Geneology

Clayton loves his Toy Story toys

My sweet Dad, Carrington, and cousins Abigail and Lydia

My Mom with Carrington and her cousins

My Dad diving in his pool

Carrington on a train car on vacation

A fun restaurant in Memphis with lots of cool antiques

The train car

I have really become interested in our family's history in the last few years.  I want to know as much as I can about both sides of my family.  It is so fun to hear details about my grandparents and their ancestors.  Last week I took my 91-year-old aunt with me to my Mom and Dad's house.  She is my Dad's older sister.  Out of 10 children in my Dad's family, there are only 3 left.   My Aunt Emily and my Dad are in excellent shape.  My Dad is 83.  I had to include the picture of him diving off the diving board.  He probably would not be happy if he knew I put it on my blog, but I think it's awesome that he can still do things like this.  He swims in their backyard pool every day.  Both of my sisters came, along with their children, to my Mom and Dad's house last week too.  We had so much fun asking my Dad and my Aunt Emily about their parents, siblings,  other family members, and about growing up on a farm during the Depression.  They were so cute talking about their childhood!  They both have nothing but good things to say about their parents.  They said that they were both very sweet and laid back parents.  They talked about them both singing hymns while they worked.   I can't imagine how hard they must have worked.  They didn't have the modern conveniences of dishwahers, washing machines, running water, and electricity.  My Dad could only recall 4 spankings that he ever received growing up.  On one occasion, he got a spanking for leaving a gate open and letting the cows out.  When he was older, he got a spanking for smoking.  He said it was rabbit tobacco, whatever that is.  I learned that my Great-Grandmother died during childbirth and so did the baby.  She already had 4 girls, including a one and a half year old!  My Grandma was the oldest, and got married not long after her Mom died.   My Great-Grandfather remarried that same year.  I wonder if it was out of necessity.  After all, he still had a baby at home.  He and his new wife had 3 more children.  The younger children were around the age of my Aunt Emily.  I wish at least one of them were still alive.  It would be so fascinating to talk to someone whose Dad was born close to the time of the Civil War! 

American History is definitely one of my favorite subjects, and the history of my own family is quite fascinating to me.  I'm so thankful that I have so many Godly ancestors.  I will certainly pass down everything I have learned to my own children.  I want them to know the Godly heritage that they have.