Rebekah's birthday

I had planned to do one child a day, but I am going to go ahead and do more each day. We were living in Missoui when Rebekah was born. I was sure that Rebekah was a boy. We still had to wait until the birth to find out. Our doctor's office was about a half an hour away from our house. It was down a dirt road and over a creek. We were living in a trailer house when she was born. It was again early in the morning when we arrived at the doctor's office. He had about a two or three room little hospital at his office. Before Rebekah was born it was the Doctor, Mother and me. The nurse had not arrived yet. As she was born remember I was sure by revelation that she was a boy, the Doctor said she was born without a penis. All I could think of was that he was deformed. It did not enter my mind that it was a girl. I was crushed. But since I was the only one there I had to weigh, do the foot prints, and clean her up all by myself while the Doctor was working on Mother. It took me a long time to get over not having a boy. I did not feel like blessing Rebekah until about two months later. But Rebekah made up for her "rejection" of her father by being the best baby we had. She slept through the night from almost the first night, and would lay in her crib until we came to get her in the morning. What a joy she has been in our lives. The cutiest thing was the way she would suck her thumb. She would put her thumb in her mouth with the palm facing up and play with her eyes with her fingers while sucking. She loved her thumb. In fact she was quite old before she stopped sucking it. I love you all

Amy's Birthday

When Amy was born we were living in Hyrum Utah. We were in a little house with a second story. It was cute but very small. In the middle of the night JoAnne woke up in pain. We had arranged for a neighbor to come and stay with Andrea and we were on our way to Logan. Mother was very agitated and yelled at me for going so fast. but there was good reason. The labor pains were very close together. When we got to the hospital the nurse took a look at JoAnne and yelled for help fast. They put JoAnne in a wheelchair and rushed her to the delivery room. They said she had to wait until the doctor got there. What seemed like a long time, was really only a few minutes the doctor arrived and in just a matter of minutes Amy's head cleared the birth canel and she let out a cry. She had been born and there was no stopping her. She really made a lot of noise and you could tell that Amy was going to be different. That is the thing I have learned about each of you kids, is that you were each born with the personalities you have. As long as Andrea took, Amy was just as short. I do not think we were in the hospital more than a half an hour and Amy was here. The one memory of have of her is the first time I picked her up and held her to me she put her hand around my neck and gave me a hug. I was in love with Amy from that moment on. I am very glad I am writing up these little stories. Because other wise they will be lost. I love you all.

Andrea's Birthday

This week I am going to write each day my feelings of the days each of you were born. Your mother and I had a paper route. On the 23rd of July mother woke up with labor pains. So we got up fast and mother drove the car as I threw the papers. Each time I would come back for more papers I would check how far apart the labor pains were. We would go on. As soon as the route was finished we went home and got ready to go to the hospital. Andrea you took your time in coming. We had to talk the doctor into letting me attend the birth. I was dressed in full surgacial clothers. from head to toe. I stood behind the doctor like I was an umpire. I had to assure him I would not faint. (after all I was a meat cutter). Finally the labor was over and out came Andrea, back in the old days there was no way of knowing what sex the baby was, so it was a joy and a surprise for both of us. Andrea you were so small. And yet so big (I could not believe you came out of such a small area) at the same time. They did not let me hold you until you were all weighed and cleaned. I was so overjoyed, I had wanted a baby for so long, and now I was holding you in my arms. I will never forget what it felt like.

Happy Mothers Day

I want to wish all the mothers in my family a happy Mothers day. I love you all

The Chamerlands

Lloyd and Nola Chamberland were friends of my parents. In fact Lloyd was a 70 with my dad and they spend many hours together doing missionary work. Lloyd was a little different. He was a very nice man and had three kids, but because he had epilpecy he could not drive. His wife did not drive either and so they walked where ever they went. Including 3 miles each way to church two times each Sunday. Daddy loved the Chamberlands and when ever he did not have to work on Sunday would give them a ride to Church. Lloyd was also Mother's home teacher after Daddy died and she also loved him. Well it soon came time for Lloyd to join the rest of the human race and die. Nola was an even more simple woman than Lloyd. He had kept all the money and she knew nothing of it. When he died she was left alone, and took it very hard. She said she kept praying to God to take her that she did not want to live without Lloyd. One night her sister was spending the night with her and she had a dream.

In the dream a woman dressed in white came to her and touched her on her shoulder. She motioned to Nola to come with her and told her that she had come so Nola could understand why Lloyd had died. She led Nola down a long hall and they arrived at a meeting room. The woman opened the door and inside were people sitting listening to a speaker. The speaker was Lloyd, Nola said she did not know anyone but did sse George Jones on the stand with Lloyd. The woman then asked Nola if she still wanted Lloyd back and she said no that she would manage without him.

Aunt Wanda got Nola to write down the dream for me, and it was in my scriptures but I can not find it. I thought I had better write it down before I forget it. I know this dream is true and not only did it help Nola but also me.

I have to relate the rest of the story, when I was 16 we built our chapel in San Bernardino. I am not proud of what I did but we were using a bucket chain to pour grout in the wall of the chapel. We as young teenagers were up as high as we could get and just below me was Lloyd Chamerland. These buckets of cement were some times too full and some slopped out and fell on Lloyd. Well I motioned to my friends to watch and each bucket got tipped just enough to splill a little cement on Lloyd. He had on bib overalls and we tried to get it down the bib. Well by the time we were done Lloyd was covered in cement. He never said a word. After my mission I felt very guilty for treating Lloyd that way. And I appoligised to him. He did not even remember it happening. I am sure he did but that was the way he was.

I found out that Lloyd was from Orderville, Ut. where Alan DeMille was raised. One day Alan put up some pictures of old Orderville with Thomas Chamerland and his 28 boys and 23 girls. Fifty one children. Lloyd was one of the youngest. Thomas had a few wives, but he was always my hero after that. Fifty one would have been great but I am most grateful for my seven. I love you all. All 21 of you.

Old stories

This morning I remembered a story about little Sarah when she was about three. George was taking JoAnne and I to the airport for a trip to see Rebekah in Glendale. We were stuck in traiffic, and going about 5 miles per hour. George looked in the rear view mirror and saw Sarah picking her nose. He asked her very nicely to stop, she did for a few seconds and looked over at me and asked "Grandpa do you pick your nose? " Needless to say I was taken aback I told her I had been known to a time or two. She then procided to ask JoAnne if she picked her nose. I had a very hard time NOT laughing out loud, until I was out of little Sarah's ear shot. This is one that I have remembered for a long time. Another just came to me and I think all of you will get a laugh out of this. I was babysitting Jonah one evening in Citrus Heights. He had an accident in his pants, and I put him on the toilet and told him to finish defecating and I would finish cleaning him up. The poor little boy looked up at me and said what is decating? We just call it poo. So much for teaching them while they are young and they will not depart therefrom. These grandchildren I really miss. We spend each Sunday sitting behind a family with little red headed boys like that couple in Fallbrook used to do to us. I can't remember their names. Hibbert? I would ask them why do you sit behind us we make so much noise. And they would reply we just enjoy seeing your little children. I feel the same way now. How grateful I am for God giving us little children. There is another one that just came to my mind. When Jethro was about 3 he was a wide as he was tall. Just a cute as a button. Our old bishop in Canyon View ward would always call him George. It really made Jethro mad. He would do it every sunday until Jethro clinched his fist and pointed it at the bishop and said you call me George one more time and I am going to pop you in the face. Jethro was alway Jethro after that.
I love you all.

Sunday

We had a very nice meeting today. I really enjoy going to Church down here. The people are so humble. Our high priest group leader is a policeman from the American embasey. He has been all over the world and married a girl from Soracaba, my first ward I worked in Brazil. She was not born yet when I was there but her mother remembered me. We had our first home teacher since 2001 and it was good to have someone. Everyone here treats me as if I have lived here my whole life. Sunday school was taught by a woman who was a member in the Sao Paulo ward I worked in second. She has been a member for about 48 years and her son is our home teacher. She gave the lesson on John chapter 9 about the blind man being healed on the sabath. It also was very good. Then we had fast and testimony meeting. One man got up who had been baptized within the last year with his family and said that his family and wife were leaving him because of the Church. But he knows that it is true and he is continueing to come to church. what a man of faith. What a feeling of love was in the meeting. I know the Gospel is true and am thankful for what I have. It is so very important that we all remain true to God at all cost.