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Food for Thought:
Let the children play
And sit like flowers upon thy grave
And crown with flowers, that hardly have
A briefer blooming-tide than they.
--Francis Turner Palgrave |
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Staying Connected
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Dad and I had a busy week...a few days in Salt Lake trying to get people to WORK so we can move, a wedding in Rockford, Illinois, and a day in Denver with Joe and family, Aaron and Alice, Kathy and the Broncos. We ate a little humble pie in Denver, but...it was fun! I'm sunburned and can barely speak from all the vocal support I gave the Broncos, but...it really was fun.
Thought you might like to hear about the Copens in Rockford and the fun two days we had with them. Everyone from Dallas's first family was there...his wife Judy, their three children Debbie, Mark and Scott, and all of their children AND grandchildren! Yes...Scott is a grandfather...twice! I'm still getting used to that idea (I think Scott is 40). We had such a great time with all of them. We met great nieces and nephews we have only heard about, as well as two great-great nieces (just one and two years old). We arrived in Rockford (a very nice city in northern Illinois) on Thursday night. Most of the family arrived on Friday, along with a very heavy snowstorm, which continued through the night. We went to a fun rehearsal dinner, slipping and sliding all the way, and met many more people. Saturday dawned bright and clear...thank goodness. The wedding was in an old and very beautiful Methodist church and the ceremony was short, and very moving. I started crying as soon as we entered the sanctuary and didn't stop until the ceremony was over. I so wished my brother could have been there to see his beautiful family and celebrate with them. I especially liked it when the minister asked those in the congregation if they would do everything they could to support this young couple and help them to have a successful marriage. How great is that...how important! We stayed at the church to be in the family photos, then went to a nearby women's club for a wedding reception and dinner.
I can't tell you how amazing it was to see how that little family of three children has grown into a very large group of loving family members. They are all such good, happy people who truly love each other. They said, over and over, how grateful they were that we had come to the wedding and we were never alone for a moment...someone was always coming over to visit and get to know us better. We enjoyed it so much. I would surely love to get all the Copens together...I'm not sure how or where we could do that but...I'm going to ponder it and talk to people. We need to reach out to the Stout cousins, as well. Christina loved being part of such a big family at the family reunion. She really has no extended family, other than ours. We need to stay in touch with her, and with her sister Jessica.
There was a great deal of interest in Family History and that will definitely be my first priority, once we are settled in Salt Lake. I am entering all the family histories we have into the computer, and should finish that before the end of summer. I'll be able to send each family a paper copy and a CD so you can continue to share it with your children. We have some pretty impressive ancestors who certainly make me want to do more and BE more. It would be so great if YOU could each start a personal history which we can add to that collection at some point in time. You are such gifted writers...what wonderful histories you can "gift" those who will follow.
It is going to be a major challenge to keep up with these ever-growing branches of our family tree. I now feel like I have a real mission to perform (with a lot of help from Chris and Nate and their computer talents). I can't wait to get everything organized so our ever-expanding family can stay connected.
posted by Carolee at 5:22 PM
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