I grew up in a middle class suburb in the high desert of Southern California. Although I was born in the San Francisco Bay Area, my family moved to the desert when I was very young so I spent most of my early life there. When people who are not from California think of it, I see their eyes light up as if they are imagining palm trees, beaches and movie stars. And sure, those things are there, but Inland California where I am from, it is nothing like the glamorous Hollywood that you see on television. It is much like the rest of Middle America: somewhat suburban and rural, with lots of housing developments, shopping centers and restaurants. In my town, there wasn’t a whole lot going on, but in the late 1980s, houses were cheap. My parents took advantage of this and moved us into a large two story home with an in-ground jacuzzi in a nice housing development near a private lake and a country club. My parents were ordinary, blue collar, middle class high school graduates with some business and real estate experience, but we lived at an inflated standard compared to the reality of now. I grew up knowing nothing different.

I never wanted for much at all. I don’t recall ever asking for anything, but it seemed that I always had more than I wanted or needed. Pulling out the Mervyn’s or Montgomery Ward credit cards for a back to school wardrobe was typical.

From time to time, I would see my parents struggle. There would be tension in the house over finances. My dad commuted to Los Angeles everyday for his managerial job, and that was not a short drive. It was about 3 or 4 hours round trip. My parents, who didn’t know any better and weren’t taught any better, would simply finance things that they couldn’t afford right then. They always took pride in their FICO scores. I knew what a credit score was way before I knew how compound interest worked.

Like everyone caught in the lies told to middle class consumers, my family’s financial stability depended on the ebb and flow of the normal economic cycles. The job market, the real estate market, mortgage rates, and so on. There were some times that were tough. For much of my childhood, I learned what it meant to be “house poor”. We lived in a nice house and had nice things, but I ate fried bologna sandwiches for lunch, and canned green beans, meatloaf, and fried potatoes for dinner.

I don’t point the finger at my parents or blame them for not having the knowledge to do things differently. Like me as a parent, they did the best they could. They wanted me and my sister to live in a nice house and wear new clothes, whether they could afford it or not. My mom, who grew up very poor, would probably lay down and die before she would let me grow up the way she did. And my dad, well, he was raised by The Greatest Generation. He knew nothing besides working hard, saving what he could, and being frugal.

The schemas that were taught to me have had a great effect on how I deal with money now. For example, I was taught that being frugal in and of itself was a virtue. But, is it really? If you are pinching every penny with no goal in mind and no budget, are you really being that wise? The truth is, probably not. I always thought that having nice things, like brand name clothes, was a sign of financial wealth. But, I know now that is false. Most people walking around have decent clothes, but the majority of people do not even have $1000 saved up in case of an emergency.

My husband and I have gone from literal poverty to middle class stability through the grace of God and lots of hard work, but we have not arrived yet. There is still lots of work to be done. We don’t worry about where our next meal or tank of gas will come from, but we do wonder if we will be able to retire comfortably someday, or if we will ever pay off our student loans.

This last Summer, I put my foot down and had enough. We had just bought our first house earlier this year. Having a mortgage and a growing family meant that things just got real. No more messing around. No more acting like we were 25 and buying unnecessary things to make ourselves look cooler.

I was always afraid to really stick to a budget. If I am being honest, I got knots in my stomach each time I logged into online banking to check our balance. I was afraid of what I would find. I didn’t want to face the truth about the wasted money and inefficiencies of our financial lives.

Out of necessity, I began to get the courage to educate myself on family finances. And let me tell you, there were some hard truths to face.

I started listening to the Dave Ramsey Show podcast, and then I read his book, The Total Money Makeover. I used to think financial books were just for Republican Dads with gray hair. I didn’t think there was anything to learn. If I had no money, then it wouldn’t do me any good to learn all those fancy words like “IRA” and “APR” now, would it? 😂

I am here to tell you that I was an idiot. I was wrong. I should have done this a long time ago.

Dave always says things that I remember when dealing with finances. Act your wage. Live within your means. But one thing he has talked about that has really stuck with me is: Change Your Family Tree.

I don’t do things the way I was taught anymore. I have made some hard rules that I will not go back on. One of those is avoid debt at all costs. Whatever it is, it does not need to go on a credit card. I promise you.

There are lots more little things I’ve learned that are quickly helping my family and I get on the track to paying off debt and building wealth.

DOING IT DAVE RAMSEY’S WAY

I love Dave Ramsey. I am a fan all the way. I listen to his podcast religiously. I’ve read his book, The Total Money Makeover. Our family abides by the Baby Steps, we use the free EveryDollar app for budgeting (which I update everyday, sometimes several times a day, and there is not a dollar spent that does not have a job). I love his Tennessee accent and his no nonsense approach. He is the man who understands middle class finances, except now he is a millionaire, and he thinks everyone should know exactly how to become one, if they choose. It’s really not complicated. Did you know that 86% of millionaires are self-made? It really blows the whole “born with a silver spoon” mentality out of the water. There are no excuses; no such thing as the Haves and the Have Nots. If you want financial stability and wealth, there is a way to do it, and Dave will show you.

BRING IN EXTRA INCOME

When we first started saving our $1000 emergency fund and paying off our debt snowball, my husband actually picked up an after work gig. It was only a few hundred dollars a month, but believe it or not, it made a huge difference. We were able to eliminate two balances from our debt snowball, and now we are on to the bigger ones. He did that until he couldn’t anymore, meaning he suffered from colossal burnout. I would never advocate anyone stretching themselves to the point of insanity. But if you are willing to work hard, you can make great things happen. I also started thinking of every single thing I could to bring in extra money. Since I am a licensed hairstylist, I sometimes give haircuts to friends and family which brings in a little money, but I wanted to start thinking bigger. I put out an ad to start babysitting children in my home. I knew it would be hard because I am pregnant and already a mother of three. But I did get a little babysitting job that temporarily brought in some more money. I also applied for a teaching position with VIPKID, which is an online remote English teaching program for Chinese students. It pays $14-22 an hour and you set your own schedule. It requires a Bachelor’s Degree and some teaching experience, both of which I have. Now that I have been doing that for a few months, I make enough so that my husband doesn’t need to work any second jobs and I don’t need to babysit. It is a legitimate work-from-home part time job. I have a home office “classroom” with a laptop and headphones, and I wake up early every morning before my kids to teach. I work anywhere from 8-12 hours per week. (If this is something that interests you, get in touch with me and I can help you!)

There have been some setbacks. Since I am pregnant, there have been some large medical bills, as well as some expensive car repairs. Only, we had the money this time and we didn’t need to put it on a credit card. What a concept! It is a great feeling to have a house of order financially. We aren’t swimming in money, but we have all we need. When we have run out of money in a certain budget category, that’s it. We don’t spend anymore. It takes discipline, but it is worth it.

FRUGAL WITH A PURPOSE

I don’t pinch pennies anymore “just because”. I do it because I want to use money for important things, like saving to pay cash for a car and getting rid of our car payment. I get groceries at Walmart and The Dollar Tree more often than not, and we eat pretty healthy. I always have a wide variety of food and snacks to keep my kids happy. We get a lot of hand me downs for clothes, as we have been incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by people who are glad to pass down their gently used clothes to my kids. You might see them in The North Face or Columbia jackets, but I can guarantee you, I did not buy them new. And that goes for everything I wear, too. Literally 90% of my wardrobe comes from the Goodwill or consignment stores, and if I do buy something new, its probably from Target. My husband has been fixing up our house himself, and he had redone the kitchen and refurbished the original hardwood floors entirely by himself. It takes longer, but it’s good for people to get their hands dirty and do real work, I think. There are lots of little things that we do to save money, but they are automatic at this point. They are a given. Spending needless money is not a habit we practice.

Those are just some of the things I am doing to change my family tree. My mom’s ancestors were “Okies”- poor, Dust Bowl Era Southerners. Living in poverty is really problematic in so many ways. There are a lot of things that contribute to family dysfunction, but it seems that alcoholism, addiction, abuse, depression, and disease are all strongly correlated with poverty. That’s not to say that money makes all your problems go away. But when you have money, you just don’t have the same kind of problems that lead to the downward spiral of misery. If you can afford a healthy lifestyle, that impacts your healthcare costs. If you aren’t drowning in debt, you have money to save for retirement. If you aren’t living paycheck to paycheck, you have more time to pursue things that bring happiness into your life, which makes you live longer and with purpose. Being financially stable is a good, righteous pursuit. That is why I am doing it.

What is your reason? How do you feel about money? What were you taught about money from your family? How do you hope to change things for future generations?

Rachael was my only full blooded sister, and though I am blessed with another half sister that I don’t feel is any less of a sister to me than Rachael, I do share much of the same upbringing and experiences with Rachael. The age differences between the three of us are large: 12 years between me and my older sis, and 7 years between Rachael and I. Most of the time, it hasn’t felt like the age difference has mattered. Rachael and I still shared clothes, listened to the same music, liked the same things, and I always knew I could count on sharing a Margherita pizza with her at any restaurant. Along with dark hair and hazel eyes, we must have also both inherited the same taste buds. She was truly my best friend.

On October 18, 2010, she had an asthma attack that rushed her to the hospital and put her in a deep coma. She lost all brain activity and could not recover. She was taken off life support on October 24th, 2010.

Sometimes, I forget the anniversary because it is hard to pin down what day she left. The entire time period was awful for me and my family. I feel her loss everyday and I think about her all the time even 8 years later, so a death anniversary doesn’t necessarily mean much to me anymore. But what does mean something to me is her birthday, November 1st. She didn’t quite make it to her 20th birthday, but this year she would be 28! She would be older than I was when I lost her. As time goes on, it really sinks in that her life was in the past, and that reminder hurts. When she died, she and all her friends were typical 20 year olds who were experiencing adulthood for the first time and spent most of their time going to college, working hard, and playing hard. They spent all their time together, and they cherished their social connections most of all. Today, her friends are all adults in much of the same way that I am. They are getting married and having families. They are buying houses, traveling the world, and advancing in their careers. It is hard to imagine Rachael doing those things. But as the years have gone on, I have found a renewed desire to celebrate her life not just as a sad event that is passed, but as a wonderful remembrance of my love for her.

I feel more of a personal connection with Rachael because she is my sister, but losing her has played a big part in my desire to learn about my ancestors. Of course I want to learn about them; they are with her.

Ideas to Remember Ancestors

SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Every year on November 1st, which is also All Saints‘ Day and the day before All Souls’ Day and Dia De Los Muertos, I either buy or make a birthday cake for my sister, Rachael. For me, it brings my love for her into the present. To sing to her on her birthday celebrates her life. It brings warm feelings of remembrance and love for her.

VISIT THEM

If you can manage it, try and make it to their grave once a year. Bring them flowers or a trinket that reminds you of them. Or, bring them their favorite hoagie, and sit and have lunch with them. Make yourself comfortable. Speak to them in the same familiar way you would if they were sitting beside you. You might cry, but I promise you, the tears are cleansing and cathartic. You will leave feeling joyful, as if you were in their presence once again.

HANG A PHOTO OF THEM

I know it isn’t as common these days to display photos of ancestors in our homes, but maybe we should. I am a big believer that home decor should be personal and authentic rather than just trendy and generic. What if you downloaded some photos from Ancestry or FamilySearch and printed them to put in a decorative frame in your home somewhere? It is a great conversation starter, and it helps your children learn about their ancestors. I know their have been many times when I have looked into the faces of my people and said to them, “I hope I make you proud.”

DO WHAT THEY DID

Did your ancestor have a hobby or a profession that defined them? Perhaps they were a great writer, or they loved to sew or knit. Why not take it up yourself? Maybe it’s in your genes and you will discover a talent you didn’t know you had. My great grandmother was a nurse, and so was my grandmother. I wish I had gone into nursing when I was in college. Maybe someday, I will go back and do it. My grandmother also loved to write, and I think I definitely inherited the love of creative writing from her. By learning a skill that they had, you will gain a sense of identity and feel a connection to them.

WRITE ABOUT THEM

What if you wrote a biography of your ancestor or relative and published it? On FamilySearch, there is a Memories section where you can upload or write about your ancestors. Perhaps there are already stories about many of your ancestors, but I am willing to bet that you hold some precious memories that no one else has but would be cherished by others, including even some of your distant cousins you didn’t know you had. Most of what I have learned about my ancestors has been because of what others have shared. I am so glad they did!

These are just a few suggestions. I’m sure it doesn’t even scratch the surface of all of the good ideas out there.

I promise you that as you seek to learn about and grow to love your ancestors, you will receive a greater assurance that your loved ones you have lost will feel more close by, and the pain of losing them will feel less like a goodbye and more like a see you later. 🖤

Have you ever wondered how your ancestors celebrated Halloween? It’s such an odd holiday compared to the rest of them, it seems. While other holidays, such as the Fourth of July and Christmas, seem to involve bright lights and joyous celebrations, Halloween is commemorated each year with fake spiderwebs, witch hats, and scary Jack O Lanterns. It is a holiday that celebrates all things dark, and yet, people everywhere love it! When you think about it… it is a bit strange.

Halloween, or All Hallows’ Eve as it was called in olden times, has a history that dates back to ancient European origins. Many of us have heard bits and pieces of Halloween’s history, but few of us can really comprehend our own ancestors taking part in some of these rituals. However, we know that they did. Here is how.

ANCIENT ORIGINS

As with many American holidays, Halloween has European origins. The Celts- the ancestors of the Scottish, Irish, English and Welsh- celebrated the pre-Christian pagan festival of Samhain. There have been discoveries of Neolithic tombs in Ireland that align with the sunrise around the time of Samhain, which shows that the holiday may have ancient significance dating back to prehistoric times.The ritual involves lighting bonfires, which were believed to have cleansing powers. It was a time believed to be a conduit between the Spirit realm and the earthly. Even our Stone Age ancestors believed in an afterlife and mourned their dead.

WELSH INFLUENCE

Of course the Welsh had a say in the history of Halloween, obviously. With their passion, music, and culture, how could they not? If carrying around a decapitated horse head and singing carols was their idea of a Merry Christmas, one can only imagine what Halloween was like.

Masks and costumes originated with the ancient Celts, and was believed to protect them from evil spirits. In the 19th and 20th centuries, men in Glamorgan, Wales would often crossdress. (And yes, now I am picturing my own ancestors in drag, like some Monty Python bit.) The festival of Calan Gaeaf also marked the beginning of Winter, and like many cultures throughout the world, was believed to be a day when the spirits of the dead returned to earth to visit.

There are some scary traditions associated with the holiday, such as writing one’s name on a stone and throwing it in a fire. If any stone went missing after the fire went out, the person bearing the name would be the next to die. Horror movie plot, anyone?

Although I admit, I find the Welsh dark streak a bit endearing and relateable. It must be in my genes.

MERGING WITH CHRISTIAN BELIEFS

Later on, as Christianity spread throughout the world, the pagan holidays were combined with the feast of All Hallows’, which is traced back to as early as 731. During All Hallows’, Christians would remember their dead by lighting candles and visiting cemeteries, among other celebrations. Carrying lanterns made out of carved out turnips were primitive Jack O Lanterns, and were believed to represent the souls of the departed.

Before the Reformation, Halloween was not typically a scary or dark holiday. It was more like a celebration or a remembrance of the dead, as often done in cultures throughout the world. After the Reformation, Protestants challenged the doctrines associated with All Hallows’ celebrations. Since they did not believe in Purgatory or in souls returning to earth, they believed that any spirits that did return were actually evil spirits, or devils.

COLONIAL AMERICA

Halloween spread to America with the early colonists. Anglicans and Catholics celebrated All Hallows’ Eve, while Puritans were adamantly opposed. As we know, a mere mention of practicing witchcraft would mean execution. In other parts of the country, such as Cajun Louisiana, Halloween celebrations were more common. In Mexico, the Day of the Dead, or Dia De Los Muertos, became popular in the 20th century, which combined ancient indigenous celebrations honoring the dead with the traditional Catholic All Saints’ Day celebration brought over by the Spanish settlers. It wasn’t until the late 18th and early 18th centuries, when Irish and Scottish immigrants began to arrive in the United States, that Halloween began to resemble the holiday that it is today.

HALLOWEEN IN MODERN TIMES

The first mass-produced Halloween costumes began to appear in stores around the 1930s. With the onset of television, Halloween began to be popularized into what it is today. In the 1950s, trick or treating became a popular custom for children. In the 1970s, there was a shift from traditional costumes – such as witches and ghosts – to pop culture characters, ranging from Disney to Marvel and even Star Wars. Today, Halloween marks one of the biggest commercial holidays in the United States.

This year, and maybe even from now on, I am going to look at Halloween with a new perspective. Instead of cringing when I see the Halloween decor in the store and making up excuses for why we won’t decorate our porch with plastic bats whenever my daughter asks, I am going to attempt to incorporate some of these ancient historic traditions from my European Celtic heritage into the present. Maybe I will set out some photographs of my ancestors and light some candles. Maybe I will even take it a step further and freak out the neighbors by carving Jack o Lanterns out of turnips.

Do you have any Halloween traditions in your family or your culture? Share them with me!

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

Wikipedia. Halloween, Wikipedia.org. Accessed 20 October 2018.

Wikipedia. Calen Gaeaf, Wikipedia.org. Accessed 20 October 2018.

Business Casual. How Did Halloween Become Commericalized? Retrieved from YouTube.com. Accessed 21 October 2018.

On my kitchen counter sits a set of cowboy hat salt and pepper shakers with a boot in the middle for holding toothpicks. It is admittedly cheesy and kitsch; it certainly does not go along with the Joanna Gaines-esque look I’ve been going for (read: “going for” being the operative word here). Someone walking through my house might look at it and surely think it an odd choice.

I happen to love it. Do you know why?

I love it because it was given to me, along with a box full of other odds and ends from my grandparents’ house.

Some of you may already know this story, but my set of living grandparents are actually my mom’s stepmom and stepdad. Yes, together. You read that correctly. They married each other! Her real parents were divorced and both of them remarried. When they passed away at relatively young ages (early 60s), their widowed spouses were introduced by my mom and, needless to say, they hit it off. They have been together for over 20 years and are both now well into their eighties, living happily ever after.

Unfortunately, as families sometimes do, we were estranged for most of that time. When I was about 12, we lost contact with them. I don’t know all the details of the story. But I do know that I had a loving set of grandparents since birth, but after age 12, I never saw them again.

After I became interested in learning about my family history, I wondered about Mimi and Grandpa (as they were always known to me). I didn’t know if they were still alive, or if they still lived in the same place. One day, I got up the courage to call. A sweet Southern accent picked up the phone. It was Mimi, and she was glad to hear from me!

In no time, she was back to calling me Baby and Sugar, just like when I was a child. We became reacquainted, and suddenly, at 34 years old, I had grandparents again. It was pretty unbelievable!

That Christmas, I received a package with gifts lovingly wrapped for me and each member of my family, with tags that had “Love Mimi and Grandpa” written in familiar handwriting that I remember so well. It was as if I got a piece of my childhood back. It was incredibly special.

The following Spring, I drove down to North Carolina with my three girls in tow and we stayed over Spring Break in the familiar house I knew so well, though it felt much smaller this time. My biological grandma’s ashes had been spread over the hillside where their house sat atop the Blue Ridge Mountains, and I went out there to pay my respects.

When Mimi gave me this salt and pepper shaker, it wasn’t any special heirloom or anything like that. It was just an extra thing they had lying around. But, for some reason, it reminded me of when Mimi was married to my Grandpa Art (mom’s biological dad) who passed away from cancer in 1995. They lived in Texas, and we would sit around at the table while she cooked buffalo and fried okra for supper. My grandparents were Texans, and even though I only lived in the South for short amounts of time as a child, I feel a kinship with my deep Texas and Oklahoma roots.

What about you? What is your family story? Maybe your family has a long, proud heritage with lots of beautiful heirlooms and photos. Or, maybe you are like me, and you come from a blue collar background full of people who struggled and worked hard their whole lives, and you don’t have much at all.

No matter your background, I promise you, there are many ways you can incorporate family history into your home!

HANG IT ON YOUR WALL

Ditch the generic overpriced decor from big box stores that is made to look “old” and instead look for things that have meaning to you personally. Whether it is a framed needlepoint from the 1970s made by your great grandma or a gallery wall of reprints of old photos dressed up in interesting frames, find things that tell a story about who you are and where you came from.

FLOWERS HAVE MEANING

I am not just talking about the traditional symbolic meanings assigned to different flowers, such as white lilacs (innocence) or lilies (humility). Is there a special flower that you or someone in your family tree loved in particular? When I looked through the newspaper archives from The Library of Congress, I found a wedding announcement from my great grandparents’ wedding in the Society section. Every flower in the parlor and dining room was described, including pink and white roses. I have made it a point to decorate with either silk or real pink and white roses in my home whenever I get the chance. Try looking through old family photos, or ask your oldest living relatives. You never know, maybe your great grandparents have a wedding announcement somewhere out there yet to be discovered by you! I don’t know about you, but I would much rather look at those sitting on my mantle instead of some generic plastic succulents from IKEA.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Do you shudder at the thought of having to keep all of your parents’ or grandparents’ nicnacs one day, or worse yet, paying for a storage unit to house them? Take it from me, a certifiable sentimental hoarder (who is also oddly a clutter-loathing minimalist) – you do not need to keep everything. If your mom’s duck-themed plates from the 90s that you used to microwave pizza rolls on when you came home from school aren’t your jam, don’t lose sleep over it. I’m sure the local Goodwill can make perfectly good use of them. But, let’s say you do feel some guilt over it. No worries, just save one glass from the collection and use it as a utensil holder in your kitchen, or a small vase for fresh flowers. Problem solved.

MAKE A PRETTY FAMILY CHART

Gone are the days of painting an elaborate mural on the den wall that traces back to your Scottish royal coat of arms. You don’t need something big and gaudy! Remember, less is more. Try having one custom made from a modern family chart designer like I Chart You, which specializes in modern, stylish pedigree charts you will be proud to display in your home.

MAKE YOUR OWN 

Don’t have any family heirlooms to display in your home? Not to worry. There are still ways you can incorporate your heritage into your home life. Perhaps you come from an unknown background and all you have to go on is an AncestryDNA test to tell you your ethnicity. You can still find interesting pieces for your home that symbolize those places. If your ancestors were from Ghana, you could find a print of a painting of an African woman or a beautiful woven basket. If you know you have ancestors from a certain time and place, but you don’t have an actual photo of them, try searching stock image collections, such as the ones available on Library of Congress. Many photos do not have copyright restrictions and you can download them to print and display in your home.

With a little creative thinking, you can bring the Spirit of Elijah into your home in a way that not only your family will notice, but also friends and neighbors. It will spark conversations and foster a spirit of love and familiarity that will touch the hearts of all who enter your home.

And no, this is not a sponsored post or anything of the sort. I just really have to tell you about how much I love Living Scriptures!

I bet you expect me to tell you something sappy and spiritual about how their animated films have filled my household with the Spirit and given my children an unshakable testimony of the Gospel and left them begging for me to keep watching, right?

Well, if that is the case, I am sorry and a little disappointed to admit that it was actually like pulling teeth to get my kids to watch any of the animated stories from The Book of Mormon or The New Testament. I guess old school animation about churchy stuff is not as exciting as The Emoji Movie, much to my disappointment. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I was hoping that they would love it as I did when I was a child. But actually, now that I think about it, I don’t think I was all that excited at first, either.

Even though I didn’t grow up Mormon, the Animated Stories from the New Testament (Now known as Living Scriptures) was marketed as “Bible stories” to Christian households, and so my dad bought them for us. At first, it didn’t seem all that exciting to me as a kid, but the more I watched, the more the message grabbed hold of my heart. The Miracles of Jesus was one that I always remembered. It was my favorite. I believe it was instrumental in my testimony and understanding of the Savior, and to this day, I still get choked up when I watch it. The film might be animated and meant for children, but the message is Truth, loud and clear, and meant for all. Even my 20-month-old understood what was going on when Jesus raised the girl from the dead. When she opened her eyes, my daughter sighed with relief and lifted her little arms and said,”Yay!”

The Good Samaritan was another one of my favorites. I think it really creates a story that speaks to the hearts of children. I know that my kids can feel the Spirit when they watch it. My four-year-old always sucks her thumb and gets close to me and says, “Mom, I love you!”

I admit, I really enjoy the stories, too. Journey to The Promised Land is another favorite. I sing right along with it: “Step by step I’ll climb the highest mountain, step by step I’ll cross the raging sea! There is nothing I can’t do, doin’ it with two, Dear Lord, stay step by step ahead of me!” 

The best part is when Nephi and everyone are working hard shaving down logs and building the ship while Laman and Lemuel are sitting there getting back massages from their wives and slacking off. They really are comedic gold sometimes, too.

And speaking of comedic gold, the folks at Living Scriptures are marketing geniuses. In addition to making their films available as a streaming service like Hulu or Netflix, they have also catered very well to their demographic. We know whose money they want.

Yep, its Older Millennials. Like me.

You know, the LDS parents of young children, who want our children to grow up in the Gospel but also want nostalgia and entertainment. And my friends, Living Scriptures has indeed brought those things. All of the classic LDS comedies- The Singles’ Ward, The RM, and Sons of Provo– they are available, too! And you can bet I have been watching those after my kids are in bed. Even though those movies were probably only considered moderately funny at their time and are also specific to that particular point in time (what is now, like, 15 years ago) I was not around Mormon culture back then, so it is all fairly new to me. And, I personally feel that the writers were hilarious and way ahead of their time. They poked fun at pop culture, Mormon culture, and Utah culture. They made jokes and references that really only a handful of people get. Yet, if you are a 30-something Mormon who has ever lived in Utah or experienced the YSA culture, you will find yourself laughing.

(And on that note, I know Will Swenson is a big deal Broadway actor now and even made an appearance in The Greatest Showman, I think his excellent acting skills and comedic timing really shone through in these old films!)

If you have been on the fence about whether or not to get a subscription, I would say, go for it! It’s only $7.99 a month, and the first month is a free trial!

I am sure my parents didn’t think they were giving me something that would create an impression for the rest of my life when they first got me those films on VHS tape back in the early 90s, but now here I am streaming those films on my phone and watching them with my own kids! I think that is actually kind of special, don’t you think?

I have an intense preoccupation with pioneers that few really understand. I think most Mormons do appreciate their pioneer heritage on some level, but since it is woven into their identity from childhood, it is boring to them.

I was not raised Mormon. I am a Convert, technically. I do have a long line of Mormon Pioneers in my family tree, but I was completely unaware of it until just a few years ago. I had the privilege of discovering it on my own. Since then, it has lit me on fire.

Growing up, I always wondered why I felt a deep pull towards all things Family. My Granny would let me look through her giant photo album full of old pictures, and I still remember hefting it in my lap, studying each photo and tin type, not really knowing who anyone was but nevertheless being fascinated.

The deep loss that I have experienced in my life has contributed to my obsession with family history, and I am sure that is obvious to some. The trauma is real. My whole life, all I have ever wanted was to be part of a big happy family. I had a small family growing up- just my parents, me, and my sister. My older half sister lived in a different state, and my little sister was seven years my junior, which sometimes made things lonely for me even when my parents were still married. When I was in my twenties, my parents divorced, and my little sister passed away unexpectedly. My family had been shattered into pieces. My parents both found their own ways to cope by starting new relationships and families, and even though I had a husband and was starting my own family, I felt truly abandoned.

My whole life, I have had dreams about places and things that seem to me almost like memories my ancestors might have passed down to me. I once had a dream of an old woman, sitting in a cottage in a rocking chair, looking out a small window that overlooked a meadow. Another time, I dreamed of a dirt road in a rural, very green and lush village, leading to a tavern from the 1800s. I’ve had dreams of nursing a baby while sitting on a train (before I ever had children). I dreamed of walking until my feet were sore, and then having to help set up a tent. I’ve dreamed of horses and wagons. I’ve dreamed of giant, tall trees and rolling meadows.

When I discovered all of the stories that existed about my ancestors, it seemed to all come together. As I have learned of them and their stories, I have felt a closeness to them that anchors my soul and gives me a sense of identity. I feel as if whatever was missing before has been found.

I have chased that feeling for a few years now. In 2016, during the summer, I couldn’t contain it anymore and I decided to pack my car and gather my two girls (at the time) and drive out West. We went by ourselves. It was an epic, life changing adventure. We stopped in Nauvoo, Mt. Pisgah, Winter Quarters, the Platte River, and drove right through to the Salt Lake Valley. I planned it so that we would arrive on July 24th, Pioneer Day. I can remember passing through the mountains and coming up on the Salt Lake Valley, completely exhausted, kids fighting in the backseat, watching people drive pass me on the highway with their big SUVs pulling jet skis, and feeling drained. Maybe even a little bit ridiculous. Why was I trying to compete with people who had big Mormon families and lots of money? Everyone around me had something to do and someone to spend time with on Pioneer Day. Since my husband was held hostage to work during the Summer, there was no way he could join us. If I wanted to make memories, I had to do it myself. Still, it felt a little empty.

I drove up Emigration Canyon just for the experience. There were people on bicycles, and I am sure the last thing on their mind was Brigham Young and the Saints stopping to marvel and say, “This is the Place”. It was hot and dry. It was windy. My kids were tired. I was tired and pregnant. I don’t know why I did this.

But yet, in the coming weeks and years, it became apparent to me why I did all of that. Why I did something so crazy. It really changed my perspective. It solidified my testimony. It made me feel like I could do anything and accomplish anything.

To this day, my obsession with family history and pioneers gets eye rolls. No one understands how I feel. No one knows those moments of reflection I’ve had as I stood atop Ensign Peak and gazed at the Salt Lake Valley. No one except me knows the heaviness in my footsteps that was tangible as I walked to Mt. Pisgah, or stood in the Kirtland Temple. I love my Pioneers. My love for them is embedded deep in my soul. I look to them for strength.

I have a large rectangular poster of a replica of an 1899 map of the Mormon Trail in my house, beautifully illustrated with wagon circles and terrain. Each and every little spot on that map is so special to me because I remember the long days of passing through those places. I know just what they look like. Even though I was in an air conditioned car and they were walking, I still feel like I’ve been where they were. No one except me knows what it was like to drive through Wyoming in the pitch black night, with sleeping children in the back, staring at the stars and the highway, feeling as if I was safe, even though it was scary, and I was alone.

Maybe the whole thing was foolish and overzealous. I know most people thought I was crazy. On day two of the trip, I thought I was, too. But since I was already in Ohio, I figured it was a little late to back out. I pressed forward.

This Pioneer Day, like every Pioneer Day and every Summer holiday, is spent with me shuffling around my house trying to stay sane and cool in the humid Pennsylvania air with three children battling Summer boredom. I have plenty of trials I am dealing with at the moment. I wish I could say that my heart is light and that I feel joyous, but the truth is I am drained. Life is weighing me down. Yet, the words come to mind,

Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?

Tis’ not so, all is right. 

Why should we think to earn a great reward

if we now shun the fight?

Gird up your loins, fresh courage take, our God will never us forsake

and soon we’ll have this tale to tell, 

All is well! All is well!

(LDS Hymns. “Come, Come Ye Saints” by William Clayton.)

Somehow, this gives me strength and reminds me that I can do hard things.

I am so grateful for the Pioneers. ❤️

Back when I was a young new convert in my 20s, my husband Josh and I would daydream of someday taking a family trip to see all the historic sites of Church History. It’s pretty crazy to think that we have fulfilled a lot of those daydreams!

Ever since I first watched The Restoration, I was fascinated with the tale of Joseph Smith as a young boy, growing up on a farm in Western New York, searching for meaning in the Scriptures. Never did I dream that we would end up moving all over the country at various times within hours of these sacred places: The Kirtland Temple, The Priesthood Restoration Site, The Hill Cumorah, and The Sacred Grove.

I am pretty sure something happened to me at the Kirtland Temple in 2013. I wasn’t expecting much, but as our small tour group was invited to sing The Spirit of God in the same place that it was sung the first time, it was as if the Spirit of Elijah planted itself in my heart and followed me from that point on.

Last weekend my little family and I took a trip up to Palmyra, New York to see the Hill Cumorah pageant and visit the sacred sites. As hard as it was to get moments of quiet reflection with three small girls, I was able to feel the sacredness of the Grove and the Smith Farm. Even the photos I took seemed to capture the ethereal nature of it.

The Hill Cumorah pageant was really a magnificent production. The kids loved it! It really brought The Book of Mormon to life for them.

This was kind of a hard phase to bring our youngest, Abby, because she didn’t want to sit still. I spent a good portion of the time just chasing her around until she got tired out. It’s hard to be that upset though, since she is always so happy!

Overall, it was good to spend time with the people I love the most. I have always wanted to make this a yearly tradition. We will have to see if it will be worth it next year, or maybe we will have to make it a tradition when the kids are a little older. I hope they grow up and remember these trips!