Family Collage

These pictures are of All my family and their children. It is a tradition to each year take a family photo. These pictures are the fruit of that tradition. I received many Christmas cards from my children and this is a collage of sorts on my wall in my room. I have them tacked with magnets. Two families are missing. They either didn't have one this season, or it is in progress.

Thanks to all of you for sending yours and giving me a card or photo of your latest pictures.

Love, Grandma Mattie aka Anna

Pleasing Thoughts . . .

“Blessed be the moment every breath of life. Cherish it. Live it fully, completely. Love at 100%; vulnerably, sweetly and joyously.

Open, receive, believe, and trust----all is given that’s necessary. You are always provided for----always.

Soar with the eagle for you have wings to fly in full expression of your magnificence. Play big, love big. BE STILL and know thyself unimaginably brilliant; for you shine bright as the stars forever a flame--- a violet flame and a rainbow prism of colors.” Linda Radford

A Vicarious Reminder How Precious Life IS~ Handle it with Prayer

RE: An article about the plane that went down on the Hudson River, January 15, 2009.
I read this article referred to about Captain Sullivan, and his co-pilot safely maneuvered the place down when a flight of geese ran into one of their engines. I made a comment below and some post several others that give pause to think and pray for the gratitude we have to live one more day with our loved ones.
"Life is fragile, we must handle it with prayer."


Gives one courage and hope | 5:12 a.m. Jan. 16, 2010
I remember this incident on the news last year. The photo of the all the survivors is a reminder how precious life really is. Thank goodness for the pilots who heroically and conscientiously did their job well. So many lives were changed that day with certainty. I will look for the book compiled by those who experienced this near tragedy that could have gone badly or perhaps found no one to tell about it. They must have a greater mission to fulfill or purpose. Those people on the plane would probably never seen their fellow passengers again had this not occurred. Now their story will be an inspiration to many and as miraculous as their rescue. Good work, Mr. Sullivan and co-pilot;thank you for being prepared for the worst and giving your best.

jimp | 5:23 a.m. Jan. 16, 2010
An editorial filled with thought and understanding like those of Hy McDonald of old...*S*

RichE | 5:55 a.m. Jan. 15, 2010
Wonderful article -- this is journalism at it's best! Kudos to the Deseret News Editorial staff for reminding us all of that day when Captain Scully and his crew helped all of us to feel grateful for each other.

Michael| 4:48 p.m. Jan. 15, 2010
This is another reminder of the value of experience. This is the stuff you can't learn in a book or classroom. No one can tell you. And you sure cannot buy it. It's about having done the task successfully many times. It's about constantly learning. Never being satisfied with "well he tried, didn't he." One day something goes horribly wrong. But the experienced leader is able to change certain catastrophe into another success.

The hand of God was truly there to spare the lives on those on board and on the ground.

Day To Cherish and Remember

Today was Kris' mission talk he gave in Sacrament meeting. We attended as a family the nine o'clock schedule. All the siblings who live here in the valley came. It was a sweet bonding event for all who attended. There were several other speakers who's talks seemed to blend with the theme, service and missionary work.

My grandson, Kris gave a great talk and bore his testimony. I know it will be a strength to him to have the love, support and prayers of his ward family as well as his immediate and extended prayers in his behalf as he goes forth to serve in Madagascar.

My heart was touched many times by the Spirit of which was testified to me of the truthfulness of this gospel and the blessings it is and has been in my life. I felt the love and hand of God as I saw each of my children there, with His image in their countenances and love in their hearts for each other and me. That, more than anything is priceless, literally. What we have and embrace as a family is eternal and cannot be bought now taken away, in our righteous endeavors and dedication to our Savior, Jesus Christ.

God bless us to that end, I pray.

At day's end, most assuredly you can discover the scriptures being read at the McIntire household. Hank and Lori make it their daily practice each day to have scripture reading before family prayer in their home.

After Sunday dinner and into the evening before the littlest of the bunch are put to bed--the family gathers and has that time together for the few minutes before closing their day as a family. It is always a blessing to be there and enjoy the sweetness of the Spirit. Whomever is visiting are invited to join with them in both, scripture reading and prayers.

New Family Search Dot Com

Maria Elena Eduiges Ulloa Rodriguez, and her children, Ricardo, Elena, Guadalupe, Clementina, Maria, Gustavo and Arturo. Circa 1920, Guanajuato, Mexico

I am very pleased with the new program that has been made available for Utah. It has improved the system to find my ancestors with the information that I submitted as well as what has been linked to me.

I have to say here that the information and data entered is the result of many millions, if not billions of hours by volunteers. Linking families through our efforts binds us all forever with our loved ones.

This last week of December I searched my pedigree chart and found some missing ordinances that needed completion. I found one of my paternal second great-grandfather and his wife, along with a child I did not have on my records. I found one of their daughters that had never before been recorded. Her name is Maria Narcisa Francisca Ulloa, born 24 November 1875. My second great-grandparents were born in 1841, and 1845. Their birth dates are only estimated. My great-grandmother was born in 1859.

My grandfather was born in 1888, and his sister just older was born in 1887. There are a lot of interesting facts to put together the pieces of this genealogy puzzle.

My grandfather, Ricardo holding my father, Carlos in his 1920 Ford and in front of their home.

It feels good to have found some of my missing ancestors. I will post some of their photos of those that I have. It is such a treasure to be able to identify my ancestors. I see the hand of God in bringing these photos to my possession, through my paternal grandfather, Ricardo Rodriguez and grandmother, Maria del Refugio Canchola.

My grandmother, Maria del Refugio Canchola Rodriguez, with her brother, Reynaldo Canchola, at San Antonio, Texas at the cement plant, Chelo, Richard, Carlos, Celia, my grandmother, Cuquita, Reynaldo and little Emma. My grandmother is expecting, carrying my aunts, Alice and Elena, her youngest children born in September 1925.

My grandmother was instrumental in bringing her brothers and sister to the United States. My great-uncle, Reyaldo worked at the plant and lived in the neighborhood where Nane and Buelito lived. This picture is taken on the back porch of their home. My dad, Carlos is seated on the step, by the dog.

Journals, A Family Legacy

Keeping note of what is happening in your life is an excellent way to record life events. I am so thankful to have had this experience of keeping a blog. I can look back and see what was going on in my life over the last two years. This short essay is an excerpt from the online Church News. I thought it was a good reminder of how important it is to keep a journal anyway you can. Our family knows brother Roger Flick from our Cascade Ward days. I just saw one of his daughters last week in the temple. I was pleasantly thrilled to see Wendy, who was a great friend to Tara in high school.

Tips and tricks of the trade

Roger C. Flick has some suggestions for Church members wanting to commence keeping their own journals during 2010.

Brother Flick is somewhat of an expert in the field of LDS personal histories and journal keeping. He teaches classes every year at BYU Education Week about how to maintain a spiritual book of remembrance. He formerly taught students at BYU how to write a comprehensive personal history before he retired from teaching at the university level; he still works at BYU's Harold B. Lee Library in computer-assisted genealogy research and is president of the National Society of the Sons of Utah Pioneers.

Drawing on his experience, he offers the following practical tips for those with their sights set on becoming better journal keepers in 2010:

Try loose-leaf binders: "It was hard for me to keep bound journals because I kept leaving spaces to go back and fill in certain dates, but I never did. So I went to a type of journal that can keep loose pages, [like] a three-ring binder. As things came along I'd keep them in the form that I took the notes and record the date at the top. I don't need to really keep them organized, because organization comes at the end when I have the time to transcribe them onto the computer, print them out and then put them in a three-ring binder."

Use folders and index cards: "When I'm really pressed for time and can't sit down at the computer to put things in their final form, I like to take manila folders or envelopes, label them by subject, and put them in my filing cabinet. If I go to a program or listen to somebody give a presentation, I'll write the essence of it on a 3-by-5 index card and date it and just drop it into a folder by subject or by date. I can write very small and keep a lot of notes on a little card. If I don't get to them right away, it doesn't bother me. When the time is appropriate I will sit down at my computer and type from those little cards, just type up what I want to preserve and throw the little notecards away."

Stay flexible: "What you ought to do is do what works for you. I've done a variety of things, and I think I've finally discovered what works for me.">

A Mother's To Do List Left for her Family, Posterity

I found this article in the Church News. It was a meaningful message written by a young mother, wife that her husband found when he was going through her purses after she passed away. I was touched by her list and wanted to share it here. I had read about her story a few weeks ago and the story here caught my attention.
Anna aka Grandma Mattie

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- The day after Katie Young died as a result of a traffic accident in late October, her husband, Justin, decided to clean out her many purses.

Young says his wife "loved her purses and seemed to have one for each outfit. She was the queen of accessorizing -- one of the many reasons we loved her so much."

"In the small pocket of one her purses I found a yellow copy of a receipt from SuperCuts and I was about to throw it out with the others when I noticed some of her writing on the back. Curious about what she may have written on the back of a receipt, I unfolded it and found a "to do" list -- something she was famous for."

As he read it, Young saw that it was no ordinary list.

"I don't know when she wrote it, only that it was after July 18 of '09, but when I read it, I understood that it was more than just a 'to do' list for her then ... it was a "to do" list for me now."

He wants to share Katie's list, because it's a good plan for everyone.

* Pray.
* Ask Heavenly Father for guidance through every step.
* Spend time playing with the kids. Teach them to love praying and reading scriptures. Hold Family Home Evening (once a week and) build strong bonds with them (the children).
* Ask for peace from the Holy Spirit.
* Be obedient to the commandments.

Young says, "This note now hangs on the mirror in our bedroom ... and I encourage everyone to print it out, adapt it to your own family if necessary and hang it on yours."

In an e-mail in late December, Young says he heard from someone who was to speak at a funeral service and planned to use the story of Katie's list "to bring comfort and strength to those grieving."

Great and positive things are coming out of his wife's tragic death, he says. Her list is just one of them.


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Starting a New Year 2010

It is out with the old and in with the new, year that is. The last several weeks I have focused on clearing and cleaning house. It is always a good feeling to go through things that are not needed and can be discarded or given to a good cause.

Life has it ups and downs, twists and turns. It is emotionally healthy to let go of "things" and move forward. It makes for a great time to review the past and look to brighter days ahead. It is like getting in a routine that is non-productive and so easy to fall into and keep the status quo. And who isn't ready for a change?

New Year's Resolution are so trite. But setting goals . . . that is even better. So, I have had some real revelations and I am willing to commit and stick with those goals to fruition. Accountability is what makes these goals so much more complete. I will be making an effort to improve my health and drop the extra pounds that seem to be so magnetized to my body.

I am starting with changing how I eat and add to that movement to walk, rebound, and take good care of me. I have a target date, and have a commitment with a group of ladies from my old ward. So, there is my accountability.


My goal to look this great again by my goal.

Last night I was visiting some friends and they wanted me to stay and watch a show with them, and decided to take them up on their invitation. The show was "Biggest Loser." I was very impressed with the hard work and effort they each put in their first week of "boot camp." It looked like a killer week, but they had results and sweated a lot. I don't have near the weight they carried, nor the amount they had to be at their goal. I feel fortunate and want to be my best self and find success in the journey. Wish me luck.