But the Child that is born on the Sabbath Day.....

.... is bonny and blythe and good and happy. Well, I can't use the other word!!!
It seems only a few short years ago that Archie asked me how I felt about my kids turning 30!!!!! now my Grandkids are turning 30 and Archie is the second of our kids to turn 50!!!!!
He was born at home, 36 Trassey Close Belfast, At 4:20am on a Sunday morning. While we waited for the midwife to come it was just Mom and Dad (Lesley was asleep in another room) waiting. All was quiet and dark and we were just waiting....... a very special spiritual moment. He was named Archie after his paternal Grandfather, and does a great job of honoring him. As a baby he "failed" to thrive and was in hospital for several weeks. A good friend Sammy Douglas, fasted for two days before going with Alan to administer to Archie and within two days Archie was home and hasn't looked back. He was always a quiet child not always talking but when he did he would use BIG words and speak clearly. We would look at each other in amazement. He was always quite patient BUT if you teased him enough he would let you know, as in one time when we were living at Uncle Roy's waiting to come to Salt Lake, Keith teased him enough that he formed a fist and said to Keith, "If you don't watch it I'll give you that" He wasn't yet three. He has always been very loving and compassionate. Once I was potty training one of the littler ones and Archie sat on the bathroom floor to keep the child company and said, "don't worry, your Archie is here". He was about six.

In later years he introduced his Dad and I to the National Park in Utah that is named after him !!!!! Well, it would have been if the namers knew him!!!!!
He is a hard worker and is/was welcomed with open arms when LDS hospital was changing it's computer system. He brings a feeling of competency with him. And always with a laugh and a smile.
He served a mission in Auckland, New Zealand. And later when the girls attended Catholic private school was involved in their various activities. The Priests enjoyed his humor.
He is very generous and kind. He is surrounded by women, he has a wife and three daughters, even the dog is a girl. I admire him.
He is very tender-hearted and has a philosophy that when JuLee is happy everyone is happy. Smart man.
He loves the Lord and his neighbor. He goes the extra mile.



Alyssa, Archie, JuLee, Ammanda, and Aubree.
You will have to imagine a lovely yellow lab "Biscuit" at their feet

I enjoy reading Archie's blog. I have learned a lot about him.

Happy Birthday son, and many more. We love you .

P.S. Take another look at Lesley's family friday on Archie and everyone's comments.

A GIRL!!!!!!

WHAT JOY!!!!
After three boys we were excited to have another girl. Lesley couldn't believe she had a sister!!!! She was born on the day before Thanksgiving and named Lilian after my Mother. So, being so excited to have a girl how do I explain my leaving her all alone when just a few weeks old in the laundromat? I can't. And, being so excited to have a girl how do I explain leaving her behind at the Church when she was 4 years old? I can't. I am just grateful I missed her and went back, and that a neighbor recognized we had left her behind and brought her home.
She was hospitalized for several weeks, starting at New Year's of 1967, first with pneumonia and then other unspecified conditions. What a worry! It took about 6 weeks but finally she came home to stay.
We all delighted in our baby girl. Even in the cause of photography when her Dad took away her easter egg and caused her to cry. It made good video but......... and then when we took her to the beach for the first time when she was 18 months she didn't like the sand so would stay on the blanket. Suited me, we didn't have to chase after her :o)
Nowadays she loves the beach and all that it entails, and she loves Disneyland.


She is the loving and devoted Mother of 5 boys, and has served in all capacities of Cub scouting. She has earned the right to be happy that her boys have out grown that program. She has been a diligent supporter of her Taylor as he has been involved in marching band and music. Now she is into missions and marriages as her eldest boy got married.

Although born in Bountiful, Utah she is proud of her British heritage and has visited England a couple of times and knows her way around like a native, or even better than some. :o) On one of her trips she saw the Queen or should I say the Queen got to see her.

She is the Queen of scrapbooking and got all of us involved in blogging. She has a nice big home and is always generous in sharing her home for family parties etc.
She makes fabulous sugar cookies and takes time to decorate them.
She has developed (no pun intended) a talent for photography and is generous in sharing her talent.
She has several friends who love to party with her and enjoy the ridiculous.
She is very patient.

She is devoted to the Lord and fulfills all callings as they are extended to her. She is teaching her boys to honor their Priesthood and women. She is someone I look up to and respect.

We love you Lilian, always have, always will. Happy Birthday Sweetheart and many more.

Lilian and her favorite people at one of her favorite places

Gone are the years......

... In Church last Sunday one of the speakers referred to things we used to do in the Church which set us thinking. Here are some of the changes we came up with. If you remember others please feel free to comment.

We used to have Stake Conferences quarterly, and always had a General Authority. I don't remember if we had Saturday metings, but we always had a morning session 10am, and an afternoon session 2pm. Many people did not return for the pm session and the popular opinion was that the Saviour would return at the Sunday afternoon session.:o)

General Conference was held for three days and always included two sessions on Friday, and April conference always included April 6th whatever day of the week it was.

Priesthood meeting (in our case) was 10am Sunday, with Sunday School at 11:30 and Sacrament meeting at 6pm. Sunday School always had sacrament with a child saying a "Sacrament Gem" and the congregation repeating it. There were always two, two and a half minute talks, and a song practise and then dismiss to classes. This format changed with the introduction of the block schedule.

We used to have Stake meetings every month. Sunday School, Primary, Mutual (MIA), Relief Society. A roll call was held by Ward and there was some "fun" in seeing which Ward had the most attendees. These were similiar to current twice yearly training meetings.

We used to pay budget every month. Sometimes we were assessed by the Bishop. We used to have building funds, the Ward and Stake had a certain percentage to pay for a building, again we were assessed and also opportunities were there to work off some of the debt. It is always the Church policy that a building cannot be dedicated until it is paid for.
We had a building assessment for the building of the Jordan River Temple. These financial needs were abolished when the Church provided all monies. Except tithing of course, that is always a commandment and a blessing.

Relief Society used to require membership dues. And every year they held a Bazaar to raise money for their expenses.

We used to have "Penny Drives" for the PCH, and also children when they had a birthday always contributed a penny for every year. This was done in Primary meetings as they came up to be sung to. We also had Children's Friend drives. In these drives we paired up two by two and visited every home in the Ward to collect pennies, or to get subscriptions for the Children's Friend. We always had a "potluck" lunch afterwards, and all the pre-schoolers were tended at the church. One year at the lunch just about everyone brought jello salad. Another year one of the children in the nursery broke out with German Measles the day afterwards and in 6 weeks just about every family was affected by the measles.

Primary was held after school on Tuesday, or Wednesday. This also changed with the block schedule.

Home Teaching used to be Ward Teaching. We always struggled for FHE until Joseph Fielding Smith said Monday Night was to be set aside for this. "The Ensign" replaced "The Instructor" and "The Improvement Era" and the "Relief Society Magazine". "The Friend" replaced the Children's Friend.

He Could be President of the United States of America!!!!!!!!

....because he was born in Utah on September 12 1963. And because we had emigrated to Utah in October of 1962 I refer to him as "our first born in the wilderness" :o) Alan several times wished he had been born in Britain and this qualifying to be President, was his consolation prize.
He was born in Bountiful, Utah on a Thursday. And according to the rhyme Thursday's child has far to go. And he has travelled far. He and Tara went to Northern Ireland last year
He is the only one who has moved out of State, Nevada, Arizona and California. And much as I prefer my kids to stay close to home he has nevertheless given us lots of opportunities to explore other places. He went to the Philippines on his mission (I wanted him to go to Britain, but then VicVic would not be part of our family) and has travelled back there three more times. In High School he was the only one of the children who participated in so many school programs. He represented Viewmont in running, golf, swim team, band and was very talented in Radio and TV. He created a video that was used in the "U" journalism program, and when he went to an interview there the teacher showed him this video and said this was the standard they were looking for. Alan told him he made the demo. :o) He also graduated from the University of Utah. He worked at Channel 4 before his mission and at Channel 5 after his mission. He works in the TV industry and is a TV News anchor in Chico, CA. He is very adventuresome and when he moves into a new area he is quick to become acquainted with the roads. He has climbed the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge, and loves the ocean.
He has had adversity in his life but is the better man for it. He is loving and kind and loves to be with his siblings. He loves the Lord, he loves his parents, oh, and he loves Dick's bread

His family is important to him. He is Marivic's number one fan. They love each other and their children.
He is a good man and we love him. Happy Birthday son, and many more

39 years later

On Saturday 15th August 1970 we moved into our home. The one we are still in. It was the first house in a new sub-division that was the first of MANY sub-divisions that now almost completely crowd West Bountiful all these years later.!!!!

(We could see North to Ogden, and we watched the fireworks at Lagoon)
There was Alan and I and five children. We added another child within a year.
(We could see all surrounding areas East and to 10th North)
Our home had 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom and an unfinished basement. We have remodelled the kitchen, added a deck, finished a bedroom, family room, bathroom, and laundry room in the basement. Painted and papered several times, recarpeted probably 4 times, added 2 trees in the backyard, planted a chesnut found on the Capitol grounds that has grown into a huge tree, and changed landscaping many times. Lived in 2 Stakes and 2 Wards. On the day we moved in the Stake President Clarence Samuelson and 6 of the Seven Presidents of Seventy (Alan was the 7th) in our Stake moved the piano into it's place in the living room where it has remained. It is the only thing original to the house on that date. We replaced windows and cement and widened the driveway. We have had happy times and sad times, we have welcomed additions to the family through marriages and births, we have watched kids move away in-State and out-of-State, and move back and still we are here. As I researched pictures for this post, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF LIVING AND LOVING in our home.



This other Eden, demi-paradise,......
.....This happy breed of men, this little world,
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, ......
King Richard II. Act ii. Sc. 1. [text]

(I hope no one objects if I quote the Bard out of context)

There are two sayings displayed in our home.

One Irish

(A 100,000 welcomes)

the other scripture.

AND WE DO

Timothy....on this date in history....1961

.... was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland at 9:45pm on a Saturday night.
He was born at home. No panic, that is what we planned. The midwife visited me at home throughout my pregnancy and the doctor came to the house when he was called but Timothy arrived before he did. That was the British National Health system. (Lady Diana Spencer was born the same day)He was always a pleasant baby except for the evening he cried and cried in his crib, when his Dad went to check on him he found him hanging by his neck because the cord in his pj's had caught on the rail. Before his 1st birthday the decision was made to emigrate to Utah. Alan came first and as we waited to come I would not encourage Timothy to walk because I wanted his Daddy to be there. He was just 15 months old when we left Belfast and arrived in Utah.


He was the first of our children to graduate from University and he later passed his CPA exam and does his siblings taxes for them, also ours.
He served his mission in Brazil so is the only one of our children to speak a foreign language. While he was on his mission he taught the Brazilian children/people to do "Pay the Rent" which was something he learned at home but the Portuguese makes it a lot more fun. Plus he embellishes it SOOOOO much. Also, a very important part of family birthday celebrations is to have Tim sing the birthday song in Portuguese. He keeps up his language skills by reading the Book of Mormon and praying in Portuguese.
He is a very smart man, he lives just 5 minutes from his workplace so doesn't have to commute !!!!!!!
When he was in Primary he sang with a Primary choir in the Tabernacle, and quite a few years later gave a prayer at a priesthood meeting in the Tabernacle.
He is a righteous man, loves the Lord and serves diligently in all of his callings.
He is a good Dad and is looking forward to his first grandchild, a girl, coming in August. He loves his wife and takes care of her. He is a good brother and friend and has always been a hard conscientious worker, even as a boy when doing his chores.
It is wonderful to focus on a particular child. So many things and experiences come to mind. And we are grateful for this child, young man, man, son.
We love you son,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND MANY MORE.