Monday, March 28, 2016

Grandpa Smith's Birthday-- January 10,1907


Favorite Food: Brown Sugar
Grandma Kennard said he just liked lot's of it because he remembered being hungry as a child. Hated to see food to go to waste.
Grandpa was color blind so Grandma Kennard doesn't think he has a favorite color
Liked the music of Steven Foster especially the song "Old Black Joe"



Grandpa loved to whistle and sing. I loved to hear him sing "Froggy went a courtin", and "You get a line and I'll get a pole."




Grandpa could quote whole chapters in the Bible from memory. Uncle Sean remembers "It was amazing. I would sit there with the Bible open and he would start talking and get it almost word for word at age 78. I couldn't believe it. He knew chapters from Isaiah, parts of Chronicles, and Ecclesiastes."







"Following (our daughter's) mortal death, our feelings were raw, we struggled, and still today we have moments of great sorrow, but we hold to the understanding that no one ever really dies. Despite our anguish when Georgia’s physical body stopped functioning, we had faith that she went right on living as a spirit, and we believe we will live with her eternally if we adhere to our temple covenants. Faith in our Redeemer and His Resurrection, faith in His priesthood power, and faith in eternal sealings let us believe. . . ( what). . .  President Gordon B. Hinckley said: “If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God. … The Lord will not forsake us.”4 Yielding Our Hearts to God   Oct 2015

Happy Birthday Grandma Smith- January 30, 1915



Favorite food: Soup Beans and corn bread
Favorite color: Red
She was a great seamstress and made all her children's clothes. She would take Grandpa Smith's old dress shirts and cut off the tail and use it to make baby clothes with embroidery,
She loved listening to old radio programs like "Only the Shadow knows", Red Rider, Ma Kettle, and Loan Ranger and Tanto.
Once they got a TV she enjoyed watching Soap Operas like Days of our Lives and music programs like Lawerence Welk


"My niece Katie was a hopeful 20-year-old university student with many talents and plans for the future. Four years ago Katie died in an auto accident. Though our family still feels much homesickness for her, we know that we will be with her again, and we are not worried about her. In Katie’s wallet was her temple recommend, given to her by her bishop so she could be baptized for her ancestors. Katie was worthy. Not long before Katie died she wrote these words: “If this were my last day on earth, this is the record I would leave. Make each day meaningful. … Stay close to the Lord. Gain all the knowledge you can about the scriptures, the gospel, the creations of the Lord. … Give of yourself … and always remember Christ for His example and His Atonement and strive each day to be like Him.” There Is Hope Smiling Brightly before Us   April 2003




Sunday, March 20, 2016

Grandma Rebecca Bastian Roberts March 22, 1922

 

Favorite Food- Grandpa said "She never sat down to eat. She was too busy serving everyone else." She made really yummy "flap jacks" which were like a scone but "different"? So we will be having scones
Grandma Terry said Grandma Rebecca was a meat and potatoes kind of girl.
Grandma Terry thinks Grandma Rebecca's favorite color was Lavender

Sheri, Grandma Rebecca, Sam, Shauna, and Scott
when Sam was preparing to go on his mission to Holland.
Sam, Rebecca and Sheri. Grandma Rebecca sent her first missionary out 3 years after Grandpa Art died in a car accident.
Grandma Rebecca loved to read anything she could get her hands on. 


My Grandma Kennard died in 1984 from liver cancer. None of my children were able to meet her.
Grandma Rebecca had heart surgery April 10, 1984 done by Elder  Russell M. Nelson the Tuesday after he was ordained an apostle. She was able to live 20 years after that surgery. She was able to meet and give gifts to 5 of my children because of that surgery. She was like a Grandmother to me from the time I was about 17 and taught me to crochet and other homemaking skills. She was always kind and loving to our family and gave us amazing quilts. All of my children were able to be blessed in a quilt she made.
Wendy, Grandma Rebecca, Terry, and baby Rachel 2001.

Andrew John Roberts baby blessing 2008 in a handmade quilt Grandma Rebecca made for Joseph in 1992.

Grandma Rebecca served 2 missions one to England on an Extraction mission. She got her mission call and the Doctor said she wasn't healthy enough to go to a foreign mission. She was not daunted though and was determined to serve where she was called so she asked the Doctor if he would give her approval if she was able to work at Walmart for 1 year. He said yes and so she did. He had to give her the approval after one year and she served a year and a half in England. 

The second was to the Family History library in downtown Salt Lake.





Thursday, March 17, 2016

Grandma Terry Kay Stevens Birthday Celebration March 17th, 1945


Favorite food- Ice cream nuts and goo and chocolate, and hamburgers
Favorite Color- Greens, or teal, cream, yellow
Favorite Song- I believe in Christ, If the Savior stoodbeside me and I’m trying to be like Jesus.
Les Miserable- Show tunes. Love the music of Frank Sinatra, Big band, love songs





Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Seeking mentoring from the Master week 5

This week for mentoring we are talking about Faith and Joan of Arc. Here is a link to an essay I wrote about the things I learned about Joan of Arc. 



Faith--  Here are two former blog posts about how I am living proof that Gods love is real. I have been so blessed with miracles and Light. I cannot deny the truth.


"Living proof
I am evidence
That His love is real"  


One of my first personal experiences that the Lord hears and answers prayers.



In the bible dictionary this is the definition of Faith: 

"Although faith is a gift, it must be cultured and sought after until it grows from a tiny seed to a great tree. The effects of true faith in Jesus Christ include (1) an actual knowledge that the course of life one is pursuing is acceptable to the Lord (see Heb. 11:4); (2) a reception of the blessings of the Lord that are available to man in this life; and (3) an assurance of personal salvation in the world to come. These things involve individual and personal testimony, guidance, revelation, and spiritual knowledge. Where there is true faith there are miracles, visions, dreams, healings, and all the gifts of God that He gives to His saints."

For our family memorizing scripture we are studying about the Stripling warriors and how they "obeyed every word of command with exactness" Thinking about how faith inspires us to obey with exactness and honor.

And creating a Spiritual plan. As we all know if you fail to plan you plan to fail. This week we will be discussing each family members next step on the covenant path. We have one getting baptized this year in August and several that are working on receiving their patriarchal blessings. I found this amazing resource for Patriarchal blessing preparation and we are really excited to begin reading it. Endure with joy to the end is the next step for several in our family and we are working to find joy in the journey each day. There is so much to be grateful for and so much joy to be had if we will just look for it each day. 

Affirmations are another way to strengthen our faith and help us remember our worth and divine nature. 

"The Father and our Savior desire to lead us through love, for if we were merely driven where They wish us to go, we would not be worthy to be there, and, surely, we could not stay there. They are Shepherds, not sheepherders." Meekness—A Dimension of True Discipleship” Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Grandpa Burton Vivian Stevens Birthday March 16, 1909

Grandpa Burton Vivian Steven’s Birthday Celebration- March 16th, 1909


Favorite food- Banana Splits and Biscuits and Gravy
Favorite Color- Dark Blue 
Favorite Song- The High and the Mighty- John Wayne

Grandpa Stevens could whistle it really well.

Was a great singer, he liked to whistle, he loved to golf, and loved trains and ships.

He married Kate Grover when he was 30
He was the youngest of 2 children, his brother was killed in a boating accident 1940.  They were pretty close and he was very sad. He was only 31 when his only brother died.
His dad died when he was 41
His mom died when he was 58

He worked for the Civil Aeronautics Administration, and then it got changed to the FAA which it is still what it is called today.
Both he and Grandma Stevens knew how to fly planes. So in their family everyone knew how to fly but Grandma Terry.



Story about ice cream
Smoking
Story about getting robbed in Pakistan “Did I do good?”
Alcohol 
Last time you'll see me
Smile on his face


"We ask similarly reflective questions when someone we love dies: “Where are they? What are they seeing and experiencing? Does life continue? What will be the nature of our most cherished relationships in the great world of the spirits of the dead?”
In that world, our family has two granddaughters, Sara and Emily, and a grandson, Nathan. With each grandchild’s passing, we as a family held on to the gospel truths with both hands. Our questions were answered with comfort and assurance through the Atonement of the Savior. Although we miss our grandchildren, we know they live, and we know we will see them again. How grateful we are for this spiritual understanding in times of personal and familial turbulence." God is at the Helm, Elder Ballard Oct 2015

Friday, March 4, 2016

Grandma Steven’s Birthday Celebration- March 5th, 1915

Grandma Steven’s Birthday Celebration- March 5th, 1915


Full Name: Katie Grover Stevens

Favorite food- Pie
Favorite Color- Blue
Favorite Song- Nat King Cole- A Blossom Fell


Loved to travel, read and was a good writer.
Her dad died when she was 12
Her mom died when she was 22
She was the youngest of 12 children and 4 of them died in infancy so she was the youngest of 8 living children just like Andrew.
She worked as a bank teller.
She married Burton Vivian Stevens when she was 24
She was endowed in the Mesa, Arizona Temple when she was 83.

Challenge for Grandma's Birthday call Grandma Roberts and ask her to tell you these two stories

Dog story-Lindy























Last Challenge is to watch this story about Grandma Stevens at our family reunion.




More things about Grandma Stevens

She would get Sea sick so she didn't like boats but went with Grandpa Stevens because he loved them
Because of Grandpa's work she was called upon to entertain which she enjoyed doing and was good at. She told a funny story about entertaining about 2 Turkey's. She had red hair that she didn't like. She worked as a bank teller. Although she was not active whenever they were in the United States she would take the kids to church and made sure they both were baptized when they were 8.