Grandchildren-last year and now.

Grandchildren in 2008

Two new grandchildren-Samuel and Abby
Standing: Ethan, Gabrielle, Kirsten, Eli, Makel, Bethany, Natalie, Jared.
Bottom left: Kiara, holding Samuel: Noah, Jared, holding Abby; Indigo, Joel.



Grandchildren in 2007



Top: Natalie, Jacob
3rd row: Ethan, Eli
2nd row: Jared, Makel, Bethany, Kirsten
Bottom l-rt: Gabrielle, Noah, Indigo, Joel, Kiara

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Today my father is 104 years old! He died in August 1973 when I was nearly 31 years old. In spite of him being gone more years than he was here, the memory of him is still so very sweet, and my love for him is very strong. I feel sad that half of my children can not even remember him. I want to share with them some of the memories that I have of him.
He was such an influence for good in my life and in the lives of so many who lived in the Jameston Ward, outside of Shelley Idaho, where I grew up. He was a Bishop when I was born, and was a Bishop for 13 years, until I was about 9 years old.
I remember-

• He always wore bib overalls outside to work in. He was a farmer, and then as I was in my teen years, he started raising beef. I would much rather work outside with him than working in the house.

• During the spring he would pick a sprig of lilac, and put it in the button-hole of his suspenders. He loved the smell of them, and I guess I picked up that love also.

• I remember his smile.

• Telling us children that he wanted us to stay close.

• Telling us that we have a good name (Fielding),and to always honor it and never do anything that would disgrace it.

• Reunions were important to him...It didn't seem that we could come up with an excuse to miss one. Even when they planned the reunion for the day that Steven and I got married, he thought that we would come home for the reunion before leaving for our honeymoon.

• I remember how excited daddy was when he planned on taking all of his children and their spouses to Hawaii. We had such a fun time together!

• Santa visited every home on Christmas Eve leaving a bag of peanuts, ribbon candy and an orange. After one such visit, Santa couldn't get the front door shut. Daddy called out to him, "Just slam it Art!" (Try explaining that!)

• I remember the fun 24 of July Celebrations at the school, with big round watering troughs full of ice water and bottles of "pop". I can still see him guzzling a bottle of root beer down and winning the contest!

• I remember him telling us about how the dummy doll came on the big ship with our ancestors from England, and wondering (till I was at least 20) where he hid it!

• One of daddy's assignments on the high council was to oversee the building of Darby Girls camp. I loved going up their with my parents and Mark to work on the buildings and the big slide that went down the mountain.

• When daddy was put on the high council, he had to speak a lot. I remember typing his notes for him. He had such a testimony. I remember asking him once if he thought he would ever be the president of our church. He just smiled and said, "I'm sure I won't be." I thought he could be though, he gave such good talks.

• I remember his story of the protection of garments, when he got his pant leg caught in the power take-off of the tractor, literally stripping his pants off, but not touching his garments or his leg.

• How scared I was, and yet how privileged I felt when he asked me to be with him in surgery when he had to undergo his stomach surgery, as if my being there with him would somehow make things turn out alright.

I remember that I felt loved.

I love you daddy.

Tender Mercies

As I have just completed probably the hardest 6 weeks of my personal life, I look back nearly two years to my last entry, and realize the blessings and the 'tender mercies' that I have received over the past two years. Because I have been so slack in writing, I don't have pictures for everything, but I would like to list some things that have been a blessing to our family.
I am grateful every day for our children, their wonderful spouses, and grandchildren. At the end of last year I wrote myself a note saying,
" At the end of this year,I am thankful for
Who we are and
What we have."
We truly have been blessed. I love each member of our family. I am so grateful for their lives, and for their blessing in mine.
I am grateful for our two new little grand babies-Samuel, born in December, and little Abby born in March.
I look at each of our grandchildren and are so grateful for their health, their strength in the gospel, and their love of the Lord and of their families. They are each a wonderful tender mercy in my life.
I am grateful that Roberts CT scan in April came back clean. His life is a blessing that we count as a tender mercy.
What a blessing I have had so many times in my life, to have a husband who has been such a support to me, who has stayed near me to help me, to give me strength,and who has blessed me and our family.
Most of all during these last hard weeks, I am grateful that at some of my darkest hours, when I was afraid, and when the pain was so bad in my leg, that when I called out to the Lord, I was able to feel Him there.
Thanks so much to each of you that I love for blessing my life.

A Haircut Like My Dad's

A couple of weeks ago Noah was talking to his dad, and said,"Dad, I want you to grow your two beards back." After quizzing him as to where his 'two beards' were, he pointed to his dad's chin and said, "here", and then pointing to the top of his head said, "and here".



A couple of days later his mom was triming his hair, and Noah said, "Mom, I want a haircut like my dad's". She said, "Are you sure Noah? Your head will be cold, and your hair will take a while before it grows back" He was insistant though, and said he wanted it off, he wanted a haircut like his dads. He has been so cute. He loves looking like his dad.

Lil' Reindeer-Christmas 2005

This holiday season Noah was playing with this little reindeer toy (potato head type) that I have had forever in my Christmas decorations. He took off the antlers and said, "Hey, he looks like my dad!"



I guess after Robert lost all his hair after his chemo/radiation treatments he is pretty slick on top.

Thanksgiving at the Condo-2005

We were able to have our condo in Midway over the Thanksgiving holiday this year. We reserved the clubhouse Thanksgiving afternoon, but we were able to have a little touch football in the morning, and were able to swim and play games in the afternoon. All of our Utah family was able to be there this year except Angie and Chad. We also missed our Florida family. Here are some of the pictures from Thanksgiving Day.

Natalie's Baptism Day!!

Natalie got baptized today into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The baptism program was so beautiful. Her mom Kim was one of the speakers, but the sweetest time came when the four little girls who were being baptized, all dressed in white, sang together, "When I am baptized." She was baptized by her dad Gregg. Her grandfathers, Phil Barney and Steven Finlinson were the witnesses to the baptism. Her dad made sure she was totally immersed in the water...he nearly laid her clear down on the bottom!!



Natalie's confirmation was beautiful. Her dad, her two grandpa's, Uncles Ted, Doug, Robert and her Bishop laid their hands on her head, and her father gave her the Holy Ghost and then a blessing from our Heavenly Father. Her dad told her that her Heavenly Father loved her. He blessed her heart that it would be sensative to the spirit, her mind that she would have an understanding of the scriptures and of her Heavenly Father. He blessed her hands that they would be busy in helping others, and her legs and feet that they would be strong in endurance. He told her of her families love for her, and blessed her with all other blessings the Lord saw a need for her to have. What a sweet little girl.




Natalie following the baptism with her parents.



Wow! There are still roses and beautiful weather the 5 November! Following the baptisimal services, everyone went back to Gregg and Kims for lunch. Angie and Chad joined us there. (Angie had a masters presentation earlier that day.)