Spring Break

When there's only 3 of us here living and working, there doesn't seem much to write about. The last 3 months have been relatively quiet. 

In February, Glen and I drove down to Vegas for a quick trip to bring my mom her things that we had picked up in Brookings a few weekends before that. It was wonderful to see Deni, Pat, and my mom again. Watching a bit of the Olympics was fun, too.

Spring Break started on Saturday April 9th with the wedding of our nephew, Thomas, to his bride, Maryann. It was a beautiful morning in Reno for the temple sealing and the evening in Fallon at the reception. Alex had come in a few days before for the wedding, so we had a great time visiting and playing games. Little sleep was had by some.

On Sunday, leaving the warmth and sun of Nevada behind, Glen, Eric, Alex, and I drove to Idaho and spent the night with Ryan and Angeles (and played a game, of course). It was so good to see them!

The next day, we continued our trip with Glen doing the driving while it snowed. We spent a fabulous week with Hannah and Kaellen in Montana. It snowed those first 2 days, but it was great. We went to Hannah's dental hygiene school and had various things done--x-rays, cleanings, and I was on the receiving end of 2 injections from Hannah so she could pass off one of her requirements. She did a great job--it didn't hurt at all!

Our activities that week included going to the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center, visiting the falls of Great Falls, feeding the fish at the fish hatchery, watching the first half of Hamilton! on Disney, doing a little shopping down town,  and eating at a fabulous Brazilian place Five on Black.

On Saturday, Glen, Eric, and I flew back to Reno while Hannah and Kaellen drove Alex back to school since his new semester started this week. We left the minivan behind so Hannah and Kaellen can use it in a few weeks to move here.

We got home just in time to enjoy a wonderful Easter Sunday--no jelly beans or chocolate, but there was church and a ham dinner with Dad P. How grateful we are for the Savior and for family!

Maryann and Thomas

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Hannah at the hatchery

Alex and Eric 

Alex-where one of the shortest rivers (201') meets the Missouri

me in the freezing cold feeding the fish at the hatchery

me, Alex, Eric, Hannah, and Glen

Glen, me, Alex, Hannah, and Eric learning about Lewis and Clark

dinner at 5 on Black

5 on Black-Kaellen, Alex, Eric, Glen, Beth, Hannah

Eric having a little fun while we were out shopping

one of the falls

Jan--moving mom, family history, a little bit of culture

This school year for Glen is now on a downhill slope heading (for the second time in his teaching career) to the end of his last year! Alex has just started his college years and the rest of us continue much as we were at the end of 2021.

Hannah already posted about the room makeovers. We did a little bit more after she left. It really is SO nice to go back there now. Hannah's old room is now ready for my mom for whenever she comes to be with us.

Glen and I drove to Oregon this month to help move some things out of mom's house so it can be put on the market. We love Brookings and will miss our visits there--however, mom is now 3 hours closer to us as she is settling in Vegas at Deni's!

I was contacted by Eric Ross who found me from my posts on my family history blog (https://turningourhearts-beth.blogspot.com). He is my 4th cousin once removed and is a descendant of Joel Jervis and Elizabeth Smith through their daughter, Phebe Maria Jervis Van Buren. He has a bunch of Phebe's papers, which he scanned and generously shared with me. I've been transcribing the 140 or so pages and some of it is so fascinating! Among other things, she has some stories from her great-aunt who lived through the Revolutionary War. So, a lot of my free time in January was spent working on various aspects of family history. 

And if that wasn't enough genealogical excitement:

Some years ago (5?6?) I was contacted by a professional genealogist who was doing research for a client (Kyle Riddlebaugh) writing a book about the Riddlebaughs. His book Riddlebaugh-Since 1666 was published this summer and since he had used things from my blog, he sent me a copy! However, due to transcribing Phebe's papers, I haven't done more than flip through the pages, but I'm excited to give it a closer look later.

Our book club meeting this month was spent discussing the book The Woman They Could Not Silence: the Shocking Story of a Woman Who Dared to Fight Back by Kate Moore. A fascinating true story about a woman, Elizabeth Ware Packard, living in the 1860s when men had complete and total control over their wives and their wives' property and could easily get them locked up in an insane asylum, as Elizabeth's husband did. (often thinking of family history, I thought to look her up on familysearch and she is Glen's 5th cousin 5 times removed...everyone at book club was either related to her or her husband)

Reno Taiko Tsurunokai, a Japanese drumming group, came to our library yesterday for a performance. I just happened to see the facebook notice that morning and Glen, Eric, and I were able to go. They taught a little bit of culture along with their musical numbers. We quite enjoyed it. 

One of the cultural tidbits involved the Japanese lion, Shishi, who came out to dance. Being bitten by Shishi is supposed to bring you good luck (apparently during parades, parents will hold up their children saying things like "bite my child"). Glen was one of the few who was chosen by Shishi to get bitten! Unfortunately my camera was at home and I don't have a photo (these photos are from Glen's camera). We came home and played Eric's new game, The Isle of Cats, which Glen won, so that might be all the proof you need. (The Isle of Cats is a great game, by the way, and we highly recommend it)

Tsurunokai means the gathering of cranes, so cranes are on their outfits

Not the best picture of the Shishi, but it was the only closeup we have

two villagers go to wake up the shishi so they can get bitten for good luck