HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy Wishes To Daddy Anderson!

Happy Birthday Elizabeth Susan Burnett Brunt

I remember the first time I heard the name Elizabeth Susan Burnett Brunt.  Jason was just a few weeks old and Lenore Cornwall announced that we were all going to the Brunt reunion at Snow College in Ephraim Utah the end of July.  I didn't mind, that was close to my mom and dad. That was the lovely thing about having your dad be your boss, when Lenore said we were all going, we were all going, who kept track of vacation days???   I was happy to have an occasion to go see my mom and have her see Jason.

I thought two things were interesting about they way they talked about Elizabeth Susan Burnett Brunt.  For one, they always said the complete name.  Now that I am deep into family history that makes more sense.  The entire name gives you reference.  Nothing much was said about her husband George Brunt.  Remember his story here?  That was a very strong maternal line of the family and Elizabeth was among the most faithful of all those women.  We have already had several posts about Elizabeth.  We have discussed her taking her small family without George from New Zealand to America to be with the saints, including tossing her small son Will from one ship to another when they found him missing.  You can review the details here.
Since the story of Maudie from last week is so interwoven with Elizabeth's life I want to include an essay written by Maudie (Maude Neeley) about how their two lives came together.  It is entitled

"Birthday Present for You Mother"

The young mother looked dreamily into the weary but relieved eyes of her own mother, eyes that immediately twinkled at the mention of her birthday, for she had forgotten during the long night that this was her birthday, her 54th birthday.  This baby that they had all waited for with such anticipation was here!  On her birthday!  And it was a girl!  After eight grandsons a little girl was surely welcomed.  It was the young mother's third child, but her first girl.

"Well, thank you my dear, it's a very wonderful birthday present and now you get some sleep.  I'll take the boys home with me, and Mrs. Ellis, the midwife, can take care of things here."

Everything went along beautifully for the next few days, the young parents and little brothers spent much time trying to decide on a name for baby sister but couldn't find one that seemed to do.  Then Maude, for that was the young mother's name, started to run a temperature, slight at first, but it didn't break.  By the eighth day she was very ill.  The doctor was very worried but couldn't cool the terrible heat.  While they were frantically trying to find what was causing the temperature the young mother slipped quietly away leaving the little baby girl to be literally a birthday present for her heart-broken grandmother.

Good friends and neighbors took the baby and cared for her until after the funeral and until the grandmother who had had to take to bed from overwork, anxiety, loss of sleep and heartache was able to care for her precious birthday gift.

One of the first things to do was to find food for the baby.  Everyone, including the doctor had many suggestions, but the only thing grandmother could do was keep trying till something would agree with the little stomach.

Sometimes she felt sure she had solved the problem, only to find that if the new formula stayed down, it caused diarrhea.  It seemd almost better for it to come up.

Meantime a name had to be decided on.  Here the father, whose world had collapsed and grandmother were of one opinion, that the babe should be given the mother's name.  It was done.  The name was Maude Elizabeth, but it was hard to say and hard to realize that this little sickly baby was to be the only Maude from now on.  Hard to believe that the other lovely gay and beloved Maud was gone. . . . .

On the day they left for New Zealand Elizabeth was 56 years old and had been a widow for 22 years.  Elizabeth's daughter Violet accompanied her.  With their cases and trunks, they were on their way to San Francisco and onto Hawaii where they stopped for two or three days.  During this time Maudie ate and kept everything down and asked for more for the first time in her 14 months of life.  It was like a good omen on the trip at that point and proved a promise of what was to come for Maudie.  She gained in health and strength and never again had even a slight cold in her chest.  Even on the voyage, which took six weeks, she changed from a skinny sickly infant and became a chubby curly hair filled out Maude.

The six months in the beuatiful land of New Zealand did more for these three disheartened people than even the grandmother had hoped.  Her own spirits were restored, the baby was the picture of health and as happy as a child could be with all the attention and fussing over that she received.

As they sailed away on the boat to return to America Elizabeth looked at the spirited young girl at her side (Violet) and healthy baby in her arms.  She breathed another fervent prayer of thanksgiving and supplication.

"Thanks for a good life and supplication, for strength and faith to keep it so."

You are pretty amazing Elizabeth Susan Burnett Brunt.  Happy Birthday.

Sarah and Soccer

Oh if only those kids in the soccer games that Sarah is reffing only knew how far back soccer has been a part of Sarah's life.  LOOK AT THOSE EYES!!!!

Happy Anniversary Rachel and Spencer

Happy Birthday Maudie

The picture above is of Elizabeth Susan Burnett Brunt and her granddaughter Maude Elizabeth Groberg Neeley.  They were both born on the same day, April 30.  Elizabeth was born in 1854 and Maude was born in 1908.  When little Maudie was born, her mother Maude Elizabeth said to her mother Elizabeth Brunt, Mother, I have a birthday present for you.  She had no idea how prophetic that statement was, because eleven days after Little Maudie was born Maude Elizabeth died.  When Maudie's father died a little over a year later, the responsibility of raising Little Maudie was left to Elizabeth Susan Burnett Brunt - birthday buddies for life.    Maudie would call her grandmother Mama.

Maudie had two older brothers.  After their father's death in 1909, the two boys were reared by their Aunt Mattie.  Grandma Brunt struggled valiantly to care for this new baby.  She was assisted by her daughter Violet, who was a school teacher.  They nursed the infant through a long bout of pneumonia, with the best remedies they had - mustard plasters and prayer.  After months of sickness, the child Maude was able to recover her health.  At this time Elizabeth Susan determined to return to New Zealand to visit her homeland with Violet and the baby.  She needed a vacation and visit to vitalize her life again.  The trip succeeded. It fulfilled their needs, bringing happy reunions with Elizabeth's husband's family.  The picture below is of Maudie on the ship traveling to New Zealand.    Maude lived with her grandma from the time of her birth until she was 16.  She remembers Elizabeth as a refined lady, whose hair was neatly combed, and her collar nice and clean.  She had brought pretty dishes from New Zealand, and taught Maude to enjoy the finer things of life.  Evening meals were served early, at about 4:30 when the boarders came home from school.  After dinner, Maudie was sent to play while Elizabeth cleaned up the dishes.  Then she would read to her from a book for children such as "Girl of the Limberlost,"  "Pollyanna,"  "Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come,"  "Little Prince," and the serials in the church magazines.  Only when she turned six was Maudie given a birthday party by her grandma.  Maude Elizabeth Groberg Neeley was an amazing woman.  We may devote all of April just to her stories.  She was a woman of faith and courage.  Happy Birthday Maudie.

Graduations

We are excited to take another graduation picture in Provo this week.  Here is a sampling of some past mortar board visuals (although not all of them are in Provo and not everyone is represented. Marybeth and Stefanie if you have pictures you want to show - send them along).  

Glad that I was able to go to dad's graduation from Cal Poly Pomona.  This was just a few days before we were married.

Walter Royal Cornwall

Tuesday, April 15th

Previously in the week: I had my 39 week doctor's appointment on Monday, April 11th with Dr. Rees. After checking my cervix, it was determined that I was dilated to 3 cm which gave me hope that this little boy would come sooner than later. I tried to use my time especially well the next few days, focusing on enjoying my time with Jeff and Wendy. The realization that our little family would soon be experiencing great change filled me with a mixture of emotions. Time with these two become more precious as the arrival of this little boy drew closer. We had some fun family outings with a visit to get an old-fashioned ice-cream cone, a walk around the Provo City Center Temple grounds, a visit to the duck pond with cousins and some good old family time at home. During all of this I couldn't help but think about how it might be our last day as a family of three. While trying to make the most of our time I felt especially pregnant and exhausted and knew we were getting close to having this little boy.

6:58 am: After lying in bed for a few minutes listening to Wendy sing out "Boom Shock-a Lock-a" over and over again from her crib in the adjacent room, I realized it was indeed time to start the day. I had gotten up a couple times during the night and noticed my belly was rather tight, but having felt other Braxton Hicks contractions in previous weeks I didn't think too much of it. This tightening sensation was noticeable but not enough to keep me awake, so I was able to go back to sleep and get a full night's rest. By the time I woke up for good, it was hard to ignore how sore and achey my back was. It had been sore for the two previous days but it was more intense now, especially after laying in bed all night. We went about our normal morning routine with Jeff getting ready for work and myself tending to Wendy. I made breakfast and was sitting up to eat with Wendy when I felt a prominent tightening sensation in my abdomen. Having experienced contractions with Wendy's labor and delivery I was more confident in what I was feeling. I wanted to make sure of what I was feeling before telling Jeff so I started timing contractions and realized they were about 5 minutes apart.

7:45 am: Just as Jeff was about to leave on his bike for work I suggested he stay home a little while longer to see if my contractions continued. He obliged and after a couple more we determined that he should indeed stay home. I was quickly coming to a point where contractions were uncomfortable enough that I preferred to stop and breathe a little more deeply for the duration. We put a few more essentials in our hospital bags and tossed them in the car as we got ready to drive to the hospital. The realization that this may be the last time seeing Wendy as my only baby made me very emotional and I just wanted to hold her close. Although the possibility of having a baby today was exciting, saying goodbye to Wendy before leaving for the hospital was really hard. Really hard. I tried not to cry too much as I gave her a last hug and kiss.

8:30 am: Fortunately, Jeff's sister Sarah lives right next to us and was able to come over at a moment's notice to stay with Wendy while as we left for the hospital. It was reassuring to leave Wendy in such good hands as we pulled away from our home. We arrived at the hospital quickly since we only live a few blocks away and walked right in (and up) to labor and delivery. We got checked in after a few minutes (and a few contractions) and got settled in our room.

9:00 am: After settling into our room, our nurse Haylie came in to assess my progress and confirm that I was far enough dilated to be admitted. I was dilated to 5 cm which meant we were going to stay and have this baby! I was hooked up to the monitors and started on my bag of antibiotics (since I was group B strep positive). Jeff was right by my side as I practiced breathing through my contractions. They continued to grow more intense and came more frequently, which made me very grateful to have Jeff by me to hold my hand, stroke my arm and breathe with me. Just as with Wendy's birth, he was exactly what I needed to stay calm and relaxed as more and more effort was required to move comfortably through contractions.

10:00 am: It was getting harder and harder to stay relaxed during contractions which made me nervous about my ability to make it through without additional pain relief. I decided to have Dr. Rees, who had just arrived in the room, check my progress to gauge where I was at and to my relief I was at  9 cm. The doctor broke my water and almost immediately my body took over and started pushing this little boy out. He came quickly, each contraction almost immediately following the next. This final stage of delivery only lasted about 10 minutes and goodness it was an intense 10 minutes. I'm thankful for Jeff and the doctor/nurse giving encouragement as our little boy came closer and closer to being in our arms.

10:23 am: Walter was delivered and placed on my chest. As soon as he was out I cried so many tears. Tears of joy, relief, happiness, gratitude. I just looked at Jeff and felt such an immense love for him as we welcomed this little boy we'd been waiting for. There are no words to describe how I felt to have his little body placed on mine. All of the worry and anxiety over this anticipated event was gone. It was replaced by a sense of peace and calm as we enjoyed those first few minutes together. An immediate and overwhelming love for this little boy grew within me as I held him close.

Date of Birth: April 15, 2016

Time of Birth: 10:23 am

Weight: 7 lbs 11 oz

Height: 19.5 in.

My heart is filled with gratitude for the miracle of this little boy's arrival. Everything just came together so perfectly to make for a smooth arrival. A full night's rest, a good breakfast, our dear sister Sarah taking care of sweet Wendy for the entire day, Jeff's student teacher easily covering his classes, arriving at the hospital with enough time to get settled and a quick delivery with no complications. From the time I woke up to the time Walter was in our arms, a short 3.5 hours had passed. It was inarguably the most intense experience of my life, both physically and mentally, but also the sweetest and most awe-inspiring. The divinity of the human body is so manifest in the process of labor and delivery while the heavenly presence of a new little baby testifies of a loving God. The fullness of joy that comes with family is undeniable. I am so grateful for this sweet spirit who has joined our family. We love him so much already and are ready to start our new adventure as a family of four.

Walter

Like the naming of Wendy, Jeff and I made a list of names we both liked. In December, we were in Washington for the holidays. In the third (and final) hour of our church services, the men and woman separate. After that meeting, Jeff told me that he had another name he felt we should add to the list. The name was Walter. Surprisingly, I had also thought of the name Walter during that same hour. This was a pretty good sign to us that Walter would probably be the name of this little boy. Similar to Wendy, we like that Walter is well know, but not well used, plus Wendy and Walter sound pretty cute together.

Royal

I have three relatives with the name Royal on my maternal side:

Royal James Cutler
Royal James Cutler Jr.
Royal James Cutler III (my great grandfather)

A very, very big thank you to my dear friend Hannah who took the photos during labor and delivery. 

Fun Stake Activities

 Even though we initially had not excuse to send off the youth of the Arcadia Stake to Mormon Prom, I was asked to drive one of my seminary students and was so happy to see these very cute kids.  Four of my six regular attending students went so it was fun to see them all dressed up.  The Prom was held at the Petersen Automotive Museum.  It has been closed since Jason and Stefanie gave dad tickets for his birthday.  It just opened up.  The kids couldn't stop talking about it and now we are excited to go.

 Dad also put on a fantastic Stake Court of Honor on Saturday night.  Yes, he resurrected the tablecloth, pillows, banner and the famous eagle.  He did an excellent job.  It is an area that could stand some bolstering and dad will do a great job.

Happy Birthday Ilo - Leslie That Is!!!

Ilo Leslie Smith was born on April 16, 1905. 111 years ago tomorrow.   We have heard what an amazing worker Les was here, but let's look at his recreational side.  His father Manasseh Smith built a cabin up Big Cottonwood Canyon, a short distance from Brighton Ski Area. It is on the right in the picture below.

 I am not quite sure when it was built, but my mom remembers very vividly spending time there as a girl.  It was pretty primitive with a coal stove for heating, a kitchen, a bedroom downstairs for Manasseh and Gracie and a fold-out bed for visitors and a loft with a couple of beds upstairs for the grandkids.  My mom remembers the stairs going to the loft being very steep.  She talked about how scary it was to go up there and after making it up the stairs, having to crawl to the beds - no standing up in this loft. There was no running water or bathrooms in those days.   Outhouses were the order of the day.  Manasseh had an advanced plan though. He had rigged a suspended sheet in the corner of the room for some privacy to pull across the corner when using a chamber pot was preferred over using the outhouse. Another great Gracie Smith story was that when she took a turn behind the curtain it was accompanied by her belting out  lovely songs to drown out any other sounds.  Gracie loved the cabin for picnics, hiking and playing cards.  Apparently the Les Smiths were pretty regular visitors.  The card game my mom remembered playing most  with her grandmother at the cabin was slapjack.  On one of the hikes Beverly took she wandered into stinging nettle. Another time they passed by a patch of wild strawberries.  Beverly and Carol her sister picked a small basket of strawberries.  When they presented them to Gracie she jumped right up and said, "Let's make those into a strawberry shortcake."  They ran to the kitchen and started baking when a few minutes later Manasseh walked into the kitchen with the empty basket and a reddish stain on his lips thanking whomever picked the strawberries for his afternoon snack. All the girls were devastated.  The Smith Cabin was pretty well known in the Murray First Ward and many a young men and young woman group asked to have their activities there.

The road to the cabin was windy.  My mom remembers her dad spontaneously proposing an idea to have a picnic at the cabin one day.  They jumped in the car and headed up the canyon.  When they arrived he realized that he had left the hamburger meat at home and asked Beverly if she wanted to race down to Murray with him to get the meat.  She said that was the scariest ride she had ever had as he clipped the tight corners to get down and back before the picnic started.

 During nursing school Beverly and her friend decided to ski at Brighton and afterward ski to the cabin to spend the night.    Bev hadn't worn any goggles while skiing and after arriving through the woods to the cabin realized she had a severe case of snow blindness.   She couldn't see and didn't have any way to contact her parents until they arrived the next day.  That was B.C. (Before Cell Phones). 

With such fond memories of cabin life and a lot becoming available next to Manasseh's lot, Ilo and Inez leased the lot from the government and proceeded to build a cabin of their own.  It is on the left in the picture above.  It had four bedrooms upstairs, a kitchen, dining room and family room on the first floor with a big porch.  My mom invited her handsome fiancee up for the weekend while the cabin was being built.  She says she had a romantic time planned.  Les had a different idea.  He was going to use his future son-in-law to work.  (Sound familiar to anyone???)  He asked Mel to white wash the outhouse, which he worked very hard at.  So much for the romantic weekend.

Here is Inez on the roof at the cabin with her father-in-law Manasseh right behind.

Not sure if this picture of Inez cleaning the windows at the cabin, but it sure looks like it could have been.

The following pictures are from a trip that Les, Inez and Reed and Mildred took to the cabin in the winter.  Reed is my dad's brother and apparently Les and Reed became pretty good friends.  I am happy about that, because Reed had just purchased a new camera and so most of the pictures I have of Inez and Les are from that camera.

Les and Reed - look at the length of those skis. 

Inez and Reed - Must have made two trips or spent the night - different outfits.

Inez

Inez and Les -  My mom said that they weren't really skiers, but had a fun day messing around in the snow.

This is a picture of most of the Hodgkinson clan at the Smith cabin.  It looked like a nice gathering place.    My mom isn't sure when  or why the cabins were sold.  It could have been because the government lease expired.  Sure would have been fun to spend some time at both Cornwall and Smith cabins.