728. My Halloween family letter, with pictures of my husband in costume, when he was a teacher and one idea from the Family Roots Expo--more to come!

I decided to post a family letter I just sent to my posterity.  Here it is:

Well, tomorrow will be Halloween, and it the tradition of Grandpa Wayne, you probably will dress up. One picture I'm sending is him in a Mother Goose Costume, and 2 others in costumes, one with Pam and Jeremy as children. He dressed up every year when he was a teacher.   He loved to have fun!

This one was taken in Sandy, before we moved to St. George.

Delsy, our daughter who is extremely creative, made this Mother Goose costume.  She has many costumes, as one time she actually had a costume shop and rented costumes.

Another time Wayne dressed up.  

On Friday and Saturday I went to the Family Roots Expo here in St. George.  It was so interesting!  They had really good key note speakers both days.  Yesterday one of them was Alex Boye' , the black singer, and they had arranged for him to open his DNA results right there on stage!  He had sent it in a few weeks ago.  Mine took around 6 weeks to develop. 

 His parents both were from Nigeria, but his mother had gone to London, England, just before he was born, so he was born there.  He had quite a history, both his mother and father went back to Nigeria and he was in a boarding school for a few years, and felt totally abandoned.  He heard the LDS missionaries at about age 16, after he was homeless, and joined the Church.  Since then he has re connected with his family in Nigeria, etc. and married a white woman.  She was there with the cutest little boy about age 1, with his short kinky hair.  

He was so surprised to find he was if I remember right 34% Nigerian, 15% from Ivory Coast, and from other countries in Africa.  He immediately said he wanted to compose songs and make an album with him singing in each native language of the countries he had ancestors in, 6 in all!  There were other fascinating speakers, and I got many good ideas, which will take time to figure out.

Last night a dear friend Debbie Wirth and I went to a concert here with the Dixie State Symphony Orchestra, and the men's trio singing group "Gentri"!  It was so so good!  You would have liked it!  They sang many songs, some from the 80's, that you older ones would have recognized.  Debbie is in a wheel chair, and has a heredity disease of the nerves, and has really bad nerve pain, especially in her legs and feet.  She has had 25 operations on her feet and legs, and has to have her feet taped, etc.  I have known her for 20 or more years, and if anyone ever feels sorry for yourself, you need to visit Debbie, and see her courage, and cheerful spirit.  She is only 50.  

I have been released from my part time mission, as I have realized I need to have literally months to go through all the stuff here in the house, and organize, eliminate, etc.  I do plan to move up  north with Wayne and Julie around the first of May.  Allen has invited me to a seminar with him next May 12th or so, and I probably will be up there by then.  I still want any of you to come and get things you could enjoy or use!

I put a picture on, and asked who knew the story behind this picture -- 

I have put in a picture of Grandpa Wayne, with a bandage on his head -- and it is a contest on e mail ---  Who knows the story behind that picture?  See who can be first to write and tell me, and I'll tell it next week to all of you!  This is a contest!  That was one idea I got from the expo, of how to keep family stories alive  --- More to come!

Now something for Sunday ---

October 29 Service

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY  Doctrine & Covenants 81:5 "Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees."

QUOTE OF THE DAY Lorenzo Snow "One of the best things a young man or a young woman can have in view, in trying to be great, is to have others great also; and not mind spending a little time to improve others. The best way to improve ourselves is to exercise ourselves in doing good to others. Keep this in mind constantly" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, p. 261).