Ancestors

So, I've kinda got the family history bug. Seven hours today to be exact. I am in love with searching for people on the internet. It makes everything so much easier and sometimes totally frustrating. What's so cool is that our ancestors are really interesting people. I learned today that Phillip Edward Ward was registered for the draft in WWII but he was too old to fight. I learned that Elizabeth Eberts came to America alone, before the rest of her family when she was a young adult. I also learned that Hocking County, Ohio was formed in 1818. That's important if you are searching for ancestors in Hocking County before that year but I'm not sure its useful to anyone else. These people were real and they lived in difficult periods of history. They also went without the light of the gospel. In Bavaria, Germany in the 1800's no one had even heard of Joseph Smith. Our ancestors never even had the opportunity to decide if the church was true or not. I think all the time that I am grateful that they went without that truth so that I could have the opportunity to go to the temple again and again and again. Perhaps, we made an agreement. Perhaps, Susan Ward or Catherine Ireland said to me, "I will go to a dark time so that you can be in the twenty-first century. But you make sure you find me. Don't let me be lost." Today I felt as though Susan Ward (or Warner is her maiden name) was urging me on that she wants to be found and for her family to have their ordinances done. Technology has been such a blessing to me as I have searched for and found names of those who would have the opportunity to progress.

The world of girl...

Ryan and I went to get the ultrasound today! The ultrasound tech told us she was "95% sure its a girl." The baby was laying on its back so gravity couldn't pull down any parts that would make it more obvious...

We are so excited! It'll be a nice change for Ryan's family to get a baby girl. They are full of boyhood.

The closer we get to having little baby, the more I think about what amazing parents and all around people my siblings and parents are. We were so blessed to have loving, righteous parents who taught us good things. You all have wonderful characters. We have creativity, ability (Mimi's awesome marathon run), joy, laughter, and so much else in just us the siblings!

This blog is pretty cool. I'm excited that we can all keep up on stuff together.

Love you all!

Just Gotta Say

This weekend in Provo with Mom and Dad, Mimi and 'the kids' was truely awesome. I was overwhelmed with the sheer awesomeness of our family. I enjoyed getting to be with TOdd and Rachel. One of my goals is to reconnect with my siblings. Particularly the ones that I don't get to see all the time. Getting to be with them gave me such an appreication for the people that they've become. I enjoyed every single second of it.

The real "goodness" of our family is like a yummy cookie. One that if you skip an ingredient will come out all wrong. Mom and Dad are the flour and egg. The foundation that holds us together. Rachel is baking soda- an essential ingredient that works behind the scenes to support, without it the cookies are flat and yuck. Chris is butter- he's just SMOOTH . Jessi is sugar, sweet and substantial. Juli is the chocolate chips- funny and full of taste. Mimi is the icing, she's sure of her place on the cookie and yet can stand alone too. And Todd- well he's just nuts :) and if we didn't have nuts the cookie wouldn't have any crunch to it at all.

This is not to replace the Pooh analogy :) Just to add to it. I also want to point out that I LOVE the people we have all chosen to marry. Each one of our spouses is special and unique and just FITS into our family just right. I loved getting to see David take care of Rachel and Kristi keep Todd in line. I am so grateful for all of you and what you offer of yourselves to me and my family.

Enjoy a piece of cookie today!
Erin