Cousins

Today I am really excited because I did something that is very hard for me. I called one of my father's cousins and asked questions. While this may not seem like much to some, it is very difficult for me to have courage and call someone who I don't know and start a conversation.

The cousin I called was Pat Chadwick in Logan, Utah, she is the daughter of one of my grandfather's siblings, from the second wife. What a delightful conversation, she shared her condolences about my father's passing last year and said how happy she was that I reached out because there are a lot of cousins I need to know.

Steve (my husband) and I are going up to Franklin, Idaho next week to visit my parents grave, so Pat said she would love to drive me around to see all the historical sites for the Daines family. We're going to the place Robert and Jemima first lived in the valley, and the cemetery, as well as several other sites pertaining to William Moroni (my great-grandfather). It's a family history field trip.

What a treasure history is and finding those who lived it. One of my regrets was while my parents were living in my home I did not learn more from them. They moved in with us July 2013 and Mom passed Oct 2013, age 72, and Dad passed June 2014, age 75. We and they thought they had years left, and now I have boxes of stuff, and much of it I don't know anything about. Maybe the hand of providence is stepping in and helping me connect with Pat, so I can unravel some of the mysteries.

What an amazing journey this life is, the connections we make and the learning we gain. I am grateful everyday for my life.

Tune in next week for pictures and stories from my Family History field trip of Hyde Park, and Logan, Utah , as well as, Franklin and Preston, Idaho.