Family History

This last Wednesday I decided to surprise my children and take them on a trip through San Francisco to Santa Rosa to visit with my grandparents, their great grandparents.  My Grandma Pat and Grandpa Donald, who you see in the picture below are very dear to me.  They have been there all my life.  I visited with them frequently growing up and lived with them for a short time when I was younger.  I have so many memories etched in my mind and heart with them.  I love them so, and am grateful my children know them too.

 

I wonder what about my grandparents stands out to my children.  What do my children especially notice about their great grandparents' home?   Growing up there was so much in their home, about them, the way they did things that stood out to me.  Things I will never forget.

During this trip I wanted to document what some of those things were.  Of course I didn't get around to getting pictures of half the things that have burned strong memories within me but I was able to get a few.

 

During this particular visit my grandma sat down with me to go through some precious pictures of our family, ancestors, documents, letters and so forth.  She has a distant cousin who had gotten a hold of her and wanted her to have these treasures.  The hand written note is of my Grandma Pat's mother, Dorris O'Donnell, who I knew very well.  She passed on when I was twelve.  She was an amazing woman, robust, small, beautiful, healthy and very wise.

I received many cards growing up with this beautiful work of art that was her handwriting.  

 

This is a letter my grandmother's distant cousin had, written by my Great Grandmother O'Donnell.  It is about the events that led up to her father's death.  My Grandma Pat's cousin was kind enough to send it back to her.  What a kind gesture, I thought, so my grandma has a record of her mother's thoughts and writing.

 

The picture above to the right is my Great Grandma Dorris O'Donnell.  To the left, the baby is my great grandmother also, the young woman below that is my Grandmother Pat, who you also see below, holding Summer.  The little girl to the left of her as a young woman is her mother as a toddler.  The biggest picture under all of the others is a great aunt of my Grandma Pat's.

 

Here is something that brings back so many memories.  This picture has always been placed in their eating area.  When I was little I would sit at their breakfast table and stare at this picture.  They always served tea, a soft boiled egg, or high fiber cereal and a choice of banana, orange, grapefruit with whole wheat toast.

During breakfast she would sit me on her lap and sing or recite nursery rhymes to me.  Of which one of my favorite's was "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe..."  I would sit and listen and play with a pink mole she had on her chin.  It reminded me of a pearl, soft and round.  She had it removed long ago.



Hopefully you can see that these glasses have the world's continents etched onto them.  I told my children I have been looking at and using these glasses since my first memories.  It's so interesting how so many memories and thoughts can be wrapped up in simple things like paintings and glasses, yet they are.

My grandmother asked the children if they could find our continent, luckily they could along with knowing the correct oceans on either side.  I wiped my brow on this one, and thought, "phew."  Seeing as my Grandma Pat has a Ph.D in Geography from UCLA with a minor focus in Mathematics my children better know what continents are what!

I'm sure she was further impressed when Gwyneth pointed out which continent Egypt was on (her current focus of fascination) and where the "Tigris and Euphrates" rivers would be in comparison.  I"m glad something is being gained from our study of the Ancient Histories.  

 

Here she is still looking radiant and beautiful.  Although I have to admit that I don't see her like this.  I still see her the way I did when I was little.  So to see her here is different.  She has aged but not in my mind or in real time when I am visiting with her.



After all day and having a nice dinner with them, from Santa Rosa I traveled across the North Bay, across the San Raphel  Bridge to meet my husband Kirk at the Oakland Temple.  You see, since my children are "professional snowboarders" now, my husband is what I call a "snow chaser" and tries to catch the best snow.  He said the next day would be great snow and  took the three older kids from the Temple, our meeting point, straight up to Tahoe.

 

There they are snowboards a top the car.  Their sweet daddy packed all of their snowboard gear up and made their lunches for the big trip.

 

 I went home with these cherubs.  We've been spending a lot of quality and quantity time together since my big kids are going snowboarding about once a week now.

We had a great trip at my grandma and grandpa's.  I love them dearly. It's fun to see my children get to know them and spend time in their home, where no doubt they will one day tell me the certain things that have brought special memories to their hearts as well.