Dear Jesse,

You are the only grandchild for whose birth I was in attendance, at the insistence of your mother who seemed to really want me there. I always felt that should be a private time, between husband and wife, but your mom really seemed to want Papa and I to be there, so we came. The birth of a new child is always a hallowed moment and hours was no exception. So in the first few moments of your life we were introduced to this tiny bundle who was definitely a Brumble and who looked much like his older sister Jaci. We strayed for just a short while and then left your parents to share together the wonder of you. Now you are a delightful young man with a huge heart and enough love to give to all who know you, especially your family. I love it when you come over and are so excited to see me and tell me the latest thing happening in your life. Your parents have taught their children to appreciate even the smallest things, so it is always fun to do something for you, knowing the excitement it will bring. You have wonderful parents who love Heavenly Father and love their children also. Your mom announced your upcoming birth on a trip to Oregon and they were very excited to be adding a boy to their three wonderful daughters. You may end up like Papa, being the only boy in your family, but that is not such a bad thing. As an adult, Papa is adored by his sisters!

You are lucky to have a dad who will teach you all the things you need to know to enjoy the outdoors and just the thrill of being alive. Along the way he and your mom will teach you values and the things you need to know to hold Heavenly Father's priesthood and to someday serve a mission. As President Hinckley used to say, it is an exciting time to be alive and be a member of the church! When you have challenges or problems in your life, with Heavenly Father's help, you will know what to do. I didn't know about the church until I was a teenager and that time in my life would have been so much easier if I had known the truths of the gospel and had the priesthood in my home. Never forget how blessed you are to have been born into the church!

Jesse you are a delight to your family and to all who know you. You have such a bright outlook on life and you always make me smile. Listen to your parents and your church leaders and you will always know what is right. We are so glad that you are part of this family and we love you very, very much.

I love you (and all my grandchildren) to the moon and back!

Mama

Dear Gillian,

I hope it's OK that I stole this picture off of your Facebook page. There were so many lovely pictures of you that it was hard to choose. While we're speaking of Facebook, I want you to know how much I appreciated that you accepted me as a friend. The first time I met you I think you were understandably not very happy about what was about to take place. Not only were you getting a stepmother, you were getting a huge mess of new "relatives". It was a lot to handle in just a few days. What a contrast we saw when you came to our 40th anniversary celebration! You seemed happy to be here and you interacted with the other cousins more than we had ever seen. We were so happy about that. You are becoming such a lovely young lady.

You may or may not know that I was a child of divorced parents. I think I can say that without an exception, that was the hardest thing that ever happened to me. Divorce happens most to children. Adults move on and find new lives, but children forever are missing one parent or the other and wondering what might have been. The one thing I did learn is that the new people who come into your life as a result of divorce are usually wonderful people. Any people that love and care about you can add good things to your life. So there is that "silver lining in the cloud" so to speak. I hope that the Hassells will be a positive memory in your life despite the sad event that brought it all about. We love your dad so much and he has healed a very big void in Marla's life and we are grateful for that, but we wish that it hadn't come about because of divorce. We so appreciate all the love you have shown to Jane and Catherine.

Divorce might make you question the whole doctrine of eternal marriage. I hope you will know that even though sometimes bad things happen and even some temple marriages don't work out, many, many do. The ones that do usually succeed because the two people involved are committed to the covenants they have made and they have been prayerful in making the decision about the person with whom they choose to spend eternity. After the marriage, they live and keep the commandments, they work very hard to be the best spouse they can be and they remember to put the other person's needs ahead of their own. Unselfishness is a huge key to a successful marriage!

The pictures on your Facebook page seem to show that you have good friends and are involved in wholesome activities. They show that you love your family too! You are at a wonderful time in your life. Enjoy every minute because you will be an adult for a long time!

You probably already that bad things can happen and you can still have a happy life. Heavenly Father knows you and loves you and is concerned about every aspect of your life. Pray to Him and then listen for answers and you will know the things that you should do. Trust your parents and your church leaders. They too love you and want what is best for you. I know these things
are true and I hope you do too!

I love you, Gillian!

Gramma Hassell

Dear Annie,

My first memory of you aside from the day of your birth was when you were about two weeks old. Your family was living in college housing and so you were also in our ward. Your mother was teaching the Relief Society lesson that day (and I remember it was a spectacular lesson) and you were asleep beside me in a Moses basket. You were so beautiful that I couldn't take my eyes of you. I surprised I even remember the lesson, because I was so consumed with looking at you. No matter how many babies come to a family, each one is a miracle.

I think two of your greatest talents are your creativity and your thoughtfulness. You so often make things to give to others. I still love my bouquet of pink and purple flowers that you made for me for Mother's Day a couple of years ago (or maybe just one year ago). I watch and see what great friends you and Grace have become and how caring and loving you are to Bonnie. You have a fun sense of humor and people respond to that. I have a feeling you are also a thoughtful and loyal friend. Occasionally I talk to some of your YW advisors and they all think you are wonderful. I do too!

I love that you were named after one of my sisters. When she and I were about the age of you and Grace, we didn't get along nearly as well as you and Grace do. Because we were a blended family, and because Patrice and John and I had come from less than the best environment, I was given the "job" as the older sister to keep an eye on then and make sure they didn't do anything of which my parents would disapprove. That wasn't fun for me and I'm sure it wasn't fun for them either. No one likes having a sibling boss them around like a parent! But we survived and grew up and eventually became friends. Now this sister is giving me the gift of a longer life by giving me one of her kidneys! It sure makes me wish I had been nicer to her, not just because of the kidney, but because I am sure we missed out on some great things we could have enjoyed together.

The best gift Heavenly Father has given me is the opportunity to become a member of the church and to have so much light and knowledge made available to me, not to mention it led me to Papa. It has made all the difference in my life. One of the things that really helped me was my patriarchal blessing. In my blessing it says that my greatest joy in life would come from being a wife and a mother. That always helped me to know that as a wife and mother I didn't need to look further than my own home to find happiness and so I didn't waste any time trying to find something that I might have thought was better. So develop those maternal instincts I see when you take care of Bonnie. You have had some serious on-then-job training! That doesn't mean you shouldn't seek education and a career, but if for a time you decide to put some of that on hold to be a wife and mother, know that those years will pass quickly and you will still have many years after children are grown to do pursue other options.

Heavenly Father loves you, Annie. He knows you name, He knows what makes you sad or happy and He is always there for you. Pour out your heart to him in prayer and if you do, you will know that what I am saying is true. Papa and I love you so much and we feel so privileged to be your grandparents. Keep being the wonderful young woman that you are.

Much love,

Mama

Dear Ava,

Welcome to the Hassell family! You and Lily have arrived so close together that I can't help but wonder if you were pals before coming here, and if you got some good coaching from your great grandparents and aunts. The announcement of your birth was unique in that your father posted your arrival on Facebook instead of calling me! That was a first and though I must day I would have preferred the phone call, it will be something you can tell your children and grandchildren someday. The first Hassell baby to be announced on Facebook!

Right now you probably know how fortunate you are to be born to two such loving and devoted parents. Not every baby is that fortunate, so we feel very blessed that it is true for each of our grandchildren. Your father was our fifth baby, just like you are his fifth child. That means you will have lots of love and attention from your older siblings, and also that you might have to speak up and be noticed at times. Big families are so much fun. There is always something going on! We love it when all our children and grandchildren get together for a reunion. The older cousins take such good care of the younger ones and it is wonderful to see. That will probably be the first time I get to see you, and hopefully you won't be too wiggly to hold. It is always hard for me not to be able to help when a new baby is born, but then I remind myself of how fortunate I am to have so many beautiful grandchildren and then I feel better. Thank you for keeping your first estate and choosing to come to this big, noisy, loving family. Along with your parents and siblings, Grampa and I, and all your aunts, uncles and cousins will do their best to give you all the love and help you need so that we can be together forever!

We already love you so much and are so happy that you are here.

Gramma

Dear Catherine,

The other day you called me on the phone and I couldn't believe how grown up you sounded! It doesn't seem that long ago that your mom, Jane and two-week-old you came to live with Grampa and I. We got to enjoy almost the first two years of your life, and two years of Jane's life as well. That was a very special time for Grampa and me. Do you know that Grampa used to feed you your bottle and put you to sleep while your mom was getting Jane ready for bed? Grampa loved doing that and you and Grampa have had a close relationship ever since. You were such a good baby. As long as you were rested, fed and dry your mom could put you on a blanket on the floor and you would be content for two or three hours! That was amazing. Your mom was a good baby too, but not that good!

Now you live in Idaho and we wish it wasn't so far away so we could see you more often. We sure love it when you come here to visit!

I'm sure your mom has told you about when Grampa gave you a name and a blessing in the hospital after you were born. It was an uncertain time and we weren't sure what was ahead for you, but Heavenly Father knew! Through Grampa He blessed you that you would grow up in a home with brothers and sisters. At the time I didn't see how that might happen, but look at you now! Lots of brothers and sisters! Sometimes Heavenly Father gives us hard challenges, but that is because He loves us and wants us to become strong enough and good enough to return to Him. Just like we need to exercise our muscles to stay strong physically, we need to exercise our faith in Heavenly Father and realize that challenges and problems help us to become strong spiritually. You are blessed with a cheery disposition and a keen sense of right and wrong (you got that from your mom) that will both help you through the problems in your life and also help you to avoid wrong choices that would add challenges to your life that are avoidable. Life is so good and I hope you will realize how wonderful it is to be on the earth and that you will follow Heavenly Father's commandments so that you will have a happy life and so that we can be together forever.

The day that you were sealed to your mom and dad was such a special day. I will always remember how beautiful you and Jane looked in your white dresses and how happy everyone was that you could be part of a forever family. I didn't get to be sealed to my parents until they both had died and I was a grownup, but that was a special day for me too.

I love you so much, Catherine. You are one of our beautiful granddaughters and we Grampa and I know Heavenly Father loves us because he has sent us so many wonderful grandchildren. Thank you for being one of them!

I love, love, love you.

Gramma

Dear Severin,

Yesterday I watched you out my window trying to knock one of your swings out of a tree with a stick. You were all boy, with no sense of any danger when the stick didn't work, as you leapt from the ladder and tried to pull it down by the rope. Then you broke the stick into several pieces as you hit it against a pole. You remind me so much of your dad at your age, in looks and in manner. Like your dad you are also kind and gentle, and have a keen sense of right and wrong. These are wonderful traits in anyone and I feel very pleased to see these traits in you. Your mom told me that when people ask you what you want to be when you grow up, you tell them you want to be a dad. What a tribute that is to your dad. There is no more important calling you will have in life than that of a dad.

As you know, you are named after Severin Roberts, your great great great grandfather. He was the father of sixteen children! He and his family lived in a farm house in Frenchtown, Montana and since he was a carpenter, as the family grew he just kept adding on to the house. That house is still there today. Did you also know that he actually married his step sister? When he was young, his father died and his future wife's mother died, so his mother married his future wife's father. According to the 1880 census, they were living in the same house in Quebec. They were married in 1884. The last of their sixteen children died in 2006 at the age of 103!

In less than a year you will be ordained to the priesthood. What a wonderful day that will be. It is a big responsibility for a twelve-year-old boy to hold the priesthood, but Heavenly father has great faith in you and will surround you with many older boys and men (primarily your dad) who will teach and help you as you learn all you need to know to hold the Melchizedek priesthood and serve a mission. I know that many priesthood holders from past generations in your family will also be watching and cheering you on. I didn't have the priesthood in my home when I was growing up, so it was an amazing and wonderful gift to have that power in my home when I married Grampa. Do you know what your great grandfather told Grampa when he ordained Grampa to the Aaronic priesthood? He told them that he couldn't hit his sisters anymore because priesthood holders need to respect and be kind to girls and women. So there is your first challenge as a priesthood holder!

Severin, you are a great young man will a kind heart and a keen desire for knowledge. I am proud to be your grandma and I love you very much.

More than you know,

Gramma

Dear Lily,

A week ago today you joined our family. We anxiously waited for word of your birth, praying that your mother would have a safe delivery and that you would be born healthy and whole. Those prayers were answered and we ooohed and ahhhed over pictures taken and sent through the miracle of the Internet. Subsequent pictures show you look enough like Sami to be her sister but that you definitely have your own look too.

We don't know each other very will yet, but I want to tell you a little about your name. You'll have to ask your parents about why they chose the name Lily, but it is a sweet name that so far seems to fit your tiny and sweet personality. Prior to your birth, your dad told me that there were Marguerite's on both sides of your family. It is my middle name and for a long time, I didn't like it very much. I think that the reason was mostly that it was too different. I didn't know one other person my age with that name. But when I started doing family history, and got to know more about my paternal grandmother and her mother, my great grandmother, I started to appreciate and like the name more. Both of them went by "Marguerite Marie", but my grandmother's actual birth name was Marguerite Jeanne Marie Gabrielle Lannegrand. I'm not sure how many names my great grandmother had, but she was known as Marguerite Marie Catherine Nico prior to her marriage. My grandmother came to America from France and arrived at Ellis Island on January 20, 1920 with her new husband and expecting her first child, my father. Her mother (my great grandmother and a widow of about six years) and her brother John (Jean Maurice) both arrived from France at Ellis Island on May 4, 1920. Further family history research reveals many Marguerite's, so it is a strong name, maybe just not in America. Both of these woman (who would be great great grandmother and great great great grandmother) were strong-willed women who had challenges in life but true to their French heritage held their heads high and soldiered on. Maybe knowing this will help you to love your middle name as much as I now do.

You are blessed to be born in the covenant to two parents who already love you so much and will teach you the things you need to know to be happy in this earthly life and prepared for a time when you will return to your Heavenly Father. I am glad you will know about the gospel for your entire life, and will not have to wait until you are much older like I did. One wonderful gift Heavenly Father gave us is hearts that grow big enough and have enough love for every child and grandchild that comes into our families. So even though we haven't "met' yet, I can tell you that I love you. I love that you kept your first estate and that you are here and that our family was fortunate enough to have you come to us and that I get to be one of your grandmothers. I hope that we will have many years to get to know each other in this life and that I can see you grow into a beautiful and faithful young woman.

Welcome to the world, Lily. I love you.

Gramma

Dear Aubrey,

I should have written this on your birthday, but I am a few days late. It seems impossible to me that you are 15! It doesn't seem that long ago that you would come to our house (now your house) as a toddler and spend time on my lap playing games or making "letters" on the computer. Those were special times for us and even then I knew they would not last long and that the day would come when you would move on to schools and friends and activities that i would observe from a distance. That is as it should be, but I am grateful for those special memories with you when you were tiny. One of my favorite more recent memories of you was our reunion in 2008. It was the first time we rented the water slide and you joined in and seemed to have fun. But even more special to me was how you took your younger cousins under your wing and helped them enjoy it too. Older siblings and cousins often don't realize until later how much the younger ones look up to and admire them. I remember once as a five year old helping my nine-year-old cousin make Kool Aid. I thought she was so grown up!

You are like your dad in that you often are quiet when you are around a big group of people. What some don't know though, is that like your dad, when you are one-on-one you often light up and become animated and happy and have a lot to say. I love to watch you when you are happy and smiling with your friends. You have such a beautiful smile and I hope as you grow older you will share it as much as you can! Smiling at someone who may be having a bad day can make such a big difference, and people are drawn to other people who are happy most of the time.

I am so glad that you have wonderful parents who love each other and who love you and who you obviously love in return. When I was your age, I wasn't sure if my dad loved me as much as he loved some of my other siblings. I think now that he did, but we weren't a very affectionate family and so there were years when I wasn't sure. Do you know the first time I said the words "I love you" to my parents and the first time I can remember them saying that to me was when I got engaged to Grampa?! I knew they loved me, sort of, but we just never said the words. Now I realize that saying those words to each other is one of the most important things we can do in a family! Don't ever be afraid to tell members of your family that you love them. Knowing we are loved is the most secure feeling in the world.

You are a beautiful girl, inside and out. Inner beauty radiates to the outside and gives outer beauty its depth. As you get older you will find that there are some people who might be considered plain on the outside, but as you get to know them and their inner beauty radiates to the outside, they will become beautiful to you on the outside as well. You might also meet some people who are beautiful on the outside, but may be shallow on the inside. Surround yourself with people who are beautiful on the inside and you will always have loyal friends. Outer beauty eventually fades as we age; inner beauty never does.

The most important thing in the world to me in addition to my family is my testimony of the gospel. For the first fifteen years of my life, I didn't know about the gospel. Then a friend introduced me to the church and my life was forever changed. Nothing the outside world has to offer is as precious and sweet as the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we keep the commandments and the covenants we make, we can get through any difficulty in life. If we choose another path, we can never be as happy and safe as we otherwise would have been. When life gets hard, turn to your Heavenly Father, your parents and your church leaders and they can help you through any challenge.

I love you Aubrey. Someday, that will come sooner than you think, you will have grandchildren and then you will know how much I love you. One way I know Heavenly Father loves me is because He sent me so many amazing grandchildren!

More love than you now know,

Gramma