some of our vacation

We had so much fun with my Mom in California. The kids love being with Mom and getting to do things we never get to here because it is hot or we just have no room. Like play outside, play in the backyard, go see the ocean, the beach, trees(just kidding we do have trees in arizona but not redwoods), and just spend time with family. One of the days we went to Muir Woods and had so much fun. The drive was crazy only because I don't love windy little roads but I did alright. We were able to download from the national parks website for muir woods a scavanger hunt that the kids loved. We had to find certain things along the path and find clues in signs that were out and find a treasure chest at the end. (Aaron was dissapointed their were only stickers in the treasure chest but I thought it was really fun) Anyway I will post more later.

Legoland

So we have been promising Aaron since last year that we would go to Legoland. We actually had plans last summer to go but with having to go to California early for Dad's funeral the plans got changed and we just couldn't make it, so this year we promised him we would go. After all our planning and saving we got to keep that promise. We went for two days. I would say that two days was probably too much and one day would have been fine but it did let us not rush and take our time. Thomas was a little upset he couldn't go on some rides and so we spent a lot of time at the playground. Aaron's favorite part was this robot class you could take. You had to be in at least 3rd grade and a parent had to go with you. So Dave and Aaron got to go and learn how to program a lego robot to do certain jobs. Amanda our daredevil went on so much. Her and Dave went on this rollarcoaster called Coastersaurus like five times. It took a picture while on the ride and they learned where the camera was so they were playing up the camera so much that we had to buy one of the pictures because it was just so cute. We had a lot of fun and thankfully it didn't rain on us.

book fair

So we went to the book fair at the U of A. It was actually a lot of fun and their was so much to see and do. We had never been and it was amazing. The only thing was it was a little warm and we all got a little pink. I just wanted to share some of the pictures from the fun time we had.

Pinewood derby

So Aaron had his first pinewood derby in February. Well I know nothing about the Derby or the rules or really anything else. Aaron and Dave worked on the car but having never done one or anything we had some problems.

The Car looked nice and we thought it was nice but when we got to the derby the informed us that it had to clear a track on the bottom and our weight that was on the bottom was dragging a little. Aaron was very let down but still was so excited that he might win. It became very apparant that Aaron was not going to win which made him very upset. We just kept reminding him that we know for next year and we can do better.

Catch up

So I have a lot to catch up so over the next week or so I am going to do the last couple of months and update here.

I thought I would start in February. It was Amanda's Birthday at the begining of the month and of course because she is extra spoiled my mom came to visit in February. She got here on the 1st and stayed until the 24th. It was a very eventful time. When she first got here Tucson was having record cold. We have lived in our trailer for 7 years and have never had the pipes freeze. Well of course because Mom was here it was like 15 outside and our pipes froze. Thankfully we didn't bust any pipes at our house but we were outside with a hairdryer warming up our pipe. Then Mom and I wrapped the pipe and we were all better. The park we live in did have some pipes bust so we were out of water for a short time a couple of days. It was really wierd. Amanda's birthday was all girl. She really wanted to have a girly party so we went to the local beauty school with three of her friends and they got their hair done and nails painted. It was so much fun and I have never seen little girls so happy (Well except one girl who did not want her hair touched. It was kind of sad) Anyway Then we came home for cake and ice cream and presents. So much fun for all. Thankfully we got the party done with before all the sickness hit our household. Amanda picked up some virus at school that had her out of school for a week. And kindly she passed it around to almost all of us. Including poor Nana. She was sick and hardly got out of bed for four or five days. Thankfully we were still able to make it to the Arizona temple which Mom had never been to before. It was really nice to be inside the temple with Mom since it had been a long time since we had been able to go together. We were all very sad when she had to go home and we miss her all the time. The kids love spending time with her and can't wait till this summer when we get to go to Nana's house to be with her.

Before the beautification process

The Friends together

A New Year

So now it is 2011. I know you are all surprised that I have posted something that thrilling. I haven't written in a while and though I think I have some good excuses (like my computer completely dying, my mom here for a month, and the holidays) it really is just because I haven't posted anything. I have been thinking for a while that I wanted to post something but when I sat down to actually do I didn't have anything to say so I guess that I am making myself do it.

Awhile ago I reconnected with a girl that I knew at BYU who was in all my family history classes. We had a lot of fun in our Germany Family History classes and when I left to go on my mission she was on her way to Germany to do research and learn Germany better. Now she is a published genealogical author and speaks and genealogy conferences all over the United States. At first I was a little depressed feeling like my dreams and gone to another (Leslie if you are reading this I am so happppy for you) but I have realized that I am not dead and still can do lots of things so not that I have ever stopped working on Family History I have been trying to work on things a little outside my comfort zone to get more experiece with things. I have long been the ward Family History consultent. In fact I it has been a really long time since I have not had that calling but I do feel like I could do more. I want to really help people do their work and not just wait for them to call. I am praying for new opportunities and to find someone who really needs the help. I also saw on my friends blog that a friend of hers is writing a book on how the world wide web can help you overcome brickwalls in your research. Just in the last three months I have had this experiece and anyway they are looking for people to submit stories to add to the book and so I am thinking I might enter my experience.

I have shared this experience with many of you but I wanted to write it down once before I decide to send it in or not. So I have loved Family History and learning about my family since before I remember (and I have always loved Historical novels) anyway. From before I remeber my Dad was working on Family History. Mom and Dad had a lot to do especially being converts to the church. I never asked Dad but I do know that my first start of a testimony was doing the work for my ancestors in the temple and knowing that our Heavenly Father loved all his children and provided a way for us all to return not just those who received the gospel here on earth. God was just and that was enough for me. Anyway Dad got a lot of work done on his family because they had been in the US a long time but Mom's family on the other hand was a hard story. Of my Mom's four grandparents only one was born in the US. Two were born in what today is part of Serbia. (When they were born it was Hungary) and the other grandmother we still don't know where in Europe she was born. Anyway I am sure you can all imagine trying to find record in another country, a language you don't read, and a place that has been plagued with war and war. It has been very difficult. My Parents were baptized in 1972 and although Dad had worked on it all the time we had found little on my Mothers grandparents. While I was at BYU I found the naturalization papers for my Greatgrandfather John Josef Molter. Before this time we had just known he was born in Hungary but on his naturalization papers he wrote that he was born in Ujverbasz, Hungary. We were so excited finally somewhere that was specific instead a needle in a hay stack looking in Hungary. But this excitement soon faded as I did more research and learned that Ujverbasz, Hungary is now in Serbia. The church has filmed two records in this town. One a census that was too old to find a conection to my family and a catholic church record. My family wasn't catholic. My excitement was over. How was I going to find anything. Serbia was in the midst of war at the time and I could just picture in my mind the records I needed going up in smoke. Well it has been almost 15 years since I found that naturalization papers. Since then although I have searched and tried to find more information I have had no luck. Dad passed away in May without ever being able to find more information on this family. I remember talking to him in February about the family and we were still trying to think of new ideas and places to look. Well I know that Dad has been working hard from the other side. I have posted things on many sites and forums trying to reach out to others who might know something of this town. Well in October I got an email from a gentleman in Germany who wrote to me asking if John Josef Molter had married Elizabeth Geyer. (of course the letter was in German and I had to translate it) I was floored. Yes, Yes my greatgrandmother was Elizabeth Geyer. I quickly wrote back and waited for a reply. He wrote me back very fast and sent me pages and pages from a book that he had from this town my family was from. They had been copied from the luthern church and published years ago and now not in publication. There it was pages and pages of my family. Three generations and children, cousins, aunts, uncles, all there on these pages. My family. I couldn't stop crying as I realized somehow these pages had finally made it to us and now we could do the work that Dad had been working on for 40 years. I am still shocked as I work on getting it all ready. I know that Dad worked on this and helped get this to me. I am still writing to this man and still working on the the other families in this town. I can tell you it would have been very easy years ago to just give up and let it go for someone else to do. But I didn't I kept posting in forums and searching new websites. Contacting new people who maybe were working in Serbia. I am so blessed.

I know I need to take out a lot of my testimony in there but I wanted to write it down here for me to remember my feelings. I will try to write more.

Lowes Free Projects

So this morning Aaron and Amand and I went to Lowes and got to make fun school buses. It is the program they have called Build and Grow. You can find it at http://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com/. It is totally free. You get the whole project use a hammer while there. You get at cute apron to take home (you can see the kids are wearing them) and a badge to put on your apron for every project you complete. The kids did one about two weeks ago a bug box but I was at the temple and Dave took them so I didn't have any pictures. I think this is great and the kids really enjoyed it especially Aaron. In two weeks they are making a dog lease holder. I know that we don't have a dog but maybe they can use them as Christmas presents (if you get one know they are made with love) And then at the end of Sept a fire truck. Anyway thought I would share. Check your Lowes its great.