Little Video for Little Brother McKay's Birthday....

Another year older...and hopefully wiser too! Birthday thoughts 2015

 I do want to thank you all for the kind words and birthday wishes! Thank you for being my friend...for caring...and sharing.
The grandkids are all a year older...and still amazing me with the change that they can put into one year...and how they have grown...and Wyatt is still worried about me getting too old. This year he asked me if I'd ever get too old to be his Gamma...and if I wanted any help from him to eat the sack full of candy bars he'd given me for my birthday. He always picks out his own presents and gives gifts he'd like to recieve! (I got a yellow ducky last year to float in the tub)
So here are the timeless thoughts from last year:
Two grandsons were here today and the youngest one asked me "Gamma does it hurt to get old?" I smiled and said "I'll tell you when I get old sweetheart!" he looked up at me with his big blue eyes and said "When will you know when you old? I tawght you alweady old"

I have mixed emotions with birthdays. Sometimes I feel guilty with each additional year I live...My little babies that never made it to three years old... my son Jared, only 30 when he died...and his dad only 33 when he died. I've already reached the age my own father was when he broke his neck and died...but then I look at my grandparents Johnson who outlived their lives beyond their wildest dreams. Grandma was a few months shy of 99 years old and felt like it wasn't fair to still be alive. All her family and friends were long gone. In some ways life was difficult, she missed Grandpa and she was so ready to check out... But yet still in her heart she said she didn't feel any different than she did inside on the day she turned 16. That's the thing with birthdays. They make me stop and think and wonder...what did I learn this year? when am I going to grow up? when am I going to grow old? will I make it through another year? what was my favorite memory from this past year? what did I do right? what did I do wrong? am I losing my memory? Am I going to have to get that gall bladder out or will it make another year? knee replacement...no I can make it another year.... why the heck did I ever.....? why didn't I...?

Each year I am thankful, to you my friends and family, for the memories we make and share and the time we have had together. The stories you tell and the pictures you post. Thank you for being a part of my life...thank you for the birthday wishes...One thing I have come to realize is the importance of time. Time with friends and family is time well spent. And you make time for things...and people....who are important to you. Little things can mean ever so much.

It never ceases to amaze me how fast the little grandchildren are growing up...This year Justice offically got his drivers license and Kelsee has her learners permit...and Kylee and Kyah are just around to corner to driving. How did they get to be so grown up so fast? I remember the arm wrestling we used to do and when I could beat Kevin part of the time... Justice was only two so that didn't count...then Justice was seven and sometimes I could beat him...then he was ten and I had to be very lucky to win. He was stronger. Now little brother Ransom is stronger. I can still win Wyatt...but I know how quickly the day will come when he wins. That is another reality of life...change is inevitable. This year my birthday wish to you is that the changes the come in your life this year will bring you happiness and peace. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a part of my life.
Mary

An Ode to August and Curtis Hatch

I have to admit it...there are things that I love about every month! August is no different with it's up times and down times....
Aug 22 was Curtis Hatch's birthday. It was usually the county fair time also...and it was our anniversary. Curt said all he wanted for his birthday was me! He also said that if I married him on his birthday he would never forget our anniversary. We married in 1975. We usually went to the rodeo and fair to celebrate our anniversary and his birthday with the family. He found out on his birthday in 1987, just 11 short years later...that he had non hodgkin's lymphoma... a form of cancer that starts in the lymph nodes and spreads. His had spread to the bone in his leg. He gave it a valiant fight. In those olden days he had a 16 percent chance to survive. In today's world the odds are closer to 69 percent survival. After the chemo and the radiation...Curt thought he had won the battle and in July of 1988 he went back to work. It was on his birthday just three weeks later that he found out the cancer was back, actually had never left... We tried to find a bone marrow donor that would match, with no luck. In Sept the Dr's told him there was nothing more they could do. It was Oct 12 that the Dr's said his kidneys had quit working and it was just a matter of time...around 48 hours...I started to call family to say "if your going to say good bye you better hurry and get up here....we are running out of time fast"... On Oct 16, Katie finished reading the Louis L'Amour book to her dad. She'd been reading to him after school for a while. He called each of the kids in to give them some "last instructions and advice" and to tell them that he loved them. Earlier he'd had little Bryan crawl up on the bed with him for cuddles and a nap. Bryan had just had his 3rd birthday on Oct 11. My Dad and mom made it up about two...and about four my Grandpa and Grandma Christensen arrived. Grandpa shook hands with Curt and said "I hate to be the one to tell you this...but your still way to strong to die. I'm going to go before you do." Curt told Grandpa "No this is the real thing. I'll be checking out here real quick like." About 6 p.m. he went into a coma. That night as we were getting ready for bed Katie asked if she could say the family prayer. As she prayed she asked Heavenly Father to take her dad back home so He could care for him there. She said he was hurting too bad to stay here on earth. At 2 A.M. her prayers were answered. As the ambulance arrived with its flashing lights to take Curt away, little Bryan and I were the only ones awake. Bryan kept asking "Where daddy go?" At the funeral he tapped on the casket and said "wake up Daddy, go home now"
It has been such a long time now since Curt said good bye to us. Curt was 33 when he died...but in the years that he was here on earth he worked hard...and he played hard. He lived life to it's fullest! He loved to tease and pull practical jokes! He loved his family and he was loyal to his family and friends. He loved wrestling! He always had time to help others. Even if it was taking a phone call in the middle of the night...or going with the scouts for their Klondike Camping in the snow. Or pulling a vehicle out of the canal. Or helping change a flat tire...He loved life. He gave many gifts of "time". Like helping finish a basement...or plowing a garden site...or helping shingle a house...or taking a drive up to the top of the mountain in Mantua. He may of been a little outspoken...but you always knew where you stood with him and he was so honest it sometimes hurt. But he didn't mean to ever be hurtful. He didn't hold grudges or resentments, forgiving quickly and freely. He was always looking forward and planning what would be best for tomorrow. And always thinking of others. He made a difference in many people's life.... Happy Birthday Curtis.

Here is a video tribute I made Jan 2016 for my brother DJ for his birthday and posted on Facebook:
    I call it "Welcome to my Crazy Life" and my sister Paula is singing

     

               Reflections....thoughts and stories about Brian Syddall  

I'm sure it wasn't easy for Hunter and Hayden to get up and talk about their dad at his funeral, but they both did an excellent job. I'm not positive but I think they are 16 and 18 years old. Matt Barron, Angela's husband spoke next. Angela being the only sister and baby in this Syddall family. Matt also did an excellent job on his talk.

                                                                Brian Syddall

As Jeff got up to the pulpit to talk at his brothers funeral he set the stage for their life story in a way. He told of their parents, who as young newlyweds talked about their future family. One wanted two children...the other four. So they had two children....and seven years later started on the next batch of four children! Six children, two different generations! Jeff was the little brother, who had two older brothers, the oldest "little Billy" (Billy Syddall Jr) and two years younger, Brian. I enjoyed Jeff's talk, the stories he told, the setting into their family life. It was also very enlightening, entertaining and uplifting to hear Bill's talk. Jeff talked from his heart as far as I could tell didn't have a script. He knew what he wanted to say and he tried to say what he felt his brother would want him to say.... Jeff said Brian was the "glue" in their family. He expressed what a good example he had been and told that Brian was proud that he had never touched alcohol in his life. Bill had a very well prepared talk that I even asked for a copy of. It's one I want to share with my children. Jeff called Bill "the wise" brother. It was easy to see why that might be so! Bill, the oldest brother, is perhaps the smallest of all the boys in the family, even though he is the first born. He told a story about when he was six years old and his brother Brian only four some bigger boys came into the yard where they were playing and started to pick on them. Little Brian held up his fists in front of his face and then punched the boy in front of him as hard as he could in the nose. They all took off running and the two brothers headed into the house to tell their mom about this. Little Brian was jumping up and down saying "I did it! I did it! I punched him in the face!" Bill said at four years old his little brother had his back! And as he grew he played football and wrestled and on many occasions had lots of other backs. Bill told a story about the last significant fight he had with his brother. He was 13 years old, Brian was 11. He said it must have been a day when not much exciting was happening and they had been fighting for most of the day. Their mother was fed up with the arguing and fighting and told them that when their dad got home he would be dealing with them. When they heard his truck pull into the driveway they ran for their shared room. He came in a few minutes later with a big grin on his face. He told them they could get their spanking over with right now or they could go with plan "B". But if they didn't do plan "B" they would get a spanking anyway...right where they were at the time. Having a choice! They decided to go with the non-spanking punishment, even though they didn't know what it was. The first part was to go out and jump into the back of their dad's truck. He then informed them that he was going to drive around the neighbor hood and every time he honked they were to raise their hands up and punch the air as they shouted "I LOVE MY BROTHER!" .....but that wasn't all. Then they were to kiss on the lips. Bill said "I was 13!" I knew that we had already commited to this punishment and if I backed out now we would get the spanking outside where everyone could see. They looked at each other in resignation and agreement. Their dad jumped into the truck and started driving. Everytime he saw a neighbor or friends he honked. The boys did their part like they were supposed to. Bill said it was the LAST time he fought with his brother. He said "Oh what I would give to be able to crawl up into the back of the truck and shout at the top of my lungs "I LOVE MY BROTHER!" again.

In between Jeff and Bill's talks Taylor Syddall, a nephew and his wife sang a song "Overwhelmed" Taylor played the guitar and they both sang.
I've left out a whole bunch but there was two hours (it didn't seem like that much time at all) but the spirit that was there was really overwhelming. Tender...tugged at your heart strings...and made me ponder many things in my own life. Relationships, priorities, the atonement, thoughts about what my siblings might say about me if I were the one laying in the casket... what I have accomplished in this life...and the things that I haven't. Mortality. Forgiveness. Second chances. How hard it is to have a child die before you...How hard it is to have your husband die... So many other things and thoughts. I may of said it too many times "I hate funerals." But really I should beg forgiveness for saying that. It was an honor to be there...and to be a part of this amazing family.

I know Brian is here...and so is Wes!

Here is a grown up Brian with his boys

Here is Uncle Joe, Wes, Grandma Taylor, Kathy with little Brian on her lap and little Billy

Thoughts about my dad....shared on his birthday Jan 11, 2016

A while back I was at work at the Distribution Center when someone came in and I asked what I could get for them...they said "I love your accent! Where are you from?" and I laughed and said "Moroni, Utah"....she said "Who are your parents?" I said "Don Ray and Ramona Christensen"....and tears came to her eyes as she said "Our family LOVES your dad." I then asked "who are you?" and when I heard her name I nearly had tears too. I had talked her dad into coming up to Corinne to sing at sacrament meeting... and then invited him to our house for dinner. Before he left for Moroni he had told me a few stories about my dad. One I had heard from dad but it was "once upon a time there was a home teacher..." He had never told me he was the home teacher in the story.
I was trying to decide which word I would use to describe my dad if I could use just one word...and several came to mind...perhaps the first was "faith"....my dad had such incredible faith.... "entertaining"....oh how I loved to hear my dad sing and yoddel...and tell stories and jokes. He was so fun to be around! I loved to go to the farm to hang out with him. It was always so much fun working with him. "Service" always comes to mind when I think of dad...he dedicated a part of everyday into doing something for others and secretly and quietly was the way he worked. He didn't want others to know of his good deeds. "Loyal" is another word that describes dad. Loyal times ten. Many stories could illustrate this..."Dependable" when my dad said he would do something you could consider it done. "Honest".... there are many words....dad loved children. He loved serving in the nursery! I always knew he loved us kids. He made our yard a fun place to be with the different things like the bouncing, twirling tractor seat deal...and the wagon wheel teeter totter...and the flying trapeze...and swings hung from the trees...and the tree house and the airplane deal that hung from the tree....and the sand box and that slip and slides that he made before they even were invented! ...lots of things!
One of the things that stood out about my dad to me....is how much he loved me and believed in me...and the trust that he had in me. I didn't want to let him down. I miss him! Happy Birthday Dad.

Sweet sixteen never been kissed....

One of Katie's favorite stories when she was just a young "tell me a real story" little girl was about my first kiss.  Some days she wanted "imaginary" stories....and other days she wanted me to "tell the truth".  I didn't ever tell her that when I was in elementary school and it was recess time and other kids were playing kissing tag...that I didn't even have to run fast as no one ever chased me! So it was relatively easy to be unkissed.

I was about 14 when some friends of my parents...who had a son a year older than I...invited me to a trip to Green River to go chasing wild horses.  I was sure that my folks would say no. But to my very great surprise they said "yes!" I packed up a few things and their family picked me up and off we went for a grand adventure. It was a very fun time and I even got to make some homemade hot chocolate with the hersey's unsweetened chocolate powder and sugar ect.

On the third day of our adventure this young man and I went out on a horseback ride out into the desert terrain on our own. We went down a steep ledge where they took the horses for water down to a river far below and I was afraid I was going to slide off the front of the horse as we went down...and off the back as we came up...but it all turned out fine and I didn't embarrass myself falling off the horse. After we got back up on top we parked the horses and the young man wanted a kiss! I explained to him that I was going to be sweet sixteen never been kissed...which he tried to convince me was ridulous. But I was adament. When he realized how determined I was he went into pout mode...not even speaking to me the rest of the time we were there. As a matter of fact I didn't see this young man in my life until two years later when he called and talked first to my mom, asking her if he could take me to the drive in movie. I'd seen him at school and hanging out with other girls...even making out in the hall!  I'm sure he had kissing lessons in mind for me and the drive in would be a perfect place to practice!

So my mom said "yes" I could go and then handed me the phone. He had asked my mom what time I needed to be home and she had said midnight. Me the girl with a 10 p.m. curfew had just been given two extra hours. Because of the situation I was ready to give back the extra time I was already so uncomfortable.

This young man said in a very excited voice "I'll be over to pick you up in half a hour." I was wearing my new birthday clothes so did my hair and was ready to go, When I anwsered the doorbell there he stood with a big smile on his face and a birthday present for me in hand.  I opened up the little music box and thanked him and we we headed out to his parents maroon car. He gallently opned up the passenger side door for me and I hopped in and secured my seat belt.  When he saw me all buckled in he frowned and said "I'm a good driver, you know you don't need to wear that seat belt!" "I feel much safer buckled in, but thank you" I replied. He told me there was a seat belt in the middle if I wanted to scoouch over and I said "I'm fin thank you". And off we went to the show. I'll never forget it "Paint Your Wagon" As the movie started on the drive in screen I was reminded that I didn't need the seat belt on to watch the movie. And again I replied "I'm fine thank you!" and he asked if I wanted something to eat....a hot dog...."No thank you!" (I really don't like hot dogs) He went and got one for himself and some french fries and candy bars but I really was fine and he was obviously upset. He started the familiar sulk again...reminded me of my little two year old brother when he didn't get what he wanted....with his lip sticking out! I almost laughed out loud but figured that might be rude. When the show was over we still had a hour and a half before I needed to be home.  He asked what I wanted to do and said "we could go driving around or I know a real nice spot we could stop and talk" I said "Let's watch the show again! It's such a good movie!" and we did. But he didn't say another word the whole time. Big time pouty! And then the movie was over and we started to drive back home. The closer we got to my house the bigger the smile on his face! As we walked up to the porch, where the porch light was brightly shining he said to me "I've been waiting for this for a loooong time." "Waiting for what?" I asked (all innocent looking with a questioning face) as I backed up to the door and grabbed the knob behind my back. "To give you your first kiss silly!" "Oh I'm sorry" as I twisted the door handle and backed into the house "Your too late for that!" and shut the door in his face.  Such a cruel girl I was!   My birthday was just before the school year started ...and shortly after was South Sevier's Football homecoming game. Our drill team went down to perform at the half time and I had secured permission to stay in Monroe after the game and spend the week end with my grandparents. I got to go on a double date to the Homecoming dance...and I did get my first kiss that night. Such a innocent little peck! And that was the only kiss I shared with Joe through all our years of friendship from sixth grade to college.  We were bestest of friends and because we lived so far away from each other we wanted to remain the best of friends.