October 2011

I have been wondering why we do family history.  Why not just wait until the millenium then all the families can get together and say I belong to them and so on.  Well, I got my answer.  In Relief Society we had a lesson on the spirit world after we die.  We go to paradise or prison.  Then in the lesson they indicated that people are in prison until they accept the ordinances of the temple that have been done for them.  Oh My Gosh, that is why we do it.  We need to get our ancestors out of prison.  When I think of prison I think of a place where your progression stops.  So, by not doing the ordinances for our ancestors we are stopping their progression.  Wow, what an insight for me.  I wonder why we are doing family history when I hit a brick wall and can't figure out where to go to find a record.  Sometimes it can be frustrating, but you just keep plugging along - perhaps leaving that line alone for awhile and then go back to it.  In fact, the family history databases are adding so many records all the time that the record you are looking for may not be there one day, but the next day it may be.  We have one patron who comes in all the time and he says that he has a line where he has hit a brick wall, but every month he will look again on the databases to see if something has been added.

Megan and her friend Tim came down during October.  They had dinner with us Thursday night and then went to his sister's house near Santa Barbara to spend the rest of the weekend and then went to church with us on Sunday.  It was fun having them visit.  Always love to see family and friends.

The photo tree died.  One long thick trunk limb at a time.  Each thick trunk limb was needed for the whole tree to survive.

Three weeks before it started to break up:

First limb:

Morge down, even the time of the picture is sad,  the twilight of it's life, the end of it's day.

It's gone:

Elder Zach Blackham, who has been our neighbor and who has been home-taught by Warren for years, came into our mission on October 26.  We didn't get to see him until the 27th, but it was exciting.  All day on the 26th I kept going outside to see if I would spot him.  I knew that he was just down the street at the Westwood Ward being taught by the mission president.  The Family History Library is next door to the mission and many elders were there on the 26th; so I felt sad I didn't see him.  But I learned that he would be back at the Westwood ward the next day from 10-4.  We didn't go into work until 1 p.m. that day; so Warren and I went on a walk at 9:45 which takes us past the church.  It just blew me away, but there he was.  I went right home (after our walk) and made cookies for him since he was going to stop by the library that afternoon to let us take a picture of him with his companion to send to his mother. 

The spirit of Elijiah is strong here in the LA area.  There are many people doing their family history both LDS and non-LDS.

Love ya,  Phyllis

September 20, 2011

Life is Great.  Family History continues on.  It is our "P" day today so I was able to contact a cemetery of one of my collateral lines.  This family, "Stoney", was said to have had eleven children, but I could only find seven.  I assumed that the others had died in infancy.  They lived in Beaver, UT.  So, I looked up the cemetery and looked under Stoney.  There were at least 12 "Stoney" babies that had died, but it didn't show the parent's names.  I wrote a letter to the cemetery but it was returned because they didn't have a mailbox.  So, today I called the Beaver County Recorder and she was able to tell me the names of the parents of those babies.  I am able to claim three of the babies that were buried there.  This is sooooooooo exciting.  I am feeling a sorrow that my great great grandparents must feel that their posterity has fallen away, but I also marvel at the gospel in that it allows us to put the families together and they can choose in heaven which way they want to go.  I feel privileged to do this work.  I was talking with a member patron the other day and he indicated that on his mission he baptised three and since he has been doing family history he has been able to baptise thousands - interesting.  This is really a mission in baptising people and giving them the opportunity accept the gospel!!!

This has been a fun September.  Katie and her family have been planning to come to Disneyland for about two years now and the date for them to come was September 12, 2011.  Guess what, we live really close to Disneyland and our mission president gave us permission to go with them on our "P" day.  So, they spent Saturday night in the apartments. Sunday we got to go to church at our ward with them.  After lunch we went to the Visitor's Center and then walked around the temple.  It was a really wonderful Sunday.  Then we got in the car and drove to Disneyland.  Monday was just a plain fun day.  It was interesting to me to see all the reactions to our badges.  Comments:  "Wow, what a "P" Day"; "Is your mission at Disneyland?"; "Phyllis, Hi" (this was a gal I used to work with at BYU).  A couple with their children stopped by just to talk because they knew we were LDS and Katie comes up to them and starts talking with the woman as if she knew her - she did - they were neighbors.  Small world!!!  Many people would just smile and recognize the tag and say HI.  I am really getting a testimony of wearing this tag.  It brings the gospel to people's minds.

Well, I have written all I can think of right now.  I am going to post this let Warren take over and add pictures when he wants to.


Issac and Rachel on the Missionary bed in our apartment

Melissa and her Dad at their apartment, #114

At the Vistor Center

We told them "No," but....

I tried three time to get this  picture but Sam just wouldn't stop praying.  Or being stubborn.  I don't recall which...oh now I remember

8034  Katie finds a moment of humor in it all.  By the way, we watched the 'Opening Soon' building built from ground up.

8029  Julie thinks she's a bee in the midst of all the flowers, fly here, fly there, fly, fly, fly.



Rachel, frustrated

Jason gets the pic of the present

Emma has been here before and show how to walk on air....

8050  Issac and Melissa demonstrate the "proposal" position

The Tree and her children



And that download only took a hour.

And Now!  Disneyland - Day 1:

We did have fun with Jason and his family.  Thanks for including us,

Warren

July 30, 2011

Time is just flying.  I can't believe it is the end of July.  We keep going to the library and working with the people and also doing our own family history.  Both of which are productive and enjoyable.  We have begun going to the Gospel Essentials class and helping the sister missionaries with their contacts.  This has been fun.  I have been asked to lead the music in Relief Society until I am finished with the mission which is a great joy to me.  I love to lead music.

We went to Grauman's Chinese theatre and looked over the hand and footprints of the stars.

This summer has been fun because Megan came with Melissa and Emma (our two oldest grandchildren 12 & 11) on a Tuesday

And then Mark, Angie, and our new little grandchild, Ethan, came on Thursday.
















With the girls we got to go see Les Miserables at the Ahmanson in Los Angeles.  During the day they went to see the sites of LA while Warren and I worked at the library.  When Mark and his family came, we, along with the girls, went to Mormon Night at Dodger stadium and got to see another Dodger game (Brett and Heather had come a few weeks earlier and we saw a Dodger game with them too).  Being on a senior mission at the family history library is fun in that when we are not at the library or needed for something else,  we can go with our family.  We also saw an old car museum while they were here that was just fascinating.  It was great being able to see our new little grandson who is only four months old!!!!!

This Model A is the same one I had as my first car in 1958. Mine was not this nice looking, but I had one and it ran!









We are enjoying being able to serve the Lord here in LA.  We are so close to the temple that we get to find our ancestors in the library and then do their ordinance work at the temple - a great plan. 

Well, it's been fun talking.  Warren added the pictures.

(yes I did add them, terrible arrangement but have been trying for an hour and am leaving it for now so the blog is posted. By the way family, more are in the link I sent you a month ago if you want to seem them all)

We walk at least 3 time a week for a half hour.  This is our main route.   Click on a pic to enlarge it.  Click it second time to see it as we do on the walk.

We start our walk by cutting through the church parking lot at 6:45 am. The Missionaries are out, exercising.














This is the exit from the parking lot. The buildings are 5 blocks up on Wilshire Blvd.













Looking back at the parking lot from the West













Ok, turning around and continuing, Phyllis is across the street from where the last picture
was taken. We will turn right at the corner onto Selby and walk towards Wilshire Blvd.














Up Selby we look at all the trees and houses and see how they are changing.














See the violet flowers on the trees. We took the pictures late. They are losing
their deep color as the petals fall. 4 violet pics with the princess of violet in this next one.

















Continuing on our walk we cross the street.




















Nice white house to set of the tree during Spring















Oh, and yes, you walk your dog, you pick up his poop. See next picture for details.















"Hey, get that car outa there!" "Waddaya mean buddy, we're walkin."
















Nice house but .... do you really want this as your back yard view? Mom says, "Yes."














I liked this picture better.














Here's what the view is from across the street.














Quaint. One of several around here.














Nice flowers for May, don't you think?
             uh... lost the pic.

This one is homeless.  In a small park next to the Library we go to.

CVS Pharmacy, our pit stop if needed.

Turned left after the Pharmacy onto Westwood Blvd.........

We are in the Arabic section of town. now...

They only put the jewelry out after 11:00 am and take it in by 4:00 pm.  We seldom see it.  I don't know how they pay the rent.

Wonderful Urns don't you think. Ought to hold Isaac in one and Austin in the other and Slade in the middle with the key.

Buy a little history of Iran here.

 Now down to a corner and across the street.  If we continue without stopping we hit all green lights. It be a sign, ya think, all ye swabdecks?  (I be in a Pirate mood, if ya just taste it in the writin, mates)

Ooh, La La, the French pastry shop.  Same window dressing display since we first laid eyes on it.  Must be from Napoleon's time.  Har, Har.

 There the Misses be, on the left walkin, walkin, walkin down down down the sidewalk.

Finally at Ohio across from the Coffee Bean restaurant.
We turn left and head home up and down the hilly roads.  Friendly like, wavy ya might say. 

                                

....MORE TO COME .....