Dear Emma,

Today you gave your first Sacrament Meeting talk on the Holy Ghost. You did such a great job, and more than one person, including the other speakers, mentioned how much they enjoyed your talk. Sometimes Young Women get kind of silly when they get up to the microphone, but not you! You just gave your talk and shared your testimony. I wanted to stand up and shout, "That's my granddaughter!" I don't think the Bishop would have appreciated it though, but he might have been pretty amazed if I had actually stood up!

I hope you will always remember how important it is to live so that the Holy Ghost can be your constant companion. It will save you so much heartache and will help you to know exactly what you need to do in any situation. Sometimes we fail or forget to listen to that "still, small voice", but if you will also make the scriptures part of every day, you will be reminded so that those times will be few and far between. Don't let the things of the world drown out that voice! I think you have many friends, but none will be so important as the Holy Ghost, the Savior, our Prophet and your parents. If you work on those friendships, the right kind of friends will always find you.

You are a wonderful young woman. I will always treasure the memories of the times we spent together at my desk when you were little and before you started school. We shared movies, and projects and games on the computer. You even helped put stamps on letters for me. You were always so cheerful and spending time with you was a highlight of my day! I hope those are good memories for you too! Now you are older and I do more watching from a distance, but I really like what I see. You are intelligent and kind and eager to learn new skills. You will be a wonderful addition to the Young Women program in our ward. Cherish your love for music and don't be afraid to share that talent. There can never be too much good music in the world! Share your beautiful smile often as well. The world needs your smile!

Thank you for being you--our wonderful Emma. I love you so much and am proud and grateful to be your grandma!

Love, love love, love,

Gramma

Dear Glen,

Today Papa came home and announced that you had gotten a missionary hair cut for Missionary week in Seminary. I know it would be embarrassing if I made a big fuss on your Facebook page or something, so I'll make a fuss here for you to read sometime in the future. You have grown up to be such a thoughtful and intelligent young man, that you have made it easy to overlook the long hair. Unfortunately, we live in a world where we are often judged by what shows on the outside so my only concern was that maybe there are some people who don't know how truly terrific you are! More than once I have heard a General Authority say that things like dress, hair, hygiene, etc. are outward signs of our inward commitment to our Heavenly Father. So when Papa told me about your haircut, it told me something about your commitment to Him. Two thumbs up to you!

You were our first grandchild. How we looked forward to your birth! I don't know if anyone has ever told you about the first time I got to see you. You know that my accident happened five days before you were born. I had so looked forward to helping your mom care for you during the initial days after your arrival and being the new and excited grandma. But that was not to be. Papa recorded in his journal that the doctor was going to do a surgery to stabilize my neck, but that I was so despondent about what had happened and what looked like a very challenging change in my life, that he was worried that the surgery might not go well. He suggested that we head to surgery via the maternity ward so I could see you and hopefully give me a reason to hang in there. Your dad brought you out into the hall and clearly remember seeing you and thinking what a beautiful (sorry, newborns are beautiful no matter the sex) baby you were. I like to think it made a difference. During the ensuing three months your parents often brought you to the hospital and it was always a highlight for me.

Thank you for being such a sterling example to your younger siblings and cousins. As your mom has probably told you, it's not often easy to be the oldest and feel like younger family members are looking to you, but I prefer to think that Heavenly Father sent you first because He knew that He could trust you, that you were likely foreordained to be first and probably even offered to be. Papa and I are proud and honored to be your grandparents. We love you so much and look forward to seeing the doors open to adulthood and the man you will become.

Much love to you,

Mama

Dear Elizabeth,

The last several days we have been watching the devastating scenes on the news of the earthquake in Haiti. The most distressing are the pictures of children who have been injured, killed or who have lost their parents. All of it is a reminder of how fragile life is and how it can change in an instant. When little children suffer or die, I always think of you. In your short twenty-two month sojourn here on the earth
you taught us so many things. I think above all you were such an example of patience in suffering. Your little body had to endure so much and yet we rarely ever saw you fuss or indicate any discontent with all the procedures and equipment. Your parents were so brave and did everything they could possibly do to keep you here and give you a chance at a longer life. I will admit there were times when I thought it was too much to put you through, but I'm sure your parents agonized over that every time a new procedure was tried. I don't know what I would have done in their position, so it is wrong of me to judge.

I keep thinking there is a song or a poem entitled "What Can We Bring to the Table", but I must be wrong because I can't find it anywhere. But the words keep running through my mind as I watch these children suffer and then I think about what all of us can bring to the table of life. In your short life you brought to the table of your parents, siblings and extended family many things. You brought us joy in simple things such as your smile. You taught us all to evaluate what is important. You brought your ability to live in the moment. You brought an ability to patiently accept challenges given. Finally, you caused us all to evaluate our belief in a life beyond this when we will see you again, and to make a commitment to keep our covenants with our Heavenly Father so we can realize that belief. You brought more to the table in your short life than most of us bring in a lifetime.

Thank you Elizabeth, for your short, sweet life and for sharing those precious months with us.

I love you,

Mama

Dear Sami,

Today is your dad's 28th birthday! I am so glad he was born, and I bet you are too! Your mom and dad love you so much. Your dad is our youngest child, and he was also the last to get married and have children. Before he married your mom, he loved to play with his nieces and nephews and he always said he couldn't wait to have his own children. So you might be able to imagine how excited he was when you were born!

Soon you will have a new baby sister. That is a wonderful gift from Heavenly Father and your parents to you. Sisters become wonderful friends. Sometimes they might fight and be unhappy with each other, but when life is hard, a sister is always one of the first people there to help you. Soon one of my sisters is going to give me one of her kidneys. When we were growing up, I had no idea that I would ever need a kidney from her, but I think Heavenly Father knew. Heavenly Father puts lots of important people in our lives, but we don't always know how important they are at the time.

Because you live in Utah, Grampa and I don't know you very well yet. You and your mom and dad came to visit us before Labor Day last year. Every day you were here I loved to sit and watch you play. You were so sweet and so good to entertain yourself. I don't think I had ever been around such a good natured baby. Now we talk on Skype and you are talking more and more and calling both Grampa and I "Bopa". I am so happy you are part of our family and I am excited to get to know you better every time you come to visit us or we come to visit you.

I love you very much,

Gramma

Dear Ashlin,

Last Sunday as you were leaving the chapel to go to Primary, I stopped you and told you I was getting a new clock and wondered if you might like to have the bird clock the new clock will replace. Your eyes lit up and assured me you would love to have it. When Grampa finished painting the living room, the bird clock looked out of place. When I asked Grampa if we could get a new one he wanted to know what I would do with the bird clock. Giving it to you was the first answer that popped into my head! You have been the grandchild most interested in my birds and bird feeders. Often when you come over, you like to look through my bird book as well. The next day you came over right after school and collected your treasure, but not until you had oohed and aahed over our new clock. I love that you did that!

I love it when you come to visit me. Someday you might not come so often and that will be OK too; I will understand. When I was a teenager, we lived across the street from my "step" grandparents. We lived at 1125 Ivy Lane here in Ashland. Maybe someday your dad or mom can drive you by that house if you are interested. I don't remember the number of my grandparents' home, but it was across the street and to the left, on the corner of Ivy Lane and Elkader Street. They had moved here from Chicago, Illinois and it was fun to get together with them on holidays and have them near. I went to see them on my own sometimes, but I was a teenager with friends and what I thought was a busy life, so I didn't go very often. Later they moved to Portland, Oregon. We were told it was because they missed living in a big city and I'm sure that was part of it, but I also wonder if it was because their teenage grandchildren didn't pay them much attention. Now I wish I had spent more time with them. Even if the day comes that you don't come over often, I will still love it when you do and understand when you don't.

I love you, Ashlin, I love your enthusiasm for life and your unique approach to solving problems and looking at life. You are very intelligent and have a fun sense of humor! Don't ever lose those good qualities about yourself. That would be a sad day for me!

Love,

Gramma

P.S. You're not driving your mom and Emma crazy with the bird chirps that go off when the clock hits the hour, are you? Nah, I didn't think so.

Reaching Into My Future From My Past

When I work on family history, I often think about my grandparents and grandparents. I have pictures of them and facts about their births, marriages, deaths and where they lived, but very few stories that make them come alive for me. The grandparents I knew the best were my "step" grandparents, Ted and Ada Streeter. I never knew my biological grandfathers because they had either left or divorced my grandmothers before I was born. My paternal grandmother, Marguerite Lannegrand Roberts was from France and the times I remember with her included hearing her think French accent. She was a seamstress, and I wish I had something she made. My maternal grandmother, Cora Hovey Hill, fit the stereotype of the chubby grandma with ample bosoms and the smell of talcum powder. I have a few memories of her coming to our home when I was little (before the age of 10) and always bringing a bushel basket full of things she had canned and baked. I must have spent time on her lap too, because in later life when a distant relative gave me a picture of her, I could immediately feel and smell her. Memories are powerful, but they often fade if we don't write them down!

After Heavenly Father, Jesus and Grampa, I love my family, past and present, more than anyone or anything! When I think of my grandparents and great grandparents, the one thing I always wish I had from them is a letter! Even one letter that would give me a little glimpse of what they thought about and felt, and how they expressed themselves would be a treasure. I have written little letters or notes to some of my grandchildren, but not in any regular way. Sometimes, when the thought to write one comes, I am stopped by just the seemingly simple task of putting it together with an envelope and a stamp and getting it in the mail. Then the other day it dawned on me that the modern age has provided us with a perfect venue--a blog! So, with the beginning of a new year, 2010, I am beginning a new blog. As it evolves, I am not sure if I will tell my grandchildren about it or just see if any of my children or grandchildren discover it. Regardless, my goal is to leave some pieces of myself for each of you to have when maybe someday the thought comes into your head; "I wish I had a letter from my grandmother."