What was your favorite and least favorite subjects in school?

Brooke-My favorite subjects in school was PE and Math. When I was in about 2nd or 3rd grade, there was a rope that hung from the ceiling in the old gym. I was the only girl to climb the rope and touch the ceiling which was about 30 feet high. I liked to play kick ball and run races. I was very competitive and wanted to beat the best players. I received the Physical Fitness Award every year through Elementary.

Math was also a favorite subject. I remember going home and doing lost of math problems out of the math books each night and liking it. If there wasn't math homework to do I would ask the teacher for homework. The teacher would always comment on how neat my work was.

My least favorite subject was science. I had a hard time really getting involved in any kind of science. It bored me and still bores me to this day.

Sarah-My favorite subject in school was P.E. I always liked P.E. In middle school we had the coolest teacher Mrs. Tolbert we all learned to play tennis and play on the scooters. I loved playing flag football and even liked to run up around Bicknell for cross country. I wish I could say that math was my favorite subject but it isn't. Math is a hard subject for me. I think I just liked the outdoors.

Collette- My favorite subject in school was psychology. I love learning about human behavior and wanted to major in psychology until I had a crazy roommate my freshman year of college. It's much easier to learn about behavior than to change someone's behavior. My least favorite subject in school was anything to do with big art projects. I hated building things and now realize I lack spatial skills and because I'm a perfectionist if I couldn't get the glue to stick right or look perfect it drove me crazy. Let's just say I'm not at all looking forward to helping my kids with these kind of projects.

Allyson-This is rather difficult since I've been in school for what seems like my whole life. My least favorite subject ever would probably have to be physics. Maybe I just never had the right background or teacher, but I did not enjoy any of the physics classes that I took. My favorite class was probably P.E. class. I loved playing all the games and getting exercise. The only bad thing about P.E. was running the mile. I really hated running the mile. I also really loved organic chemistry(the only class at Stanford where I kicked everybody's trash without trying too hard!).

Who was your favorite Teacher?

Brooke-My favorite teacher in school was Mr. Chappell. He was my 3rd grade teacher. He was always happy and cheerful. I remember two things in his class; The first thing was he let me pull the teeth of my classmates when they had loose teeth. The second thing was, he would play kickball with the class and he could kick the kick ball over the Elementary School which was soooo cool.

Sarah-My favorite teacher was Mrs. Bobo in third grade. She always made school fun. I remember learning my times tables in third grade. We did a lot of fun science projects. I also liked Mrs. Chappell in Fourth grade. We made some really cool Utah History books and I still have mine. I thinks those were my favorite teachers.

Collette- I had two favorite teachers. In third grade I adored Mrs. Bobo. She always smelled really good with her perfume and a hint of coffee on her breath. She was one of the few teachers who thought I was funny. I remember once I had some markers that were dried up but I discovered if you licked them the color would return for a little while. When Mrs. Bobo saw me with my mouth covered like a rainbow it was the only time she got mad at me. I felt so bad because I never wanted to disappoint her. Mrs. Chappell was the kindest teacher I had. Back in the day when I let mom dress me I wore a pair of turquoise polyesters that were exactly like Mrs Chappells and I thought that was so cool. What a nerd I was. One morning when dad accidentally ran over one of patches kittens on the way to school and then sent me off on the bus heartbroken I walked into her class crying and she took me out in the hall and ask me why I was crying. I told her all about my kitten dying and she sat there and cried with me for a few minutes. That has always meant a lot to me.


Allyson-I think my favorite teacher was Mr. Gubler. He was the high school math teacher that started when I was a sophomore in high school. Before him, I had a long list of pretty sad math teachers. I think Mr. Gubler was a good math teacher because he had very high expectations. He was very strict in his class, but truly loved math and wanted you to understand what was going on. He was always available for after hours homework tutoring. He was the biggest nerd, but I think had such a passion for math that he made it fun for the class. Calculus was the only class at Stanford that I was prepared for.

How did you get to school?

Mom- I lived just a couple of blocks from Bicknell Elementary so I walked to school every day. I even walked home for lunch and back. I remember mostly running. Then when I started 7th grade at Wayne High School, I also walked to school, even though it was further away, probably about four blocks away. It seemed much further than that because it was mostly up hill. When I was in the 9th grade, I obtained a job working for a teacher LaVoy Tolbert. My job was from 7:30 - 8:30 am and my neighbor Adonna Johnson worked as a school lunch worker, so she would stop and pick me up each morning. She didn't drive, but her husband Burt Johnson drove us both to work each morning.

When I reached 16 years of age and obtained my driver's license, I wasn't allowed to drive the family car. It was the only car we had and my mother needed it during the day for errands. I can remember one time that I was allowed to take the car to school and drive it to a baseball game up to the ball diamond. It was located where the Bicknell (Thurber Ward) Church is now. I felt so special driving the car....but it was only that one time.

Yes, we walked everywhere we went and thought nothing of it. Sometimes we rode our bicycles but we relied on our own selves to go from place to place. Those were the good ole' days and everyone was healthy and strong.

Brooke-When I was younger and maybe in 1st or 2nd grade, I remember walking down the road to the bus each and every morning after a full breakfast of bacon and scrambled eggs or pancakes. As more sisters grew to school age, life became more hectic in the mornings. Dad would then drive us to the end of the road to catch the bus. Usually he was going about 60mph on the washboardy dirt road after a fast breakfast of cereal or mush. If we were later than the bus he would then drive us to the last stop in Teasdale near the Williams' house. There were many times that Sarah would get on the bus and realize she forgot to brush her hair that morning and had to go all day long in school with bed head.


Sarah-My Dad usually drove us to the bus stop. We would ride the bus to the High School and then get on a different bus that would that us to the Elementary School in Loa. I remember chasing the bus in to town to catch it at the last bus stop. I think we chased the bus more than catching it at our bus stop. I think the bus ride was about 35-45 min. I never seemed to dis like riding the bus.

Collette- The bus picked us up at the end of our dirt road. I remember squeezing in Dad's pick up truck with dad. It was always really tight and I hated being the one that had to sit on a lap and have your face practically in the windshield. I have a memory of being with dad in his pick up truck on a cold winter day as dad was going back and forth breaking up the snow drifts. I thought it was so much fun. We also would sometimes drive the four wheeler down to the end of the road and leave it parked there. It was always a treat at the end of the day to see the 4 wheeler and realize I didn't have to walk home.

Allyson-

Raquel- I would ride the four wheeler down to the bus Allyson made a specific spot off the side of the road to park the four wheeler.. When i didnt ride the four wheeler mom would take me down in the mornings cause I seemes to always be late for the bus and then I would walk home.. If i was lucky in middle school mom would let me drive the car down and park till I was 16 and could drive my self... I remember one time Mom dropped me off at the bus and we were in a hurry and I jumped out and my fingers got stuck in the door and she started to drive I was screaming and finally she stopped and realized! It was very tramuatic. I made the bus just leave becasue I was in so much pain!

Falsely Accused

Sometimes we all need to remember that things are not always as they seem. Here's an example. This summer I was with Sarah, Allyson, Baxter, Branson, Bentley, Emily and Jane heading down to Capital Reef National Park. We've been in the Sarah's van approximately 10 minutes when a dreadful smell emerged. Accusations about who the culprit was that passed gas generated. Naturally most of the accusations were directly toward the boys Baxter and Branson. Both continued to insist they were not at fault. After a few minutes of this we looked elsewhere pointed to the only one in the car not potty trained, Jane. I insisted that in Jane's short life I had never seen her mess her pants sitting down. She's the type that needs to move around to relax her bowels. When the smell did not ease up we pulled over and I checked Jane's diaper and sure enough it was clean. After buckling up we continued on our way gagging from the increasing foul odor. Once again the boys were blamed. We determining the smell was around Baxter thus all the attention was directly toward him. Baxter insisted he did not fart and we believed him because he has been known to take ownership in such circumstances. Sarah, being a good mom, began to question Baxter's bathing habits and we lectured him the remainder of the ride about good hygiene. We finally arrived at the Gifford home and expelled ourselves from the overwhelming stench. When Allyson and Sarah reentered the van they noticed the stench strong as ever although Baxter was no where around. A search of the vehicle was conducted. The stench was bad enough that you might expect me to tell you a decapitating body was found, instead a cooler that Baxter was sitting on was opened containing rotten worms from a fishing adventure the boys went on a few days earlier.
So the moral of the story? Although you may think you have enough evidence sometimes you need to look a little deeper. You never know what's hiding underneath in a cooler someone is sitting on.

Favorite Games

Mom- My favorite games when I was a child were the neighborhood games. We had a very fun neighborhood with lots of kids and we all got along and played together. We would have a fun softball game out in the street. There wasn't much traffic so we could play for hours and not have to stop and let a car or truck pass. That is where we all learned how to catch a ball, hit a ball and run fast to get to first base before we were 'tagged' as out or safe. I can remember using my father's softball mitt.....he made sure we would always put it back in its designated spot so we wouldn't lose it. I liked to play first base...there was always a lot of action on 1st base.

Also, the neighbor kids liked to play 'Hide and Seek' under the corner town light. As soon as it got dark, we would all gather around the light and then someone was designed as the 'finder' and start counting to 10. We had 10 seconds to find a 'good ' hiding spot. Then here the finder would come and look for us. As soon as he started looking, we would run to the stop light and try to beat him there. If we did, we were 'safe'. If not, we had to be the finder for the next round. We ran as fast as we could and most of us were very fast when it came to running.

Also, my mother purchased a Croquet set. Our lawn was a good lawn for Croquet because it had little hills. I always liked to pick the Red Ball and Mallet which usually brought me good luck. We all got pretty good at hitting the ball and making it around to the end with as few hits as possible.

All in all, we had lots of fun times, especially outside playing with the neighbor kids. We had lots of freedom and didn't have many worries. Still to this day, the kids in my neighborhood remain good friends.

Brooke- My favorite childhood games were chinese checkers, checkers, puzzles, night games and most of all Monopoly. My best friend was Kimberly Davis and every Sunday afternoon we would get together and play games. Most of the time it was Monopoly which could last up to 6 hours or more. We both got very serious about adding houses and hotels to our property and followed the rules exactly. I became very good with my money I think because of that game. Maybe I should start playing that game again.........

Sarah-My favorite game was spoons. I remember the fist time I played this game was when I was at the King house and a bunch of kids were sitting around the table and playing. We would play it around our kitchen table when friends came over. I also liked to go to night games with the kids in town. My favorite place to play was at Everett and Carolyn house. I think it was the best because it had a few street lights there. I'm sure I enjoyed playing games everywhere as long a people were around.

Collette- I don't know if I had a favorite game because I liked just about all the games I played. I remember sitting around the kitchen table playing Monopoly and of course Brooke had to be the banker. The game Life was always fun. I also liked playing memory at Melanie Shaw's house and Chess (although we never really could figure out how it worked). When we were at Grandma Morrell's we played Chinese Checkers as well as Checkers. I also like playing Old Maid and doing puzzles at Dark Valley. I also remember spending a night at Rick and Mary Jane's when they lived on the pig farm playing Rummicub all night long.

Allyson-I think my favorite game as a child was the Nintendo. Sad to say, but true. I remember when we got our Nintendo for Christmas. It was the last thing we opened because it was hidden under the orange crochet blanket. I remember that we were all really excited! I played that thing almost everyday and it was really fun, although I really don't think I was that good at it. I would also play it at the Piano teacher's house(Monte Laing) for a while after my piano lesson when I was waiting for mom to pick me up. I remember that Alison Webb "borrowed" the power pad, but never gave it back. It's fun to look back on, but I actually don't think that I'm going to let my kids have a video system.

Favorite Toys

Mom-I didn't play with toys.....we worked all of the time....

Brooke- My favorite toys when I was younger was Barbies and then Cabbage Patch Kids. I remember playing with Barbies up until about 4th grade. When I was in Kindergarten and went to Grandma Morrell's house after school, I would play Barbies. She had the best Barbie collection around with the most beautiful dresses and attire to dress them up in. When I hit 5th grade the Cabbage Patch Craze was in. I wanted one for Christmas along with every other girl in the country. I actually really got one that Christmas and was the only one in my class that got the Real Deal. My friends got homemade ones with strange squished up noses on their faces but we played with them all the same. A year or two later I got the Cabbage Patch Pony along with another Cabbage Patch. I named and registered that pony with the Cabbage Patch Company and received a birthday certificate every year on that pony's birthday. I kept my dolls in very good condition. When I played with them I put them away and took very good care of them. I still have them to this day and my kids have played with them throughout their childhood. They have been a favorite to them too.

Sarah- My favorite toy was my strawberry shortcake doll. I never really liked barbies but I liked playing with dolls. I always liked my bike and I took really good care of it. I think it keep me busy and helped me stay in shape. When I got older I like collecting little glass dolls.

Collette-I was really obsessed with Cabbage Patch Dolls for a few years. Mom once motivated me to read all the books in the 2 bottom shelves of the bookcase with a promise of a new cabbage patch. Once I completed the task she bought me Fernando the Cabbage Patch Doll from Spain equipped with a bull fighting uniform. I also remember how excited I was when Grandma and Grandpa Morrell got me a cabbage patch play pen for Christmas. My first and most endearing Cabbage Patch was my read headed doll named Agatha, which came with a homemade white dress with a yellow ribbon that I think Aunt Janie made. I always envied Brooke for taking care of her toys so well but I for one had too much of an imagination for simply putting my dolls on the shelf. I played long and hard with each and every one. I often wonder if any of my Cabbage Patch dolls are still under the house.

Allyson-I think that one of my favorite toys was the strawberry shortcake teepee. I loved setting it up in the family room and sleeping in it for days. I also liked to play with barbie dolls. It was more fun to fix their hair and it was easy for me to pretend that they were real. I have good memories of playing with the teddie ruxbin, my little pony, and pound puppies.

What is the greatest invention in your life

Becky:

Well, when I was a little girl, we didn't have television. In fact, I was in the third grade before anyone in Wayne county did get a t.v. I can remember the first television our family had.....it was black and white and was in a wooden cabinet. We watched Lassie and Leave it to Beaver. I can remember going to see my Grandmother Morrell in Salt Lake City when I was about 5 years of age and we went to see her sister Mame Worthlin who lived just up the street on 9th East and about 3rd South. Aunt Mame had a color television and that was a big deal. Before television, all of the children played outside. We would swing, ride our horses, play softball as a neighbor gang of kids, and play 'night games' where we would run and hide from the big corner light. It was much more fun than watching t.v. Even when we got out television, I don't remember watching it that much. We would still ride our bikes and play outside.

Then as time progressed, my mother bought a really nice stereo system in a big cabinet. She had lots of records and the music was always playing. She liked Western and Easy Listening. I learned all of the songs and would sing them along with the music. There was Johnny Cash, Don Williams, Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves (grandma Morrell's favorite) Walt Whitman, and two pianos like Ferrante and Teisher, and Johnny Mathis, Al Hurt on trumpet, Lawrence Welk and many more. The music always filled out home and we learned to love it.

Then came nice electric appliances like the washing machine and the dryer was a big deal. Before that we would hang all of our clothes out on the clothesline. You should have seen the stiff frozen diapers coming off the line in the middle of the winter. My oh my, what a sight. Then they would have to thaw before we could fold them and put them away. And there were frozen towels and even frozen levis. Also, my mother was very fussy on how we would hang out the clothes. We have to hang them by size. We would hang the longer items on the end of the line as it would be higher and then go down to the small dish rags on the other end. We would hang the Levis by the back side with zipper hanging open and legs down. That way there wasn't any line creases in them. My mother was always worried about what the neighbors would think. Also we had to have very WHITE whites. She always Clorox'd the whites until they were 'sparkling white' and would say, "We don't want dingy white hanging on our clothesline." My younger and only brother James was quite a goer and would run off when he was very young. I remember my mother tying him to the clothesline so that he wouldn't run away. He would run back and forth as the rope was hanging on the clothesline and on the loop of his levis.

Then came all of the electric appliances like an electric mixer, before that we had to use an egg beater. My mother always managed to get the latest gadget out and learned how to use them. We didn't have blow dryers or curling irons. We had to put our hair in stickery rollers and had to sleep in them. It was pretty hard to do but we wanted our hair to look just so. Then we went from manual typewriters, to electric typewriters, to word processors, to computers. Now the computer is such an amazing invention. The internet, email, instant message, etc is a wonderful way to keep in touch with everyone. When I went to college, it was too expensive to use the telephone, so my mother would write a letter to me once a week. We didn't talk on the phone, only maybe once every six months. Letters were our method of communication.

All in all, I think the greatest invention in my lifetime was the Cellular Telephone. Dick and I were the first salesmen in Wayne to sell the Cell phone and we made really good money selling phones. With the money we made in the three years we sold them, we purchased a new green leather living room set with a couch, love seat, chair and Ottoman. This was from 1994 - 1997. We also purchased Ralph Pace's cattle permit out west. We purchased 51 head of permit in the Dark Valley Allotment. So cellular phones have not only been a good thing in our family for communication, but they also helped us out financially by increasing our net worth. It has also been a great blessing as the cell phone helps Dick stay connected with his brothers on the farm and also me when we need to talk to each other. Before that, we had no way of keeping in touch and it was such a worry to me not knowing where Dick was or when he would be coming home from the farm work. Now it is much nicer keeping the communication going back and forth. I also like talking to all of my children, my parents and family members on the cell phone. With rates so cheap, we can talk for long periods of time for a few cents or no cost at all if after 8 at night or on weekends.

Yes, many things have changed in the 60 years I have lived on this earth. And things just keep evolving and getting better all of the time!!!

Brooke:One of the most important inventions made in my lifetime is of course the computer. I remember being in 7th grade and learning how to use the computer for the first time. I was amazed and I was told that it was just the beginning of a great invention. Wow, how computers have changed since then...One of the greatest inventions however, that involves the computer is Online Banking. I love doing my bills online and checking my account balances daily online. The Online Banking saves me a lot of time and money. I don't have to write a check or buy a stamp; the bank does it all. That is what I call a great invention......

Collette: "Life before Google" I hear this saying sometimes and would agree Google is by far the greatest invention in my life time. I google everything like recipes, coupons, spell check, directions (especially for Allyson when she is traveling), random facts, images to use in therapy, and home cures for illness. Nobody can dispute the wonderful invention of the personal computer. I remember when they first came to Loa Elementary and if you earned a high enough reward you could play "The Oregon Trail" game in the Library. In Junior High we worked on some DOS programs to make banners in Lisa Rasmussen's class and in High School I was introduced to Microsoft Word. My first year in college I signed up for a Utah State email that I hardly used. During my mission windows was introduced and by the time I got home I felt like a whole world opened up to computer use. It was then Allyson signed me up for hotmail and I haven't looked back.

Allyson: I think the greatest invention is probably the cell phone. My life would be completely different without a cell phone. I wouldn't be able to talk to everybody as I drive back and forth from work. Matt and I have a much happier marriage because he can call me and let me know where he is and it's easier to communicate. I remember the very first cell phone that we got when I was in the 6th grade. I took the big cellphone on the bus and showed everyone. I know everybody was impressed that I could call my mom from the bus.

Favorite Books

Did you have a favorite book or nursery rhythm when you were little?

Mom: My father used to read us "The Little White Indian Boy". We looked forward to him reading it each day to us. It was a rare occasion when he read to us, but he must have enjoyed this book because he took the time to sit down with us in the middle of the day and read it to us.

I really think it reminded him of when he was a little boy and Indians lived in the hills around Bicknell and they would come to his backdoor and his mother, Grandmother Dora Morrell, would give them food.

This story is about a little white boy that the Indians stole from his parents. They took him to their village and raised him as an Indian. Years later the boy had grown and came back to his family.

I have often wondered if my father sometimes thought that maybe he would be taken by the Indians to their village.

Collette: Mom recently told me she used to read a book about Giants over and over to us but I must have been too little because I don't remember it. I googled "children's book written in the 70's about Giants" and came up with "The Book of Giant Stories" I do however remember mom reading a bigger book with some fables which included Rupelsteilskin. I also remember at Christmas time mom would bring out the Polar Express and I thought it was the longest book ever written. When I got a little older I loved to read "Ramona", "The Little House on the Prairie", and "Anne of Green Gables" series.

How has the world changed from when you were young?

Becky-

The world has totally changed now from when I was a child. The biggest change has been the Media which has brought the world into our homes. When I was a child, all we really knew was our neighborhood, first and for most and then our town and church. We were also acquainted with the rest of the county but on a very limited basis. I went to Bicknell Elementary and only the children from Bicknell, Teasdale, Torrey, Grover, and Fruita attended. When I was in 5th and 6th grades, we held a Pentathalon and the students from Loa Elementary came and that is the first time we were acquainted with them. So when we went to Wayne High School in the 7th grade, that is basically the first time we ever really met and became friends with the 'upper' county kids.

We only have one telephone and it was a 'party line' where several other families shared the same phone line. We listen in on their conversations and they could listen in on ours. That was a 'no no' to do that, but sometimes we would sneak in and do it anyway. However, we were mostly too busy playing outside to worry about listening in on phone conversations on our neighbors. Now the world comes into our homes. We know about all of the other countries, movie stars, tragedies, earth quakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc and we see the suffering of other around the world. We also get to watch discovery channels on t.v. and get to visit other countries via the pictures and television episodes. We also get to watch and listen to great concerts throughout the world. Yes, I would say the Media is the greatest influence on all of our lives today and it has been interesting to see how it has expanded in the past 60 years of my lifetime.

Collette- I was having a conversation with a couple of ladies in my ward and somehow the topic of kids walking to school came up. I was shocked to learn that these ladies and most others in my neighborhood do not let there children walk to school alone, even though we live a stone's throw away from the school. It's not like these kids are really young either one of the ladies has a daughter around 9 years old. I'm not sure if the difference is in how the world has changed or if it is a small town vs. big city thing. Since I can remember I was always doing things alone or with friends. I'm sure the adults knew where we were but we were free to create our own fun and not be so reliant on our parents. Now days mom would be jailed for leaving Brooke home as a babysitter of 3 younger siblings at the age of 9, yet Brooke handled the job like a pro. I think kids in my day grew up a little faster because they were given more responsibilities and freedom.

Raquel-How is the world different since I was a child well I know that when i was a kid being outside and doing productive things were more popular than they are these days. Video games and computer and cell phones are huge now and I think thats a big time waster. Technology just keeps getting more and more advanced it can be helpful if you just use it in the right ways and dont abuse it. I wonder all the time what the world will be like for my kids...

Cleaning is for the Birds i.e. Was there a chore you really hated to do as a child? What about now?

Becky-

I actually had two chores that I despised when I was young growing up in the Meeks/LaWana Morrell home. Because we had a farm and I was the oldest, I was expected to help my father with the farm chores. I really didn't mind milking the cows and loved riding my horse 'Roanoke" and taking the milk cows the 2 miles down the road to the pasture. This was always fun and I enjoyed the out-of-doors; however there were two things that my parents wanted me to do and I hated to do them. When we changed from 'stream irrigate' to sprinkler irrigate, we put in 4-inch hand sprinkler pipe. These were really big pipe and it was hard to lift them. I didn't like the mud and my father's farm was long from turn-on valve to end of pipe. I really tried but I just didn't like doing it. Even today, I detest helping Dick with the sprinkler pipe.

My second chore I didn't like to do was 'weed the garden'. My mother always raised the biggest garden and we pretty much lived on her canned vegetables all winter. The garden was a real necessity but I just hated weeding it. Everytime she wanted me to come and weed, I would run in and practice the piano. Now everyone knows my little secret: I practiced the piano to basically get out of weeding the garden and also doing the dishes. We didn't have a dish washer, just the two little hands of the Morrell children. So, due to lots of weeds and lots of dishes, and my avoiding them, I became the piano player I am today !!!

Brooke-I had 2 chores I hated to do when I was younger.

The first one was mowing the lawn with the old junky lawn mower we had before we bought the Honda. The reason I hated it was; Dad was the only person who could start it and when he would leave in the morning he would wake me up to mow the lawn at about 7:30 in the morning. I remember crying and refusing to mow the lawn, but I basically didn't have a choice. When we got the Honda lawn mower it was much better because I would mow the lawn on my own time schedule. The second thing I hated to do was clean out the garage. I liked cats quite a bit when I was younger and we always had kittens in the garage. When it came time to clean the garage there was always cat poop in the corners and a lot of it. The smell was disgusting. We had to scrape it with a shovel to get it out and then spray out the garage with the hose.

Now, the chore I hate the most is folding the laundry and putting it away. The reason being is there is now 6 people in my house and a whole lot of laundry. Belle is a lot of help, she helps with socks and towels but as for the rest of it; it's my nightmare. During the week I do keep up on the washing part of it but as for the folding it and putting it away I don't have time to do it until Saturday. Some people might think "Why don't you make Ty and Chap help"? The reason is they have other chores to do in the house and most of their chores are outside helping out with the cows and horses. So..... that is the chore I hate at this time in my life.

Sarah-When I was a child the chore I hated to do the most was cleaning the garage. I hated cleaning the garage, because it took all day long. Mom would make me take everything out of the garage and put it on the lawn. I could sweep and hose it down with water. I have to say I became a good garage cleaner and the garage looked great when it was finished. As I have had kids my least favorite chore is deep cleaning my bedroom, maybe this is because I always help my kids keep their room clean and mine is the last on the list.

Collette- I absolutely dreaded picking "Vacuum Kitchen" out of the white bowl that contained all the chores for the day. This would seem like an easy chore to get out an upright Hoover, but in order to "Pass" Brooke's inspection it was quite the ordeal. First I had to move all the chairs and bar stools into the living room. Then I had to get out that awful thing called the Central vacuum. Just getting the vacuum out and plugged in was a chore in itself. Then I had to maneuver that python of a hose around and suck up all the edges. I then added the electric brush part which had to be put together a certain way or it wouldn't work. I then would move the table, vacuum under it and then vacuum the rest of the floor. Finally I would unplug that blasted vacuum and shove it in Dad's coat closet and shut the door fast in hopes that it or all of Dad's sticky coats wouldn't fall out.
I guess I must have a thing with cleaning kitchen floors because now my least favorite job in my house it mopping my kitchen floor. Mostly because with kids I feel like it is a waste of time because it looks just like a did within hours of cleaning it. I also find it hard to find a good time to clean it and keep four little feet off of it during and after the job is done.

Allyson-I don't know if I can pick one chore that I hated as a child. I remember that in the summer and on Saturday's, Mom would write a list of everything that needed to be done. Brooke would put the tasks on pieces of paper and we would each pick a few papers and that would be our assigned chores for the day. I wasn't allowed to do anything fun until I finished my assignments. Brooke would "come and inspect" the areas that I had cleaned to make sure they were perfectly clean before releasing me. I'm pretty sure that I gave her a lot of grief, because I have many memories of being yelled at and specifically remember running out of the house one day and being caught by my pony tale at full speed and pulled back into the kitchen! I remember that I would also have to clean when I went to visit Mary Jane. One day, Janie gave us a tutorial on how to clean the toilet really well. I specifically remember her saying, "You need to be good at cleaning a bathroom, because one day, you'll probably have a job as a room cleaner at a hotel and you'll want to do a good job." What high aspirations!!! (Oddly enough, her suspicions were true and I cleaned rooms at the chuck wagon for 1 year.) I still think of Janie every time I clean a toilet, which, by the way is my least favorite job now. Toilets and dusting.

Raquel-Since I was the youngest i pretty much always had to do everything in the house such as mow the lawn, vacuum, dust,bathrooms, pick up after dad. Mom usually did the laundry and dishes and so in my life right now with my house the things that always lack is the laundry and dishes ha so the worst chores to do would be the dishes and laundry.

Farm Bureau-Leader Feature County President

Leader Feature: Dick & Becky Pace

- Residence: Teasdale, Wayne County.
- Family (number of children):
- 5 daughters: Brooke (Tyler)Blackburn, Axtell, Ut.; Sarah Mae (LaRon) Bagley, Koosharem, Ut; Collette (Bart) Richards, SLC Ut.; Allyson (Matt Davis) Seal Beach, Calif.; Raquel (Joe) Ross, St. George, Ut. AND 5 granddaughters, 4 (and soon to-be 5) grandsons!
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- Began Farming-
- Dick has been farming all of this life. He took a short break and graduated from USU with a Bechelor’s degree in Agriculture Economics, served in the military in Viet Nam and then returned to Teasdale and worked with his father Guy Pace and 2 brothers as they built their farming operation, Pace Ranches, Inc. Becky helped her father, Meeks Morrell, on their family farm in Bicknell, Utah. She helped with the daily chores by milking dairy cows, changing sprinklers, riding horses and herding the dairy cows to the pasture, driving tractors and farm trucks during haying season. She also left the farm and graduated from USU with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Education / Office Administration.
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- Kind of Operation: We now have a cow/calf operation where we raise alfalfa, grains and corn and feed the calves to about 800 pounds then sell them to be fattened. We have both Gelbvieh and Angus/Herford cross cattle and specialize and raise pure bred and Balancer Gelbvieh Bulls to sale.
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- Other organization involvement: Dick has been a community leader by serving on the Soils Conservation for 20 years, Wayne County School Board for 12 years, President of Dark Valley Grazers, Secretary of Teasdale Irrigation, Commander of the American Legion and member of the Utah Cattlemen’s. Becky has been President of
- Wayne County Cowbelle’s, President of local American Legion Auxilliary, LDS Ward Primary President, Young Women’s President and Relief Society Counselor. She is also the Ward Organist.
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- Farm Bureau Service: When Dick and Becky were first married, Dick served on the Wayne County Farm Bureau Board for many years. He is presently serving as the President and Becky as the Secretary/Treasurer.

What got you involved with Farm Bureau? Dick’s Uncle Hugh and Aunt Fern King recruited us to serve with them on the local Wayne County Board when we were first married in 1972. We have been involved in one capacity or another since then.


If you could, what is one thing you would change in agriculture? That farmers could receive adequate compensation for their goods and costs to run the operation would decrease.

What do you see for Utah agriculture 20 years from now? As we look back over the past 20 years, there have been unbelievable advances in the way farmers operate. Equipment has advanced where computers are playing a vital role in the operation. Also selling cattle has changed. We anticipate more of the same kinds of changes as technology advances which includes GPS, computers, satellite etc.


What do you like most about being a farmer/rancher? Dick likes the independence the farm offers him. It has also given us an opportunity to raise our family in a rural community with many of the small-town benefits. All or our children helped on the farm and enjoyed riding 4-wheelers, horses, and participated in 4-H Horsemanship. Our children were very active in Wayne High School Activities including Leadership Opportunities, Speech and Drama, Music, and excelling in Academic Achievements. Four of our children have earned their Bachelor’s Degree, two of them have their Master’s Degree and our one daughter Allyson is an MD specializing in OB/GYN. Our youngest daughter, Raquel, will receive her Bachelor’s Degree in 2 more semesters.


Why should farmers and ranchers get involved in Farm Bureau? Farm Bureau offers a great service to Farmers by spreading the ‘Agriculture Message’ that farming and agriculture offers the basic, live-sustaining products to each and every person on this earth. The Farm Bureau has helped change society’s view of agriculture and those involved in the business to a more positive light: Farmers work long, hard hours to deliver food and fiber!. Also Farm Bureau keeps us updated on local, state and national policies.


Why should anyone join Farm Bureau, and what are the benefits? Farm Bureau is for everyone as we are all either producers or consumers of agriculture products. Farm Bureau continues to help teach this message to the general public. This, in turn, helps build the Farm Industry.


What have you learned as being a Farm Bureau county president & Secretary/Treasurer or what do you like the most about it? We both like associating with others and share a common bond with those who rely on Farming to sustain their living. We have a great Board of Directors and have shared some fun experiences with them.


What are some of your fondest memories about Farm Bureau? Our local Board raised funds by selling concessions during the Wayne County Fair Rodeo for about five years. It was hard work but we also had lots of fun working together. We also enjoyed traveling to Washington D.C. with the state leaders and other County Presidents in 2009. We enjoyed Historical sites and Dick was very honored to participate in the Wreath Ceremony at Arlington Cemetery. We made some wonderful friends during that trip.



What advice do you give to young farmers and ranchers? That hard work and perseverance will some day pay-off. Also to enjoy the farming life as it will help build a strong and successful family.


What equipment do you use? (i.e. John Deere vs. Case) Or you can have another comparison question, like Holstein vs. Jersey, Angus vs. Hereford, Ford vs. Chevy, etc.
We are very proud of the quality of our cattle as through the years we have bred Gelbvieh cattle which has performed well for our operation. We sell pure-bred Gelbvieh bulls and Gelbvieh-Angus Cross Bulls. A Gelbvieh-Angus cow will last longer and produce more pounds of beef in her lifetime than any other breed.





What is the most recent book you’ve read?
Dick and I both enjoy history and recently read “The Hole in the Rock,” by David E. Miller, “Undaunted” by Gerald Lund, and “The Mormon Battalion” by Norma Baldwin Ricketts. Dick’s great-great grandfather, James Pace and his son William Bryan Pace joined the Mormon Battalion on their Historic March to California and back to Utah. We just returned from visiting the LDS Mormon Battalion Historic Site in San Diego, California where we read about James Pace’s contribution to the March. This same James Pace was also with the first party who traveled through the Hole in the Rock on their journey to settle San Juan County. We are planning a family trip to the Hole in the Rock.

What did you want to be when you ‘grew up’? Dick says, “A Cowboy.” Becky wanted to be a teacher and mother.


Any unique hobbies/interests? Dick says, “I like to lean back in my recliner and watch the Jazz play ball.” Becky enjoys music and plays piano and performs two-piano concerts with her friend. She also likes to read, embroidery and cook.

Anything else you want to add: “It is an honor and privilege to serve in the Farm Bureau Organization with such outstanding leaders throughout the state of Utah. We count this relationship as one of our blessings. We are also blessed to have a wonderful family and enjoy the time we spend with them.”

What's your earliest memory?

Becky- My earliest memory was when I was probably about 3 or 4 and we lived in the 'little house on the prairie' in Bicknell, Utah. Meeks and LaWana lived in the little house up the street from where the homestead is for about 5 years until grandma Morrell moved to SLC. At that point in time we all moved back to Meeks' home that he grew up in and has lived in for about 76 of his 81 years. I can remember going outside and my dad brought Janie and I some new baby rabbits to play with. He made us a rabbit cage and we have pictures of us with the rabbits. I also had a trike and would ride it up the sidewalk and down a little hill. It was fun. Grandpa Meeks would always try and fool us on April Fools' Day by saying we had a new baby calf and we would run outside and none would be there or some other April Fools joke that wouldn't be true. It was always about the farm or farm animals.

Brooke-When I was around 4 or 5 years old, I was walking and exploring around the hill by myself. I somehow fell or stood in a red ant hill. I was covered with ants. They were biting and stinging me all over. I eventually walked up the hill toward home and hearing my loud wails mom came out of the house and saw me. She shook the ants off and immediately called the poison control center wondering what to do with a small child that had been bitten all over with red ants. She did what they told her to do and I was just fine. From that day on I payed close attention to those red ant hills around the hill and house.

Sarah-The earliest memory I have of the house I grew up in was looking down the stair into the mirror. I would love to play in the mirror and play dress up in the mirror.
First memory of Brooke was going to Grandma Morrell house with her. When Reva would tend us we would walk down the road and meet Brooke from the bus.
First memory of Collette was going to Phyllis Shaw house and having preschool. We would play in the basement on trikes with all the other kids.
First memory of Allyson would be holding her while mom read us books. Allyson was just a baby and I would hold her until the book was over.
First memory of Raquel was going with dad and picking her and mom up from the hospital in Prove right after she was born. Dad drove grandma and grandpa car up their. Dad put you in the car in your car seat and I took you out of the car seat and held you the whole way home.

Collette- The first thing I remember is when I was three and being at the Primary Children's Hospital after I had surgery on my foot. It was bedtime and I remember being scared that mom and dad were leaving. They gave me a blue stuffed Elephant, that I still have, and told me they would be back in the morning. I also remember that the next day cookie monster was down the hall in the waiting room and I went down to see him. After that I was fascinated with cookie monster mostly because I met him but also because both of our names start with the letter "C".

Allyson-I think my very earliest memory was of Mom and Dad fighting in the kitchen. One of them said that they were going to leave and that I would have to pick which parent I wanted to go with. I think that was a little traumatizing to me as a child. Luckily, I didn't have to choose parents, and I learned a good lesson. I hope to never fight in front of my children.

Raquel-My earliest memory is always looking through wheres waldo books with any body. and I remember one christmas eve sarah was driving a car and it was foggy out side and she ran into a cow on our road but everything was fine it just rolled onto the car and rolled off. Also when ty was born he peed in moms face when we were visiting him right after he got home from the hospital.I remember sarah driving her yellow car with her legs and always going to wandas for a bananna splits. I remember collette she would always take me any where with her and I think she is the only one that liked it and didnt think I was annoying. I remember Allyson would drag me around the house with her and mary jane and most of the time be rude to me. I remember DAD when we would go to stores if I wanted something I would always have to ask him for something he would like, like boots or a belt and he would always get it for me if it was in his interest. I remember mom always always making breakfast for me and making sure I got to the bus, one time she drove me to the bus and when I shut the door I got my finger stuck and she started driving off and I was crying so she stopped and than I didnt have to go to school. I prob didnt have as many memories of my sisters when they were young but one thing I always remembered is I wanted to be just like each one of you at one time or the other. When I was young I always wanted to be older so I could be like you guys each of you seemed like you guys had the best life. Thanks for that example!

Honorary Membership

Allyson maybe you could add some details about what the museum?

Who's the oldest Person you remember in your Family?

Becky-When I was very young, probably about four or five years old, I remember going to my grandmother Turner's house and seeing my great-grand mother Oldroyd there. I can barely remember seeing her and that is about all. She lived in Lyman and most of her eight children lived in Lyman as well. I remember they would go to her house every Sunday after Church which is located on west back street in Lyman (where Skip and Faun Jackson live now) and visit on the porch. The children would play in the big yard and the adults would 'gossip' or visit about the current events. I have often thought how lucky a mother would be to have their children living close by and be able to see them almost every day and visit with them all on Sunday afternoon. Those ole' timers were very lucky.

Brooke-The oldest person I remember in my family as a child was Grandma Coombs. When she lived alone in her home, as a little girl, I would take a walk to town and stop by and visit her. She was a very kind person who always had freshly baked cookies or cookies baking in the oven. The raisin filled cookies or sugar cookies with chocolate chips were her specialty. When she moved in with Bernice I remember her lying in her hospital bed which seemed like for a long time.

Sarah-I think I remember Great Grandpa Turner, but maybe I just have pictures of him. I remember Great Grandma Coombs. I remember when I was young I would go to her house and visit. Great Grandma would always have little snickers candy bars in her drawer and she would give me one. I loved her house when I was young. I remember her living at Aunt Bernice house and going there and having her be in bed. I stayed there with Grandma Pace one night and Grandma would have to get up in the night and check on her.

Collette- Grandma Great was the oldest person I remember. I have a small memory of her living in her house but mostly I remember her at Aunt Bernice's. Like everyone else I remember going to Aunt Bernice's house and getting some candy. She used to give money if you stayed and visited. I don't remember her stories she use to tell but I do remember her getting out her purse and giving us some change and then we'd head to the Teasdale Store for some treats. I remember when everyone, except me of course, wanted to go ride horses on Sunday, mom would remind them that Grandma Great was opposed to riding on Sunday because the Devil would cause something bad to happen.

Allyson-I assume that all of us except for Raquel are going to talk about Great Grandma Coombs. I knew her as "Granma Grape," and I thought that was her name because she had a lot of wrinkles like a dried up grape. I was very small when she died(I think I was about 5 years old), but I do have a few memories of her. I remember that she lived at Aunt Bernice's house. Ani and I would go and visit her and she would give us a silver dollar. She was usually laying in the bed in the guest bedroom. I think I have vague memories of those sucking candies also, but I could be confusing her with Aunt Bernice. I remember that I was playing outside next to the burning barrel when Brooke told me that she died. I couldn't believe that it was true. Her funeral was the first funeral I ever went to.

Raquel- The oldest memory I have of family member is helping all of my sisters clean aunt Ferns house and I remember aunt larie house once and it always had a weird smell which I didnt like and her round table which I thought was so cool. I remember aunt Bernice and I always loved her and her candies and I remember I was making a quilt for some one when I was a junior and we were trying to figure out the math on how big the quilt would be and her and grandma added everything up in their heads like it was nothing and at the time I was in calculus and I thought they must be really smart to just get those fugures off the top of there head and they are in their 80's and 90's ever since than I wanted to have than much knowledge.

California here we come..

I am in St. George right now getting ready to go to bed and then getting up and leaving here in the morning, Feb 11, 2010 at 6 am and heading to Seal Beach, California to visit Allyson and Matt. This is our first trip down to California to see them so we are really looking forward to visiting with them and having a good time. Will Continue later........

Monday Memories: "Nicknames"

Did you have a nickname as you were growing up and why did they call you that?

Have you had other nicknames as an adult?

What do family members call you now?

Brooke- When I was quite little I did have a nickname. I was told that my nickname was Pebbles from the Flintstones. Kathryn Black named me that because I always had my hair like Pebbles did in the cartoons. (I think) As for any other nicknames; In my younger years I was called Brooke Trout, just from having the name Brooke. I don't remember any other nicknames...

Sarah- No I never have had a nickname I have always been know as Sarah. LaRon nick name is Beaver because people think he looks like Joe Beaver the calf roper. My kids don't have nicknames sometime we might shorten their names.

Collette- When Dad was in his playful mood he used to call me "Toyetty" The Leatherwoods overheard this once and turned it into Toliet. I really despised them when they would call me that name and I think Mom finally told them to stop calling me it. For a while in High School a few people called me "Eller" after I played the part of Aunt Eller in the school musical Oklahoma. Other than that I really didn't have any other nicknames until I started dating Bart. One day he started calling me "Letty" and hasn't stopped. My most recent Nickname is from Emily. Instead of calling me mom she prefers Colletty. Emily is often called Em or Emi, Allyson started calling Emily "Emsabob" when she was a baby and others have adopted it as well. I sometimes call Jane "Janaroo" and Emily likes to call her Janie. Bart well he has always just been Bart.

Allyson- I've had a lot of nicknames. Growing up, everybody called me Allyson, Allzo, or AAoowwwllll(yelling). Once at about that age of 6 years old, I spilled fingernail polish on Brooke's floor. Nobody messes with Brooke's room. Collette caught me and said, "Oh Allyson, you are History!!!". After that for about 2 years, my nickname was History. Since Ani and I were inseparable, her nickname became sidekick. When I went to college, I decided to change my name to Ally. I'm pretty sure that I never actually introduced myself as Ally, but I signed up for a new email address allypace@stanford.edu and so everyone started to use the new nickname. I still don't know what to introduce myself as. Matt once called me Junior Mint for a few mints after I sat on a few junior mint's which stuck to my butt in the car. Since then, he has had a lot of nicknames for me with the most recently Allzo Allsnarf, Allsnarfblattinzozabob, and Allzabob. Now, most people call me Ally or Dr. Davis.

Raquel- My nickname i have had growing up has been Racket. I used to hate it but now I kind of like it. They called me that because I always made to much noise and racket. Some people still call me that but as for a nick name as I am older I don't really have one Racket sums it all up!

Monday Memories: Hey what's your name?

What is your full name, where you named after someone or how did you receive that name?

My name: Rebecca Morrell Pace
When I was about 10 years old, we were talking in Primary about our names and I had always heard that Rebecca was a family name and I was named after my father's sister, Rebecca Lyle , who died when she was 18 years of age from ruptured Appenticitis. I discussed my name with my parents that evening and discovered that my parents were going to name me 'Mitsy'. Then my father decided that sounded like a cat's name and so they started over again and thought passing down the family name of Rebecca would be a good thing. All I can say is ," Thanks, for naming me Rebecca and not Mitsy!!!!
I have always loved my name as Rebecca is both a Biblical name and a family name. I am actually the 5th generation of Rebecca's in the Morrell/Duncan family. I will do a little more research and then publish my blog again giving the history down through the generations of the name Rebecca.

My full name is Brooke Pace Blackburn. I was told I was named after Brooke Shields. Mom and Dad were watching TV one night and Brooke Shields was just becoming popular and they said they liked the name Brooke. The rest is history.

My name is Sarah Mae Pace Bagley. I was named after my great grandma pace. Her name was Sarah Francis Griggs Pace but most people called her Sade. My middle name came from my other great grandma Mae Coombs. I have always liked my name it is very old fashion, it is in the bible. Baxter B Bagley got his name because LaRon always said his first boy name would be Baxter the B is just B because three B sounds good and we couldn't agree on anything related to B. Branson got his name when I was pregent I was talking to grandma Becky about some B names and she said how about Branson like Branson missouri. I really liked it. Grandma Becky said don't tell LaRon that it was my idea or she wont' like it. So I never told him until after Branson was born. Bentley Mae Bagley. I was just thinking of some B names and we both liked Bentley and it stuck. Mae is from my middle name.

Mom and Dad had a hard time coming up with a name for me after my birth. Mom told me that they tracked down a name book in the hospital to help. Mom looked through the book by herself and saw the name Collette and liked it but didn't say anything to Dad about it. Later Dad, looking through the book , came across my name and mentioned it to Mom. I think it was inspiration that caused them both to come across the same name. Growing up I thought my name was too different and wished I could have a name like Amanda just to fit in. Now I love the name for that exact reason and feel very unique. Emily Richards name was decided while Bart and I were engaged. Bart told me he has always liked that name for a girl and I liked it because it is a family name on the Morrell side. I have always wanted to name a child after Grandma LaWana Jane Morrell. The plan was to name our first girl Emily Jane. Not even a week before Emily was born I was watching the movie Pride and Prejudice and realized I really liked the name Jane to stand alone. Luckily Bart liked that idea as well and we decided then that our next girl would be named Jane. So Jane Richards is named after her Great Grandma Lawana "Jane" Morrell.

My full name is Allyson Pace Davis. According to Mom and Dad, they got the inspiration for my first name from a character in a night time soap opera that aired in the 1960's. The show was called Peyton Place(similar to Melrose Place), and there was a character named Alison. She was played by Mia Farrow, and according to Wikipedia she was "The quiet and smart daughter of Constance. She likes to spend her time reading books and usually befriends older people". I've never seen an episode. There are a lot of ways to spell my name and whenever I meet an Allyson my first question is "how do you spell it"? I had no middle name when I was growing up, so it was natural to take my maiden name as my middle name when I got married. I had debate over whether to keep my maiden name as my official last name as there are 5 girls in the family and nobody to carry on the Pace name, but in the end, I felt that I should be joined with Matt and that we should share the same name so our children wouldn't get confused.

O I like this question my name is Raquel Rebecca Pace Ross and I got this name from Raquel Welch she is a actress. Mom and Dad couldnt figure out a name mom wanted me to be named morrella and thank heavens she didnt and than when dad was looking through the news paper there was a article on Raquel Welch and I guess everyone liked that name so thats how it came about ha...and I have always loved it so thanks mom and dad and all my sisters cause I know they had a say in that!

mom journaling Jan 31, 2010

Here is mom again. Yesterday, Jan 29, 2010 we drove Raquel and Joe's new 2007 Toyota Corolla to Beaver and met them there so they could drive it home to St. George. We had dinner at the timberline Restaurant. It was a nice dinner and Dick and I enjoyed the visit with Joe and Raquel. It was good to see them and know that they are happy and doing well.

Love, Becky

mom journaling Jan 30, 2010

Saturday, Jan 30, 2010. We went to Sarah and LaRon's for Branson's 8th Birthday Party. We had Pizza, pop and birthday cake and ice cream. Branson is a fine young man and very nice and smart. He received a lot of nice gifts from everyone and Wells and Colleen, his other grandparents are always there to support and help. Branson received a lego kit and stayed right with it until he had put it all together. He is such a good boy and we are very proud of him.. Also it was fun to see Baxter and Bently. They have a nice family and we are very proud of them.
Sarah was preparing for her presentation as she was just called to the the Young Women's Camp Director. She thought of the theme: Bees. She has prepared handouts for her leaders tomorrow centered around Bees. Her main idea is that Bees need to get along to survive by working together and minding the Queen Bee. I am very impressed with Sarah....she has a natural gift for creativity. She has a strong determination and a strong testimony of the Gospel. She works hard as a mother, wife and professional. I know her YW Camp will be a big success.

On our way home from Sarah's we stopped at the Wayne Theatre and saw the movie, "Avatar". It was a very interesting movie and I interrupted it as the government was trying to destroy the people by taking over their lives; however the people banded together and found the government and prevailed. That is how it is going to be the America today. WE are not going to allow the our feedoms to be destroyed by liberals who want to take away our freedoms and enslave us with high taxes and control. Let's keep our high ideals and strong free enterprising spirit and we will keep American a free place where we can build up Zion.

! Becky !

mom journaling Jan 28, 2010

Hi Everyone... new day...still snowy here in Teasdale. We are always grateful for the snow because it means water for the summer.

mom journaling Jan 27, 2010

Hi Everyone...Another beautiful day here in Teasdale. As I look out my window I can see ***SNOW*** coming down and can't even see Boulder Mountain, Thousand Lake Mountain, or the beautiful little town of Teasdale, which I enjoy viewing from my upstairs bedroom window every day. This is a wonderful site as we need the snow and have been praying for it for so long! We depend on the water for our very salvation here on the ranch as our farms and cattle on the ranges need it to survive.
Today a friend and mentor died, Sammy Newton. He was 93 years old and was the Principal of Wayne High School when I attend WHS. He taught me Biology and we worked together in Student Government when I was WHS's Activity Manager. Also he was the Principal when I taught at Wayne High School. I will always remember the daily messages he would put in our mail box. The one that I enjoyed the most was, "The Master Teacher." Each page was filled with ideas about what the Master Teacher would do. It wasn't until years later when I was going through some of these papers that I realized what the message really was: THE MASTER TEACHER IS OUR SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST! Thank you, Mr. Newton, for giving me these messages which are so true. The Savior is Our Master Teacher and if only we would follow his teaching and examples, we would be so blessed and become more like him.
~ Becky ~

mom journaling Jan 26, 2010

Well, another day has passed. Today is another Birthday in our family. Collette was born 32 years ago today...what a great day! She weighed in at 10 pounds, almost doing us both in but we were lucky and survived. Collette was a darling little baby and always had shiny eyes and a cute smile. She was a very easy child; very easy going and she liked to entertain herself. She had an imaginary friend, "the other Collette" and she liked to talk to her and include her in playtime and imaginary skits and scenarios. That probably contributed to Collette going on and becoming a High School State Champion in Speech. Her great memory makes her also a natural in Drama. Her dad really enjoyed seeing her in high school Musicals and plays. I remember one time when everything went wrong on stage but Collete just picked it up with her acting ability and saved the scene. We loved it!! Yes, Collette, I must say has many wonderful attributes and I admire her in many ways. She is probably the MOST DETERMINED person I have ever known. She has accomplished many things in her 32 years and all of them she has completed with dignity and honor. She is a great wife, mother, sister and daughter. She has excelled in her profession and amazes me with her counted cross-stitch Samplers she has created. She is also a great cook and enjoys cooking from scratch, probably because it is healthier and probably because it is 'cheaper'. Yes, Collette, thank you for being a examplary person in our family!! Happy 32nd Birthday!!!
Love ~ mom

mom journaling

Today is my first day of blogging. It is a major event because I am committed to keeping up...what a great way to keep a journal and history of our family. Today's major event is that Jan 25, 2010 is Dick's dad's (gramps) actual 90th Birthday. We celebrated with a family Party of Jan 16, 2010. All of the grandchidren lined up from oldest to youngest and it was a fun site and a great picture. We had a similiar picture about 28 years ago at Dark Valley when all the grandchildren lined up oldest to youngest. Yes, things have changed in that length of time but all of them are very close in age. It will be fun to compare photographs.
Funny Post for the day. Dick came home and quoted his dad (Guy aka Gramps) as saying, "Well, today at noon is my actual 90th Birthday and my dad (Jim Pace)always said that because I entered into this world right at noon, I was always hungry."

I love the layout and the fun idea. I hope I can keep up with it

Renewed interest!!!

Hello everyone!!! I hope that we can all keep up with emailing Collette with the weekly answers to her questions. I think that we will have a very fun family book every year! Hope you like the design.
~Ally