Week 22 - Restful Interlude
Dearest Children, Grandchildren, Family and Friends!!
My heart is full of gratitude today as I am writing this post. We are soooooo blessed!!!! We just got back from a 9-day trip during the first week of the Palmyra temple shut-down. If I had to put one word to the trip it would be “family”.
After a wonderful day at church with inspiring talks, a great discussion during our SS lesson and practicing with the Primary for the program (I’m playing the piano….big surprise, huh?!?), we took off for Sharon, Vermont and the birthplace of the Prophet Joseph. The Senior Elder who took us around emphasized the importance of family and taught us about how important the family was for Joseph and Emma. In view of this and all the other sites we have visited, it occurred to me what a sacrifice these two blessed people made in the process of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ on the earth. I’m sure they would have been content to just spend their time in the sweet confines of their home but the Lord had other things for them to do also. What a lesson for us! Are we willing to give our all, to sacrifice, to consecrate our efforts, our hearts to the Lord? He does not expect us to neglect our families (in fact there are scriptures chastising those who do) but is there more we can do, can give? I know I could!!
Such a beautiful area!!
This monument was erected during the 100 year anniversary of Joseph Smith's birth.
Threshold stone is at the monument
Actual stone but replica of a fireplace
Interesting side-note: He showed us this pedigree for Emma and Joseph (they were cousins). We are too because we also descend from John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley but through a daughter, Desire. And because of that we are cousins with millions of Americans!!
On Monday, we went to Stonington, CT, to continue the journey into the past with our family history. It was so fun to visit a place where our family spent several generations. It is a quaint little town and I especially like the part before we got to the seashore and all of the shore-front condos and home. We found out that our Frink ancestors were closer to Rhode Island, which made tons of sense because they married several people from Westerly, RI, which is only a few miles from Stonington. Their graves are overgrown, and most have been lost.
Old Stone wall covered by vegetation
Another pic...more of the wall but lighting not really good
Along the road
The bay by the lighthouse
We did visit the ancient burial ground of Wequetequock.
We saw the Thomas Miner marker which is about the only one from that time period that is still readable. Lighting makes it impossible to read in the pic....sigh!!!!
The monument in the middle is to the four founding families who are buried there....we are related to the Miners and Palmers.
We went to the Stonington Historical Society Museum in a lighthouse and had so much fun visiting with the volunteer there. She is a cousin and LOVES family history!! We have several common ancestors among the Miners, Averys, Prentices, Wheelers, Parkers and Gallups. She doesn’t have any Frinks, which is my main line, but does have Noyes, her main line, which we don’t have any of. She was a wealth of information and we exchanged emails. As soon as she found out that we were from Utah, she said, “Utah is the heart of the genealogical universe!!”
In the afternoon, we crossed the sound on a ferry, drove back down Long Island and revisited several of the places we had seen eight years ago. Dad’s family settled Southold and then Mattituck on the tip of Long Island. So much fun!!! Tuesday, we traveled to North Carolina by way of Ft. McHenry. Dad will tell you about that!!
We got to NC about dinner time and we were so glad to be there. We had fun visiting, mainly just doing normal stuff like taking kids to school, walking, playing in the park, going to a church activity, reading books, baking, playing games, going to church, going to the temple, reading scriptures at night, visiting and generally just relaxing and being together….all the normal things grandparents do when they visit!! On Sunday, we celebrated Emily’s 12th birthday since we had to leave the next day and wouldn’t be there on Tuesday. She wanted to make her own cake…so fun!! As I enjoyed my time with my sweet NC grandkids, I thought of my other grandkids in Utah and Idaho and will be so happy to see them again in just two short months. We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our mission but will be glad to be with family again also!!!!! Enjoy the pics!!!
On Monday, we had to bid a sad farewell to grandkids, kids and North Carolina. We headed for home but stopped by Fawcett’s Gap on the way. This is where my Quaker family from Ireland, the Fawcetts, settled in the late 1600s and early 1700s, when they moved from Pennsylvania.
Old wall that lines the road for about half a mile or so
There isn’t much there anymore but it was fun to drive through the beautiful farmland.
I could imagine how happy they were as they came there.
We found a road called “Fawcett’s Run Lane”.
And here is Fawcett's Run, a cute little stream. Lighting makes it a bit hart do see....the water is in the foreground.
I felt close to my family as I was there!! It was sweet in Stonington because I felt my Dad and his family close and then there in Fawcett’s Gap, I felt my Mom’s family near….my great, great grandmother was Mary Ann “Mollie” Fawcett. It was good to get “home” to Palmyra and be in our own little house.
We will be cleaning this week and continuing to rest before we start the last 5 weeks at the temple. We miss being in the temple!!!! So, farewell for another week…..well part of one!!!
Love you all and miss you!
Mom/Grandma/Sandy
My heart is full of gratitude today as I am writing this post. We are soooooo blessed!!!! We just got back from a 9-day trip during the first week of the Palmyra temple shut-down. If I had to put one word to the trip it would be “family”.
After a wonderful day at church with inspiring talks, a great discussion during our SS lesson and practicing with the Primary for the program (I’m playing the piano….big surprise, huh?!?), we took off for Sharon, Vermont and the birthplace of the Prophet Joseph. The Senior Elder who took us around emphasized the importance of family and taught us about how important the family was for Joseph and Emma. In view of this and all the other sites we have visited, it occurred to me what a sacrifice these two blessed people made in the process of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ on the earth. I’m sure they would have been content to just spend their time in the sweet confines of their home but the Lord had other things for them to do also. What a lesson for us! Are we willing to give our all, to sacrifice, to consecrate our efforts, our hearts to the Lord? He does not expect us to neglect our families (in fact there are scriptures chastising those who do) but is there more we can do, can give? I know I could!!
The Elder showed us the hearthstone and the threshold that
had been preserved from the original house.
He told us that the threshold kept the dirt from the home and protected
it. The hearthstone was a gathering
place for the children in the evenings when the cooking for the day was done,
where they could be warm and make memories.
He challenged us to make sure our thresholds were secure and that we
always had a place where our children could gather and make memories. Good counsel!!!
Actual stone but replica of a fireplace
On Monday, we went to Stonington, CT, to continue the journey into the past with our family history. It was so fun to visit a place where our family spent several generations. It is a quaint little town and I especially like the part before we got to the seashore and all of the shore-front condos and home. We found out that our Frink ancestors were closer to Rhode Island, which made tons of sense because they married several people from Westerly, RI, which is only a few miles from Stonington. Their graves are overgrown, and most have been lost.
In the afternoon, we crossed the sound on a ferry, drove back down Long Island and revisited several of the places we had seen eight years ago. Dad’s family settled Southold and then Mattituck on the tip of Long Island. So much fun!!! Tuesday, we traveled to North Carolina by way of Ft. McHenry. Dad will tell you about that!!
We got to NC about dinner time and we were so glad to be there. We had fun visiting, mainly just doing normal stuff like taking kids to school, walking, playing in the park, going to a church activity, reading books, baking, playing games, going to church, going to the temple, reading scriptures at night, visiting and generally just relaxing and being together….all the normal things grandparents do when they visit!! On Sunday, we celebrated Emily’s 12th birthday since we had to leave the next day and wouldn’t be there on Tuesday. She wanted to make her own cake…so fun!! As I enjoyed my time with my sweet NC grandkids, I thought of my other grandkids in Utah and Idaho and will be so happy to see them again in just two short months. We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our mission but will be glad to be with family again also!!!!! Enjoy the pics!!!
On Monday, we had to bid a sad farewell to grandkids, kids and North Carolina. We headed for home but stopped by Fawcett’s Gap on the way. This is where my Quaker family from Ireland, the Fawcetts, settled in the late 1600s and early 1700s, when they moved from Pennsylvania.
And here is Fawcett's Run, a cute little stream. Lighting makes it a bit hart do see....the water is in the foreground.
I felt close to my family as I was there!! It was sweet in Stonington because I felt my Dad and his family close and then there in Fawcett’s Gap, I felt my Mom’s family near….my great, great grandmother was Mary Ann “Mollie” Fawcett. It was good to get “home” to Palmyra and be in our own little house.
We will be cleaning this week and continuing to rest before we start the last 5 weeks at the temple. We miss being in the temple!!!! So, farewell for another week…..well part of one!!!
Love you all and miss you!
Mom/Grandma/Sandy
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