One Hundred Eleven Years Ago~

Today, was the birthday of my maternal grandmother, Anita Recio, @ age, 36. She was born in 1900. The above photo is Anita with her two children, Albert and Elena.


This photo is Anita with her sister Amada, on the left and she on the right of her. Her only brother, Felix, Jr in on the front row on the left. C.1916.

Anita was a very happy and energetic personality she loved to dance and sing and laugh a lot.

She had beautiful dark natural curly hair. She was a lovely young woman and took very good care of herself. She was always there for us when there was a new baby born. She would come to take care of us when our mother was in the hospital. She also traveled to be with us when there were important events, like graduation, weddings, etc.

I remember she also came to Utah from California with my own mother, Elena when I had Tracie, my fourth baby when they both flew on an airplane for the first time. That was quite a milestone for her being seventy-one at the time. I will always be grateful for her coming at that time in my life.

Family was always important to her, and my mother. She left us a rich heritage for which we are proud to be her descendants.

Mama Told Me There Would Be Days Like This. . .

I love the song the sisters (nuns) sing in The Sound of Music about Maria and what are they going to do with her? She seems to always be in the Mother Superior's office and talked to about some infractions she may have done or asked to be focused to do what is expected of her in her daily tasks. It is like a flashback of when I was growing up, almost.

Some days, that is how I feel when I have times that I am reminded to keep focused and on track to get things done. I do the best I can and know the Lord knows that as well.

Congratulations for Grandson, Austin Hallows' Baptism

Saturday, April 9, 2011 was Austin's baptism. Here is a photo of all our family who were able to attend. It was quite a crowd.

Afterward we went to Brick Oven in Provo for lunch. Austin was quite pleased with his surprise presents extended from his birthday and turning eight years old. He looked quite happy with himself and his experience becoming a member of the Church.

He has a lot of family support, and had a memorable day.

Honoring My Ancestors

Clemente Ulloa~born in 1819 in Guantajuato, Mexico. This is my great-grandmother's parents, or my second-great grandfather/grandmother. I can only tell you a few things that I do know about them. He was from Raya Rul, Guanajuato Mexico

Their names were placed on my grandfather's birth certificate, as parents of his mother. Likely his profession was being a miner in the silver mines,which are there in Guanajuato. I do know that my father's grandmother knew how to read and write, and had a very legible penmanship from some of her letters that I had seen. My grandfather had a very nice script handwriting, with a kind of flare to it.



Maxima Munoz-Ulloa~
She was from Encarnacion, Jalisco, Mexico
I also think that my second-great grandmother was an educated woman who perhaps taught her children how to read and write; she saw to it that they learned while young. Her grandson was my grandfather; he had a very beautiful handwriting. I love reading his letters. He was probably taught by his mother too. My paternal grandmother also knew how to read and write. It is something to be pleased about how their education desire was instilled in me as well. So, what little I do know, tells me they were very humble people and worked very hard in their lives. They were also honorable and righteous individuals. They appear by their clothes to be refined and have culture as if middle class or more. I know I am from a long line of worthy ancestors. They chose/agreed to come to earth when they did, since they made it possible for me to have the blessings I have now, to live in America and worship my religion freely. God bless them, and America!!

P.S. I had the opportunity to download some of these pictures and was excited to post them here on my blog entry for today.

A Time to Visit the Widow~Elijah Heals Her Son

Taking care of the widow's needs.


My friend happened to be transferred today to a new facility for her full-time care. I made it a priority to go see her in her new surroundings. It is an adjustment at best.

I went to the store and saw a few things she might enjoy and would brighten her day.

There was those gel stickers for "Happy Spring." The stickers included the words and a small chick with a few flowers and a figure of a toy animal, I think. I placed it on her mirror so she could see it each day.

I told her the stickers were so she could remember me, and she said she did not need anything to remember me, that she would anyway. I laughed. This care center is one of the ones that I had patients to visit when I was doing Hospice counseling in Orem, by University Mall a few blocks south of it.

She likes treats once in a while so I brought her some pastel colored M & Ms plain milk chocolate and some pastel colored milk chocolate covered peanuts in a can with a clear plastic lid. She enjoyed them, and appreciated the gesture.

It must be difficult for her to have to be there away from her home and family, so it is good to be able to visit her and bless her life, if only for a small portion of time. Her daughters live in New Jersey and Texas, and her son son lives in Orem.

A Time to Forget Oneself

Today I went to see a friend, Donaire, who is in a skilled nursing facility. That just means she is unable to take care of herself and is receiving some physical therapy to strengthen her ability to walk better or to recover from a stroke back in December of last year, 2010. She is eighty-six years young, very alert and mentally quick.

My days in the week will consist of going to see her at least three times a week. It depends on my schedule and what I need to do otherwise. It gives me a time to be still and visit with her as if I was visiting my own mother. I cherish this dear lady and the opportunity to get to know her all the more. We have been friends since, 1996, so that is about fifteen years now. She is also a widow.

It is like going visiting teaching and taking the time to sit with her during her meal, or go to sacrament meeting with her, which I did once, unaware that she would be attending the services there at the center. I have also trimmed her hair for her, which reminds me I need to do that again soon.

Another time, I was there when the Relief Society President came to her room to invite her to their meeting. It happened that Donaire started to tell her "no", since I was there. I insisted that we could go together and I would stay to visit with her afterward. It meant a lot to my dear friend.

She is Jewish and this week's lesson was on the Atonement and given from the Ensign, an article by Elder Bruce McConkie in the April Ensign. I really liked the lesson and just listened without getting any feedback from Donaire, and it was timely since this month is Easter. The closing song was, "I Stand All Amazed." It is one of my favorites and the words are very uplifting to me.

I think back about how things played out for the visit to see Donaire. It gives her support and helps her think about something else besides the pain she is in most of the time. It was good to visit with her, and I am the one blessed for her company

Interesting Experience to Share

Today I met a young mother who had such an aura about her. I could not help to notice her. She radiated something I do not see very often in my day to day experiences.

She was a patron in the temple. She was having a dry coughing fit. I went to get her a drink of water and a cough drop. She appreciated it and it seemed to help. She thanked me and we went on about our tasks.

Then, shortly after that I stood before her and all of a sudden a thought came to my mind to tell her something that I did not even know I would say before hand, that "You look like Jesus' sister." It even amazed me.

It was kind of strange thing to say to someone, but it was true! Her hairwas to her shoulders but pulled back a little which had a slight dark blond hue with red highlights, her color eyes were between blue and green. Her skin was kind of freckly, but she still glowed is all I can say to describe how she appeared to me. It was as if I could see inside her heart or soul and I felt a purity about her that was so sweet and beautiful. She had some makeup on, but it was very natural looking. It just enhanced her beauty.

She smiled and almost giggled when I told her who she reminded me. She said it was interesting that I said that to her, because she has a brother, that when he grows a beard people tell him he looks just like Jesus (too).

I laughed and only said back, "Well there you go. I was right!"

I smile when I think of this incident,

It made my day, really.