Bonnie Lynn

When Bonnie was born, we still lived at Guymon's place. I went from the hospital to Grandma Dunn's for a few days. I told Grandma that Bonnie had red hair, but she didn't think so. It took a while for it to show, but it was surely red. We were so happy to get a girl to go with our two sons. She has always been a very pleasant and loving person. She is a great blessing for me.

it is a good day in my life

When I get to thinking about life I am grateful for a couple more years. The reason being that all of the Vance name people died before they were 61!!!

Happy ??th, Donnie

I thought of you early this morning, but it slipped my ole mind. It's too late now to call you and sing you happy birthday. You need all the beauty sleep you can get.

Love ya,
Kent

When it Rains it pours

Well I'm sure you have heard the saying ...
Marcy and Troy had to take Jason to the hospital and this morning at 6:30 Monday, He had his appendix operated on! They spent the night from 7:30 - 3:30 in La Jara, then transfered to Alamosa for the operation. OH MY! It sounds like he is doing okay.

Wedding

I am going to try this again I am having a time getting a picture on so here goes... hopefully it is of the Musselman's

When Kent was Little

When Kent came into our family, we still lived on the Guymon ranch. Doris Faye still lived with us and Donnie was 18 months old. He had dark hair and was really a very special baby. From the time he was very small, he could open any bottle. I couldn't always open it, but Kent could. When he and Donnie were playing in an old car, they got into a hive of bees, He was stung many times. We took him to the doctor and he gave him some kind of a shot. It made him vomit and that was the end of it. The doctor said that could have killed him. When he was small, he didn't want me to leave him. We had a very special relationship. He has always been very special to me.

Treasures

Today has been an emotional day for me in a really good way. I have been working hard at packing our office and trying to sluf off some of the rubbish that has collected in desk drawers and in book shelves. It's been hard to decide what to keep and what to discard.

Among the treasures unearthed today were three letters. The first was a letter to Andrea and Robert that was never mailed telling of my love for them and the frustration of not being able to see them. Another was a letter to Betty to reasure her of my love as she prepared to go through the temple with her Mom and Dad without me because I was not worthy to go with her. The third treasure was a letter from Larry at a time in my life that I was really hard on myself because of the poor choices I had made. These are three treasures that I'll always keep. It has been good to remember those times and realize that I have made progress in my life.

The love of my family has made all the difference in the world.

I didn't get all of the packing done that I had hoped to do today, but it has helped me realize that the greatest treasure I have is the love of my family. That is something you can't pack in a box or store in the cupboard. Althought I can't hold it in my hands, it can be mine forever.

Operation news

I was just letting you know that Marcy is having surgery on the 21st of Feb on her knee. she has a cyst and trouble with a cartliage. They have an insurance program that will pay 60%. Then she has to come up with around $2000 downpayment before she can go thru with it. The rest they will let her make payments on. I don't understand why the downpayment. that is their policy I guess. she said the surgery will cost about $14,000. Her knee has really given her troubles this last several months. I know she will be glad to get it fixed and be able to not have that pain and swelling. Anyway just thought I would let the family know so you can remember her in your prayers. (or if you feel inclined to donate --- not requesting just informing) Thanks for your support. with love, Gloria PS - she does not know I have written to you....

The House on 3rd Street

When we were getting ready to move into the neighborhood on 3rd Street, across from the Pagett residence, we had a bit of cleaning to perform before we could occupy the house. The floors were covered in dust and dirt, windows were broken, there was a large teddybear hanging from a rope in the living room. The house was vacant for some time before Arlo and Gatha arranged to buy the house on time.

I reflect in how industrious my father was in improving the house. He installed plumbing in the house with things he acquired at auctions. He was still working for Boyd Pagett at CCG&O, and had access to some of the tools he used there. He installed a heating stove that used kerosene. He repaired parts of the foundation with flat rocks. He put perlite against the foundation for insulation.

The attic was full of junk. Yes it was junk.

The yard was unimproved, no sidewalks. Dad put in a bridge to allow him to drive into the yard. Dad drove the delivery truck for CCG&O. He used the truck to deliver kerosene to the house and fill the barrels that stood outside the living room window. Sometimes we were required (mostly Kent and Donnie) to lug 10 gallons of kerosene home in 5-gallon cans and then put it in the barrels with a 90 degree funnel. The funnel had a lip that hooked inside the barrel bung and a frame that kept it upright. We had to lift the cans up over our heads and pour the smelly kerosene into the funnel. As the kerosene left the can it sometimes glugged and splashed. With practice it was possible to put some kerosene in the barrels without getting soaked in kerosene.

The apple tree on the south side of the house was where dad tied Thunder. Thunder was dad's hunting dog. The garden was built around the tree and was a family project (mostly mom). We never went hungry. I still like my green vegetables.

This poem really touched me today

I was reading in the Ensign magazine and came across this poem written by a husband after his wife was killed in an accident. It really touched me and I would like to share it with you:

Tomorrow Never Comes

If I knew this would be the last time I would watch you sleep,

I would hug you tighter, I would plead with the Lord to protect you.

If I knew this would be the last time I saw you walk out the door,

I would hug and kiss you and call you back to hug and kiss you one more time.

If I knew this would be the last time I would hear your voice in prayer,

I would record every gesture, every look, every smile, every one of your words,

So that I could listen to it later; day after day.

If I knew this would be the last time, I would spend an extra minute to tell you,

"I love you," instead of assuming you already knew it.

If I new this would be our last time, our last moment,

I would be by your side, spending the day with you instead of thinking,

"Well, I'm sure other opportunities will come, so I can let this day go by."

Of course there will be a day to revise things,

And we would have a second chance to do things right.

Oh, of course there will be another day for us to say, "I love you."

And certainly there will be another chance to tell each other, "Can I help with anything?"

But in my case, there isn't one!

I don't have you here with me, and today is the last day we have -- our farewell.

Therefore I would like to say how much I love you,

And I hope you never forget it.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, young or old.

Today might be your last chance to hold tight to the hand of one you love and show all you feel.

If you are waiting for tomorrow, why not do it today?

Because if tomorrow never comes, you certainly will regret for the rest of your life

Not having spent some extra time for a smile, a conversation, a hug, a kiss,

Because you were to busy to give that person what ended up being their last wish.

Then hug tight today the one you love, your friends, your family, and whisper in their ears how much you love them and want them close to you.

Use your time to say,

"I'm sorry,"

"Please,"

"Forgive me,"

"Thank you,"

Or even,

"That was nothing,"

"It's all right,"

Because if tomorrow never comes, you will not have to regret today.

The past doesn't come back, and the future might not come!"

Ensign, Nov, 2007, pp 74-75

Visiting Family in the Valley

1980s at Uncle Don's

I remember staying with the cousin's in the Valley one weekend when we were younger.

Danette pushing me. "Wake up, wake up," coming out of slumber. She says... "The house is on fire!"

I lift my head and look toward the door. Uncle Don in his garments scurrying down the hall for a bucket to put out the flames! Very serious.... it was kinda funny! Flashes of light flickering from the passage, I should be headed for the door!

Thoughts never went to "this is it!" I didn't feel nervous or scared.

I put down my head and closed my eyes again.

I remember seeing the burn mark on the carpet for so long. It was a familiar feeling, warm.

In the beginning ...

Mom posted this as a comment, I thought it would have more visibility as a post;

"In 1946, Arlo and I had been married for 4 months, Dad died and Doris Faye came to live with us. In January 1947 Donnie was born. We lived in Ed Guymon's two room house. It was a very cold night. We had the Model A car and we drained the water out of it every night so it wouldn't freeze. It was the middle of the night. Arlo had a hard time pouring water into the radiator because he was so excited. We did get to the Alamosa hospital,where Donnie was born. Arlo was so thrilled with his red headed boy. "

Kent

We are being downsized!!

In my industry, being downsized us usually a bad thing. It means that jobs are going away or that an unwelcome move is about to take place.

On the first of February, Betty and I will have a new address. We found a nice little two bedroom home not too far from where we live now. We are cleaning out closets and drawers frantically trying to determine where we can pitch or sell belongings so that we will fit in our new environment.

We have really enjoyed living in our current home and we have enjoyed the beautiful view. We decided though, that a smaller house and smaller bills would meet our needs better. We'll keep you posted.

Remember when ....

Some of my earliest memories are of when we lived across the street from Maggie Weston. I remember going over and helping her grandchildren in the chicken coups. Do you know what the white stuff is in the chicken droppings? They are chicken droppings just like the rest of it.



Well, anyway, back to the memories. Bonnie and I were playmates. We would climb up the apple tree in the front yard. The back yard was a vast field. There was a small corral and a small shed in just behind the house. I believe it used to be a pigpen with a little building. We would go out and play in the pen. Bonnie threw a can over the shed and hit me in the head. I bled.

Another time I remember being out in the back with no shoes on and I stepped on a stub left from a weed that was cut. The stub went through my foot.

After that I remember walking on the top wire of the fence that was the boundary between the back lot and the Parker's. I fell and snagged on a barb. I still have the scar.

I vaguely remember the kitchen and front room. There was an oil stove and a wood stove in the kitchen. The weekly baths were taken in a tub that was put in the middle of the kitchen floor.

Dad worked at Conejos County Gas and Oil. He worked for Boyd Pagett, mom;s uncle.

We would move soon to another home. We moved to an old home across the street from Boyd and Elma Pagett, just around the corner from CCG&O. Well that is a story for another day.

A Photo of ...

I believe that I shared this photo with Aunt Gloria a few years back and I just came across it again! I need to get it off my work computer, so I've uploaded it to photobucket and I wanted to share!

I've always loved this photo of the little Vance girls! They were so fun and sweet when we were kids. Danette was always such a kick in the pants! I always loved to go to the Valley to see them and play with them and see what kinds of new adventures they would get us into! Those are the years I miss the most. When we were little, and we all did things together, and they, Marcy, Danette and Cory watched out for Robert and I.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity have grown up with them and have them in my life! As time has worn on and distance has separated us Marcy and I have become good friends. She has been my strength at times when I didn't think I had any strength left! I'm glad that we can get together and share time with each other! I miss that so much about being little and having family close!

Mom's Here

I'm excited about this undertaking. I think it will bring out family closer and help us know what each person is doing. I'm excited to have each of you as my family;

Act your age.

Act your age!

And just what do I mean by that?

When I step in front of the mirror I do not see the same person that appears in my photographs.

A few years ago I was participating in a daily exercise program and made an effort to keep in better physical condition than I am now. I contracted something that caused congestion that lasted for more than a couple weeks. I quit exercising in order to try and get my health back. It seemed to work, but I also dropped the habit of exercising daily and the fat started adding on.

A group of people at work arranged to have a volleyball net set up and started a game. In an effort to get out and do something physical I conceeded that I would participate. If the ball comes near then you call out so as to not conflict with another in hitting the ball. I called out for a ball that was over my head. I jumped and could not reach the ball. I am not sure if my feet actually left the ground. It was so demoralizing. I arrived at old in that moment.

How do I change the mental image back to where I am again youthful?

yep

Well the week has started again. don is working by Cedar until Thursday night and then we will be together again. He said a lot of snow has melted in Cedar. It does get pretty quiet at my house. I need to be more productive at times. It is neat to be able to read from you all. My pictures are needing improvement as far as striving to include them in this blog business. Gloria

the new world of blog

Hello family. I am finally with internet again, we went a whole year without and now I'm learning about this blog's. What does it stand for anyway.
Any how it's good to be part of the world again. In my neck of the woods we just plow snow and then some more snow. Sometimes we believe that we live in the same snowflake that the grench and the who's do in who vill. The kids are doing well in school (thats as far as I want to go with explaining that part of our lives) Gary is keeping busy with providing for the family. We have had a year of learning and looks like another year of the same learning but hopefully with different challenges. I, danette, am enjoying having all the kids in school, I am still dabbling in the writting field. SO that is a small blip of our lives.

Here's Larry

When I left my mssion I was required to put together some goals for my life. I have accomplished some of the goals, but some of them I have not yet finished. The goals I have not finished do not have end dates because they are recurring. One of those goals is to communicate with my family one time in each month. For several years I was fairly good at doing just that. The past few years I have not been compliant with that particular goal.

It feels good to have a little more contact with my family. I love my family.

Jeanette and I (amd Eric and Debra) are far from all of you. We live in Hewitt Texas. I work at L-3 Commications Integrated Systems as a structural engineer. The past year has been tough for me at work. We are busy here with our activities from day to day.

Jeanette is teaching seminary, early morning seminary. We get up at 4:45 to start the day. We get back home before 5 PM and have supper.

I am now the 11 year-old scout leader. Camping is not as much fun now that I am over 50.

Eric is almost ready to be awarded his Eagle Scout rank. We are proud of him and the effort he has expended in his Eagle Scout Project. He collected more than 2500 books for Kids and Company. They sponsor after school learning sessions.

Debra is a Senior this year. She is planning on earning her Young Women in Excellence Award. We are proud of Debra and the positive influence she has.

Guess who this is......

This is an interesting photo. Who can tell me who you are seeing here?

Click on the image and you'll see a larger image of the photos, and check out the slide show to the right. Thank you, Larry for your hours of scanning old photographs.

Now that you know who it is, tell us something about them. You can either do it as a comment to this post, or you can create a post of your own.

In as many days

In the last three days, I have seen as may doctors. They can be a pain.

The Cancer doctor gave me really good news. It appears that the cancer is gone. They can't guarantee it, but it seems to be completely gone. I'll be seeing him every 4 months now for a year.

I had a small lump on the palm of my hand which has been there since September. It started growing and I was a bit concerned so I went to the family Dr. He told me that the lump or cyst as he calls it is in "no man's land" because of the complexity of the hand. He sent me to a general surgeon who looked at it and told me it's in "no man's land" etc. He sent me to a hand specialist. He told me that he suspected a foreign body, probably a splinter that the body is attacking. He told me that it is causing what is called "proud flesh" and that it can be problematic in the future. I am going to have surgery on my hand on the 17th.

I have learned a valuable lesson! No more yard work for me!! At least not without gloves.

Welcome

Following Larry's example with his family blog, I thought it would be a nice thing to do to start a blog for our extended family.

It will be an open post and we welcome posts and comments from any family member who would choose to make entries.

My list of email addresses is sadly incomplete. I would appreciate it if you would help me with any email addresses so that I can be sure to invite everyone in the family. If you want to be an author on the Blog, but don’t want your email visible to the world, just send me an email (rkentvance@gmail.com) and I’ll send you an invitation to be a member of the blog.