I'll be Home for Christmas

Our oldest son graduates from high school this spring(his target date for mission departure is August 2016).  When we asked him how he wanted to spend Christmas this year,  he simply said, "I want to be home."

My home on 2nd East

What a powerful place our homes can be.  They provide a safe haven for all of us.  Particularly at Christmas, we gather in our homes with friends and loved ones.  I have many fond memories of my home on 2nd East.  That little brick house where on Christmas morning we gathered around our Christmas tree lit in blue lights with our stockings hung close by from the chimney.  It was a little bit of heaven on earth.  There were 9 of us then.  Today, mom and dad have the 7 of us, plus 7 spouses, 33 grand kids and 4 great grand kids.

My parents home in the Salt Lake Avenues, 1963

That little red brick house on 2nd east "grew us" well.  Character, hard work, loyalty, love of God and Country, service, friendship and funny moments took root within the walls of that home.

Rigby and I are "growing" our "Fab Five" in the home he built with his hard working hands.  After our Emma was born, he literally brought me home from the hospital with our 3 older sons and went to pour the cement for the driveway of our "home in progress."  What terrific memories we share of that "house" building experience.  The past 10 1/2 years have been spent building that house into a "home."

When many of my first ancestors reached the valley, many of them lived in dugouts before building homes of  their own.  In those early years, the structure, design, and decor was of little importance, but rather the need of shelter was the greatest priority-  shelter in the dessert which they created with their blood, sweat and tears.  And then this shelter, became their homes.  The place where they reared their family... watched their children grow, gathered to share laughter and tears.  

To be a HOME Maker is a powerful job and is quickly becoming a lost art.  Today, I spent the morning baking 4 dozen cookies and 4 dozen brownies for the after school Christmas party sponsored by Stud Gov  (Seleck serves as Student Body President at his high school).  While I baked, I texted back and forth with my cousin Taressa in No. Cal.  We discussed this post and she shared her inspiration- Thank you Taressa!  How grateful I am to be a Home Maker, a latter day Home Builder.  

The home of Albert Douglass Dickson and Harriet Rosella Flint, Richville, Utah ( My great great grandparents- Max's Grandparents)

The home of Max Dickson Weaver and Ruth Mabel Stoddard Kimball, Orem, Utah- my granparents, 

In April of 2009, I took my first Ancestral Adventure which inspired this blog.... Barnwood and Tulips.  It was with my Grandfather Max to the Dickson homestead in Richville, Utah.  The feelings I experienced  on this journey

Home of Charles Stoddard and Lucetta Jane Murdock,
Uintah, Utah

were sacred and have prompted me to not only do temple work for my kindred dead but to know their stories- I am a story keeper and these homes share the stories of the loved ones I never knew in this life, but t that I can't wait to meet in the next...

Home of Marie and Leo Kimball,
My father Kimball and his brother Kurt lived here with their mother and grandparents while my Grandfather served in WWII
Logan, Utah

The home of Travis and Amyanne (Weaver) Rigby

Over the years, I have visited the homes of my Aunts and uncles and they each hold special places in my heart and memories forever.  

Taressa,  It looks like we have more homes to visit... can't wait for the adventure.