challenge was held in Washington near the Tri-Cities area.  It is a nine-mile course that, is extremely taxing, as it goes up and down to different parts of the mountain.  One of the runners posted this to show the difference in the elevation.  

Our little grandson, Cannon, who died on December 13, 2013, from a rare disease called Menkes is still in all of our hearts and minds daily, but we all had no idea of how many others were remembering him and the beautiful spirit and life he lived.  I am posting this event in his mother, Natalie's words:

"A few weeks after our sweet little Cannon boy took his last breath, Kent brought home a basket of goodies. Kentʼs office staff here in Sunnyside packed this basket full of DVDʼs for our whole family, crafts for the kids to do, and treats to go along with the movies. Along with this, they told Kent they were training for the Badger Mountain Challenge in Cannonʼs memory. I was overwhelmed with the feeling of love and support. These amazing women have been a part of our lives since before Cannon was even born. They have been so loving and caring. I knew that if they were all working hard and pushing themselves to do this challenge, wearing shirts for Cannon, I had to be a part of it. I was motivated to push myself and dig deeper into my dedication as I trained for this event. It was fun to meet up with some of Kentʼs employees occasionally to train together. It was a time of bonding that I will cherish forever."

 

 Some of the many friends who were running in honor of Cannon, plus Cannon's dad, Kent, and his brother, Ethan, and sister, Ella, who came to show their support

"The morning of the race, I was touched so deeply with the amount of yellow “Cannon” shirts I saw."

 "I am forever thankful to those in my life that remind me that Cannon is still living strong in our hearts. I had multiple runners tell me they felt Cannon up on the mountain giving them the strength they needed to complete the race. I felt him too. I am so thankful for the knowledge I have that life is eternal and that we can be reunited again. I am humbled by the goodness of others and honored to have such loving people surrounding me."

 Cannon's mom running for Cannon.

There were so many bright yellow shirts in the run, that an article was written about the Cannonboy Run. 

 

What is Your Cause? Here’s One From the Badger Mountain Challenge

Most of the people in today’s Badger Mountain Challenge were hiking, jogging and running for a cause.  The main cause was to support the Badger Mountain trail system.  Some people’s cause was better health.  Others have overcome challenges in their lives.  One group has a cause which is dear to their hearts as they remember a boy who died in December.

Hoping to Raise Awareness

This group of people in glowing shirts is from the Sunnyside area.  They are trying to raise awareness of a rare but deadly disease.

The Cannonboy Run Group from the Sunnyside area. Hoping to raise awareness of a disorder which took the life of young Cannon in December.

Kent and Natalie Copeland had their son, Cannon in 2010.  At first, he appeared to be a normal, healthy boy.  By four months old, the Copelands knew Cannon had some kind of problem.  Cannon was not developing as expected.  Through their own research and the help of their family doctor, Cannon was diagnosed with Menke’s disease.

What is Menke’s Disease?

Menke’s disease is a chromosomal abnormality which inhibits the body’s ability to properly distribute the critical element copper.  Copper is required for proper cell growth and regeneration in the body.  This can cause problems in the bones, skin, hair and nervous system.  Estimates on the frequency of Menke’s Disease are around 4 in a million.  Cannon was never able to talk or crawl.  He got his nourishment through a feeding tube.  His dedicated parents took care of him at home until he died in December of 2013.

Cannonboy Run

 

Now, Cannon’s parents, family, friends and relatives are committed to let as many people as possible know about this disease. They wore their bright, fluorescent yellow/green shirts today at the Badger Mountain Challenge with the “Cannonboy Run” logo on the front.  The family is planning to run and participate in many events this year to publicize their cause, honor Cannon, and bring awareness to Menke’s.

What is your cause?

The Copelands story gives us a great example of how we can be committed to an important cause.  If you’d like, I’m sure the Copelands would love your help in their effort to make people aware of Menke’s.  Or, maybe you have a cause of your own; recovery from addiction, cancer survival, getting back to activity after open heart surgery, losing 100 pounds, being healthier.  These are just a few ideas but maybe picking one or coming up with your own can motivate you to make improvements in your own life or the lives of others.

As Cannon's grandparents, we would like to thank those wonderful women in Kent's dental office who so kindly got the ball rolling on this cause.  Also, thanks to Natalie who worked so hard to do this.  She isn't really a "runner," in the fact that she doesn't really train to do anything like this.  But due to her determination to do this for her little son, nothing was going to stop her.  We admire you, Natalie, for this accomplishment.  Way to go!

Our Pioneer Heritage

 A few weeks ago, our daughter-in-law, Anne, told me that she and Cameron had accepted to be the "Ma" and "Pa" for a re-enactment of the Mormon pioneers who crossed the plains and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley.  I was so excited that they were going to do this, and when she asked if I would sew her a couple of pioneer dresses, I was more than happy to do so.  I certainly breathed a sigh of relief when she sent this picture after I had mailed the dresses to her, and they fit perfectly!  She is one beautiful pioneer woman, right?!

 I kept hearing from Cameron how hard Anne was working to get everything ready for the trek.  I don't know how excited he was before, but after the trek, he agreed it was one of the best experiences they could participate in.  I asked Anne to write a little about their experiences. 

"Cameron and I were asked to participate in a church activity called Trek.  Trek is where we pay tribute and gain a small understanding for our religious ancestors.  These ancestors pulled handcarts, with all their belongings, from Iowa City, Iowa, to Salt Lake City, Utah. Many of these original groups encountered bad weather conditions, hostile Indians, starvation, and exhaustion while making the journey, nevertheless continuing on to “Zion” so that we may enjoy the religion we have today.  

 Pushing and pulling the handcart up a mountain trail. 

For the activity, we were organized into families.  Cameron and I were a Pa and Ma to a group of 7 youth ages 13 to 17.  We were able to shut off our technology and walk and work together for 17 miles through the praries pulling handcarts very similar to theirs.  We journeyed 3 days where we camped and cooked on dutch ovens for our meals.  I have to say that although hesitant at first with our abilities, we ended up loving every single minute of this great trip.  We came to appreciate the early pioneers and strengthen our beliefs while enjoying one another’s company and growing to love our 'Trek children'."

Cameron and Anne (far right) with their pioneer family in the trek.  Way to go, Ma and Pa, and family!  What a great experience for you and the other "families" to have a mini-experience of what the actual pioneer journey was like! 

 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint Seminary Manual asks the following question: 

"Imagine that you were asked to travel 1,300 miles (about 2,090 kilometers) on foot while pulling a cart and that you were allowed to bring only 17 pounds (about 7.7 kilograms) of personal belongings. Would you volunteer for this journey?

 Between 1856 and 1860, almost 3,000 Saints chose to travel west across the plains of the United States to Utah, pulling their belongings in handcarts. Most of the handcart companies loaded provisions, personal items, and some food into handcarts and walked from Iowa City, Iowa, to Salt Lake City, Utah. The last three companies began their journey in Florence, Nebraska.

Most Church members, including those living outside of the United States, wanted to gather with the Saints in Utah. However, many did not have enough money or supplies to get there. For this reason, President Brigham Young established the Perpetual Emigrating Fund in 1849. The fund gave emigrants a loan to help them pay for travel and supplies. Because of a variety of financial problems, the fund was depleted in 1855, and President Young was concerned that it would not be sufficient to assist the Saints who wanted to emigrate in 1856. He proposed that emigrants who needed assistance from the fund should travel using handcarts instead of wagons. Handcarts were much less expensive and would allow more of the Saints to emigrate.

The long journey was filled with the natural fears of fatigue, possible illness, concern for food and water, questions about the durability of their wagons or handcarts or their domestic animals, the potential dangers of Indian attacks—indeed, all the fears that go with the unknown. Adding to these fears was the sorrow many felt as they left extended family members behind, most never to be seen again. Cross-country migration was a very significant event in their lives, and it was long remembered by those who made it. In fact, journals suggest that the pioneers viewed their migration sufferings as a sacrifice for the Lord that they willingly made."

While it is impossible to know the exact number of LDS deaths among the 60,000 to 70,000 Latter-day Saints who migrated to the Salt Lake Valley from 1846 to 1869, the estimate is about 4,600, according to Susan Easton Black who has studied this quite extensively.

Sadly, one of those who died along the trail was my great-great grandmother, Sarah Ann Pool, who was born September 8, 1832, in Lanchester County, England.  Her mother had joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England and wanted her husband to join the church but he would not.  From Sarah's diary we read: 

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"So mother left him and brought her three children to ‘Zion.’  My brother was 14 years old, I was 8, and my sister was 2.  It was a sad goodbye to leave our father and set sail for America with the first company of Saints in 1840.  We were about six months reaching Nauvoo."

 

 My great great grandmother, Sarah Ann Pool

Sarah married John S. Clark about 1854 in Missouri and had three children with him.  Their life seemed so happy until tragedy came to the family.  Her husband was wounded on the battlefield during the Civil War, pneumonia developed, and he died December 20, 1863.  He was buried in Independence, Missouri.  

Sarah Ann was left a young widow at the age of 31, and three small children to take care of.   She took her children and went to St. Louis where she soon joined the Church.  Sarah Ann wanted to go to Zion with the rest of the Saints.  However, widows with a family needed a chaperone to go across the plains, so it seemed that perhaps she married a man by the name of James Turner on July 4, 1868, for this reason.  A year later, she and James and the three children started for Zion by mule train (team) for the Salt Lake Valley. 

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Trials, tribulations, and danger-filled experiences were their lot, and, sadly, on July 26, 1869, Sarah Ann died about a day's journey from Green River, Wyoming.  She was buried hastily because Indians were chasing the party after having ambushed and killing several stragglers earlier in the day.  

However, young Francis, the middle child who was eight years old, was so saddened to part with her mother, and after the quick burial, she left the group and went back to her mother’s grave.  She said, 

“I can remember throwing myself on the damp mound that marked my mother’s grave, and how some men from the party had to come back for me and drag me to where the others had hastened.”   

They hadn’t noticed Francis even being gone until they had gone on quite a ways, and then had to send a party back to find her.  There they found young Francis sobbing on her mother’s grave unaware of all the dangers around her.  

 

 My great grandmother, Francis Adelia Serena Clark Chamberlain

            When they arrived in Salt Lake, James Turner walked away from the children.  Now the children were orphans.  However, they soon were adopted and reared by separate families.  Later, Francis married a wonderful man with whom she had twelve children.  The youngest child was named Edith Pearl Chamberlain, who just happens to be my grandmother.    

 My grandmother, Edith Pearl Chamberlain Cook

My grandmother, Edith, also married a wonderful man whose name was Marvin Dean Cook.  They had five children, and my mother was their youngest child.

 My mother, Lola Jean Cook Rigby

So, as you can see, I am a sixth generation member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon), and I feel so blessed that my ancestors went through so much for their posterity to have the gospel.  It means everything to me and my family.  May we ever make them proud with the way we live our lives to make their great sacrifices worth it.