Tuesday, July 8, 2008
When I was little, I would tell anyone willing to listen (and some not so willing) that you were in Kenya. Even then I knew it was the coolest thing. I was pretty zealous about missionary work as a kid, perhaps a little overly so, now that I look back...
One thing about your example that I appreciate now as an adult is how incredibly fun loving you are! It seems like you are always up for a game and I so love that about you. Not every grown-up is so cool.
I love you, Grandma. I hope you have the most wonderful birthday.
Love, Caitlin
One thing about your example that I appreciate now as an adult is how incredibly fun loving you are! It seems like you are always up for a game and I so love that about you. Not every grown-up is so cool.
I love you, Grandma. I hope you have the most wonderful birthday.
Love, Caitlin
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Eighty-eight, but who's counting.
That's right it's a pretty long life and not over by a long shot. But what's really much more impressive than those years is the vitality and service that you've packed into them. That is so much more than just a number of years.
Your life has been an inspiration to so many. And I think that inspiration has been felt the most by your family, your children, grand children and great grand children. What a marvelous legacy you've created and will continue to create.
I love you, Mom. Your son.
David
Your life has been an inspiration to so many. And I think that inspiration has been felt the most by your family, your children, grand children and great grand children. What a marvelous legacy you've created and will continue to create.
I love you, Mom. Your son.
David
Happy Birthday Mom!
I hope you have a wonderful birthday and with this birthday greeting I wanted to take this opportunity to say something else.
Thank you for always being there for me. Thank you for always believing in me. Thank you loving me.
Thank you for being the best Mother.
Love,
Mark
Thank you for always being there for me. Thank you for always believing in me. Thank you loving me.
Thank you for being the best Mother.
Love,
Mark
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
From A Sometimes Ungrateful Son
Just a few thoughts on the anniversary of your 29th birthday.
I want you to know how much Dad -- despite his quirks and rough upbringing -- really loves you and has loved you more than anyone and anything from the time he came to know you. I remember when Juliet and I came to visit for a summer (Dad had custody for those 3 moinths) after you two had married, we were not the happiest campers. Not only were we uprooted from our mother and friends in Albuquerque, but we had to live among those weird Mormons and their quirky giant families in Utah. Even worse, we had to stay with the woman who obviously stole our dad away and was trying to take our mother's place. Never mind that we actually were safer and happier; no one was going to replace our mother without a fight. So, we set out to make life for you as miserable as possible and force our dad to abandon you for us. Surely, he would choose us (and perhaps our mother) over his Utah family, rather than risk losing us forever! Well, one day Dad took Juliet and me aside and quietly, but firmly, informed us that although he loved us and would die for us, he would not allow us to come between him and you. I do not remember much else that he said, but I remember walking away with a new-found respect for you and how much Dad must love you to tell his flesh and blood that we could not take him away from you. Now that I have developed a more eternal view of marriage and children, I better understand why he told us that you would always be number 1.
I want you to know how much I appreciate you setting me straight on loving my birth mother and the respect and gratitude I had to show her. As you know, she did some terrible things to me as I was growing up, but you taught me that was no excuse for not loving and praying for her. On one occasion as a teenager, I was bad-mouthing her to you and blaming her for the woes in my life when you abruptly and physically stopped my whining (despite you being a foot shorter and 60 pounds lighter than me). You then proceeded, with all the passion you could muster, to set me straight on motherhood and how I could not ever repay my birth mother for giving me life and, because I had the Atonement in my life to fix any sorrows I had, I should never blame my life on anything she might have done. We were both crying by the time you finished. Because of you I better understand what the Savior meant when he said: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; . . . For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?" (Matthew 5:44, 46). It is easy to love those who love us, but if Christ could love and do good to even the worst among us and expects me to become like him, how dare I not love and and pray for my birth mother? But for your real-world tutoring, I might not have learned this essential message, and surely not so early in life.
Lastly, I want you to know that I love you as my mother for the eternities. You know that as a young man I struggled with whom to be sealed. I could be sealed to Dad and you or wait until my birth mother joined the Church or died and then be sealed to her. But I could not be sealed to both Dad and my birth mother. So, I struggled with my decision. I had little problem being sealed to you, but I feared somehow rejecting and losing my birth mother forever. Intellectually, I realized that if my birth mother and you both became exalted (and I somehow fooled the judgment bar and snuck into the Celestial Kngdom), I could enjoy eternal connections to you both, but viscerally I was not so sure. My thoughts wandered into fears that I would be condemning my birth mother if I chose you -- especially after you had convinced me that I owed her so much. Although Dad was pretty convincing in urging me to choose you, you did not make it any easier when you told me that you were fine with whatever I did and perhaps I should wait and be sealed to my birth mother. Fortunately, you also reminded me that God knew what I should do and I should fast and pray for His guidance, which I did. The answer, when it came, was simple and sweet . . . and so I was sealed to you and Dad. And I have been enormously grateful ever since.
Happy birthday on this the anniversary of your 29th birthday!
Love, Robert
I want you to know how much Dad -- despite his quirks and rough upbringing -- really loves you and has loved you more than anyone and anything from the time he came to know you. I remember when Juliet and I came to visit for a summer (Dad had custody for those 3 moinths) after you two had married, we were not the happiest campers. Not only were we uprooted from our mother and friends in Albuquerque, but we had to live among those weird Mormons and their quirky giant families in Utah. Even worse, we had to stay with the woman who obviously stole our dad away and was trying to take our mother's place. Never mind that we actually were safer and happier; no one was going to replace our mother without a fight. So, we set out to make life for you as miserable as possible and force our dad to abandon you for us. Surely, he would choose us (and perhaps our mother) over his Utah family, rather than risk losing us forever! Well, one day Dad took Juliet and me aside and quietly, but firmly, informed us that although he loved us and would die for us, he would not allow us to come between him and you. I do not remember much else that he said, but I remember walking away with a new-found respect for you and how much Dad must love you to tell his flesh and blood that we could not take him away from you. Now that I have developed a more eternal view of marriage and children, I better understand why he told us that you would always be number 1.
I want you to know how much I appreciate you setting me straight on loving my birth mother and the respect and gratitude I had to show her. As you know, she did some terrible things to me as I was growing up, but you taught me that was no excuse for not loving and praying for her. On one occasion as a teenager, I was bad-mouthing her to you and blaming her for the woes in my life when you abruptly and physically stopped my whining (despite you being a foot shorter and 60 pounds lighter than me). You then proceeded, with all the passion you could muster, to set me straight on motherhood and how I could not ever repay my birth mother for giving me life and, because I had the Atonement in my life to fix any sorrows I had, I should never blame my life on anything she might have done. We were both crying by the time you finished. Because of you I better understand what the Savior meant when he said: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; . . . For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?" (Matthew 5:44, 46). It is easy to love those who love us, but if Christ could love and do good to even the worst among us and expects me to become like him, how dare I not love and and pray for my birth mother? But for your real-world tutoring, I might not have learned this essential message, and surely not so early in life.
Lastly, I want you to know that I love you as my mother for the eternities. You know that as a young man I struggled with whom to be sealed. I could be sealed to Dad and you or wait until my birth mother joined the Church or died and then be sealed to her. But I could not be sealed to both Dad and my birth mother. So, I struggled with my decision. I had little problem being sealed to you, but I feared somehow rejecting and losing my birth mother forever. Intellectually, I realized that if my birth mother and you both became exalted (and I somehow fooled the judgment bar and snuck into the Celestial Kngdom), I could enjoy eternal connections to you both, but viscerally I was not so sure. My thoughts wandered into fears that I would be condemning my birth mother if I chose you -- especially after you had convinced me that I owed her so much. Although Dad was pretty convincing in urging me to choose you, you did not make it any easier when you told me that you were fine with whatever I did and perhaps I should wait and be sealed to my birth mother. Fortunately, you also reminded me that God knew what I should do and I should fast and pray for His guidance, which I did. The answer, when it came, was simple and sweet . . . and so I was sealed to you and Dad. And I have been enormously grateful ever since.
Happy birthday on this the anniversary of your 29th birthday!
Love, Robert
Sunday, June 22, 2008
No Grandma, I'm not dating, don't worry.
My favorite qualities of my darling Grandma include the following; selfless, spiritual and fun.
You are constantly striving to serve. Whether it be working at the temple, cooking a meal, or serving a mission. You have been a wonderful example to me. Your priorities are clear, apparent, and righteous. I can only hope I can become a woman of such vigor and passion for serving the Lord.
Your spirit has always been inspired. You shed light with wisdom and sincere consideration to those around you, including your loved ones. I have been strengthened many times by your testimony and the passion you have for the gospel. The importance of sharing and spreading the truth has been magnified by your actions and words. I have always admired the person that you are and the many lives you have touched.
You have always enjoyed life. No matter the circumstance or trial, the smile never escapes your face. I have many fond memories of playing baseball in our tiny backyard upon your request. I've always enjoyed hearing you talk, your stories, and playing board games with you!
I hope you know I look up to you and am so very grateful for the example you have set.
Happy Birthday Grandma!
Love,
Bridget
You are constantly striving to serve. Whether it be working at the temple, cooking a meal, or serving a mission. You have been a wonderful example to me. Your priorities are clear, apparent, and righteous. I can only hope I can become a woman of such vigor and passion for serving the Lord.
Your spirit has always been inspired. You shed light with wisdom and sincere consideration to those around you, including your loved ones. I have been strengthened many times by your testimony and the passion you have for the gospel. The importance of sharing and spreading the truth has been magnified by your actions and words. I have always admired the person that you are and the many lives you have touched.
You have always enjoyed life. No matter the circumstance or trial, the smile never escapes your face. I have many fond memories of playing baseball in our tiny backyard upon your request. I've always enjoyed hearing you talk, your stories, and playing board games with you!
I hope you know I look up to you and am so very grateful for the example you have set.
Happy Birthday Grandma!
Love,
Bridget
What you're not 21!!!
Let me just say, It takes a REAL Gramma to call this cute! But you did. Heck, you even made a whole book with this being the cover page.. Good choice :)Well don't worry, I did finally get my hair under control.
Thanks for keeping in touch.. for giving me things in life to look up to and to look back on. Thanks for giving me my Super-Duper Mom. "The Little Princess" has become one of my all time favorites, too. Thank-you, THANK-YOU for introducing the gospel into my lineage. That's the GREATEST gift you could've given.
Happy Birthday Gramma Gibbons!! I love ya'!
Nadene
P.S. We should start the whole pen pal thing back up. I really liked it.
The year 1978 not only welcomed me into this world, it was also the year Congress passed legislation proclaiming the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. Some years later, I attended an elementary school that celebrated this holiday with gusto. Each class spent precious hours learning an appropriately sentimental song celebrating the virtues of grandparents. We wrapped our wrists with brightly colored construction paper so that when we performed our memorized hand motions to the songs, the audience was sure to be dazzled by the array of color. On the day of the program, parents and grandparents crowded into the antiquated New England school’s auditorium/library/cafeteria to await their grandchild’s practiced performance. In my memory, you were able to come once and I could not have been happier.
But of course you could not be there every year. When I was in third grade you left on your first mission to Yugoslavia. Let other grandmothers sit home and knit. You were off to a communist country to covertly teach the gospel. And I thought you were the coolest.
I admit sometime around the 8th grade, I completely lost track of your whereabouts. You may have been in the Bahamas, Salt Lake City, Africa, England, the South Pacific. The only people more well-traveled than you were fugitives on the run.
When I was in college (and you were on yet another mission), we managed to meet in Mexico. After I spent a semester teaching literacy in rural Puebla, you generously allowed my fellow students and me to crash at the posh church-owned guest quarters at the school where you were serving. It only took one card game for your feisty and funny nature to fully reveal itself to my friends. I’m pretty sure they wanted you for their own.
Virtually my entire life you have been serving full time missions for the Church. So maybe I didn’t get any hand knit sweaters for Christmas but I got a magnificent example of consecrating one’s time and talents to the gospel of Jesus Christ. You are a living legend. I love you and I thank you. Happy Birthday, Grandma.
Kelly
Friday, June 13, 2008
Mom
Heavenly father knew what he was doing when he put me in your hands. even though we had our ups and downs, agreements and disagreements, you always taught with love.
You have an undying and persistent love of the gospel. It shows with your track record of missions alone. You taught many about the gospel, including me.
You have taught many and they love you for it!
When things were slow, you were the first to mention board games. I'll always remember your laughter with people.
Mom you taught, loved and lived an wonderful life with lots of family and friends with the gospel always at the head of it.
Thank you for the perseverance, love and laughter. I hope I can do half as much as you have travelled, loved and taught when I reach your age. You are a wonderful person and I thank Heavenly father everyday for just knowing and loving you.
Love,
Julie
You have an undying and persistent love of the gospel. It shows with your track record of missions alone. You taught many about the gospel, including me.
You have taught many and they love you for it!
When things were slow, you were the first to mention board games. I'll always remember your laughter with people.
Mom you taught, loved and lived an wonderful life with lots of family and friends with the gospel always at the head of it.
Thank you for the perseverance, love and laughter. I hope I can do half as much as you have travelled, loved and taught when I reach your age. You are a wonderful person and I thank Heavenly father everyday for just knowing and loving you.
Love,
Julie
Monday, June 2, 2008
Elaine Andrus
I love these photos of Mom.
To me they represent what we once were and what we can someday be. Happy Birthday to my beautiful Mother. You are as beautiful now as when these pictures were taken.
To me they represent what we once were and what we can someday be. Happy Birthday to my beautiful Mother. You are as beautiful now as when these pictures were taken.
New Deadline...
It looks like we're going to need a bit more time. The drop dead date is the 22nd of June. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to call me.
Thanks to everybody who made the deadline.
-david
Thanks to everybody who made the deadline.
-david
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Happy Birthday Grandma!
We are so blessed to have you as a close relative and loved one. I am always overjoyed when I recall the day my sons were cradled in your loving arms and addressed as "little darling" the way I was when you first held me.
Enjoy an extra scoop of an ice cream for us on your special day.
All our Love,
The Lunns ~ Travis, Kassia, Tyler and Tanner
We are so blessed to have you as a close relative and loved one. I am always overjoyed when I recall the day my sons were cradled in your loving arms and addressed as "little darling" the way I was when you first held me.
Enjoy an extra scoop of an ice cream for us on your special day.
All our Love,
The Lunns ~ Travis, Kassia, Tyler and Tanner
Happy Birthday to the Greatest Grandma!!!!!!!!!!
Grandma Gibbons--
We Love You!
Thanks for all the laughs and hugs. Thanks for playing games with us and being lots of fun. And thanks for helping raise our dad and giving him the gift of the gospel and the joy of eternal families !!! Lots of love from us Texans.
Love, Jim & Sherie
Alison Melinda Corinne Ellen GJ
Happy birthday Little Grandma!!!!
Grandma we just wanted to let you know how your influnce on your grandkids and great grandkids.
I remebered the times growing up and the missions that you and grandpa served. They will always be examples for generations of my family.
Dylan, Natalie, Elsie, and Konnor
Cowgirl Grandma, Showing the Calgary Stampede Who was the Coolest
This is a Proud Little Great Grandma
Grandma!
Happy Birthday from one of the many branches of the Lunns!
I love hearing the story of when Dad broke his arm on Sunday. According to him, you told him he and Mark could skip Sacrament Meeting (doubtful) and he fell out of a tree fracturing his arm. He walked into the chapel with his arm "hanging" and you told him to sit down. Hilarious, if not completely true.
We love you Grandma. Thanks for making us laugh.
-Zach and Company
Happy Birthday from one of the many branches of the Lunns!
I love hearing the story of when Dad broke his arm on Sunday. According to him, you told him he and Mark could skip Sacrament Meeting (doubtful) and he fell out of a tree fracturing his arm. He walked into the chapel with his arm "hanging" and you told him to sit down. Hilarious, if not completely true.
We love you Grandma. Thanks for making us laugh.
-Zach and Company
Hi Grandma,
This picture of you holding me as a newborn is framed in my living room. I love to look at it and think of how much I love you.
You are a wonderful grandmother. I love to be around you. You make me smile and you give great energy. You always keep us active whether we are up and moving or sitting down playing games laughing and having fun.
This picture of you holding me as a newborn is framed in my living room. I love to look at it and think of how much I love you.
You are a wonderful grandmother. I love to be around you. You make me smile and you give great energy. You always keep us active whether we are up and moving or sitting down playing games laughing and having fun.
I am especially grateful for the many things you have taught me, even when you may have not realized it. I remember visiting you when I was in college and I noticed you sitting on the sofa reading your scriptures faithfully. Both you and Grandpa are exceptional examples to me and I love calling you my grandparents.
Happy Birthday.
Love,
Stacy
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Happy Birthday Grandma!
Have a wonderful and happy birthday! We wish you all the best and hope that you have a great year full of good health and lots of love.
Love Dan and Adriane
Love Dan and Adriane
Thursday, May 29, 2008
It all started here....
That's right on the 24th of July 1920, Elaine Andrus was born in this little house in Basalt, Idaho.
It's seems strange that people were born at home. It seems so risky to me now.
We often visited my great-grandmother's home, usually in July. In Utah and Idaho they celebrate pioneer days on the 24th of July. When my Mom was little girl in Basalt she thought the celebration was for her birthday. All I can say now is why not?
Friday, May 23, 2008
Grace at age 5; Maggie at age 9 months; Grandma Elaine Gibbons at age timeless beauty
Dear Maggie Elaine,
It's coming up on your great-grandmother's birthday here. As her namesake, there are probably a few things that we should share with you so that you might understand why we chose to give you such a lovely and important name.
First of all, and I realize I'm starting off on a superficial foot here, but your Grandma Gibbons is a great beauty. Now, I know that's kind of a hard thing to live up to; this is a case where your genes may play more of a part than your personal choices. She has always been a real knock-out but, even better, she has aged fabulously... and isn't it kind of nice to know that feature may be buried in your genetic makeup? Trust me, it is.
Secondly, your Grandma Gibbons has a great sense of humor. She is just so much fun to be around. Being able to find the funny can really get you through some hard times. And it makes the already good times even better! Grandma really knows how to do that.
Probably the most important thing about your Grandma Gibbons is her unfailing faith in Jesus Christ and her dedication to His church. As you grow, I will tell you about all the amazing journeys she has taken to spread the truth of the gospel and build His kingdom. My great hope is that she can tell you lots of these stories herself. Grandma Gibbons has shared her testimony with me many times, in person and in a small but treasured stack of letters she has written to me so far. I'll let you read them in a few years.
Well, darling Maggie (because that's how Grandma Gibbons would address you), I hope you know that I really love my grandmother. She's a wonderful woman and I'll be thinking about her on her birthday this year and hoping she's having an equally wonderful day.
Love,
Your mother Melissa
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Mom, I hope this birthday is the best yet. You have taught us all so many of lifes lessons. All of the times you came to help me with babies, and potty training the 2 year olds. I think Dallas is the only one I actually had to potty train and it was pretty easy as we were living in your McKinney house and with the pool I just let him run around naked and every time it looked like it was time I would scoop him up and run into the house. All the times you babysat while we lived in Allen so I could work to make ends meet. I know the boys were a handfull and you were there for us everyday to help.
The sacrafices you made so you could serve the Lord and go on all the missions inspires me to want to serve as well. But maybe not as many !!
The sacrafices you made so you could serve the Lord and go on all the missions inspires me to want to serve as well. But maybe not as many !!
mom's birthday
I remember when David and Mark had a paper route and it was winter and they didn't want to go out in the cold. So you bundled me up and we all went to deliver the paper.
Whenever I rode in the car I would stand right next to you almost under your arm and you would have the radio on and be singing to the latest hits.
There was the time the 4 of us went to Calif. I am sure you told me over 100 times not to put my crayons in the back window. Well I wasn't a very good listener and I put them in the back window and they did melt making a huge mess in your car.
When we were in Calif. (I think this was the time) we went to visit Roberta & Harold and I was sick and threw-up all over Roberta's couch. She wasn't very happy with me.
Whenever I rode in the car I would stand right next to you almost under your arm and you would have the radio on and be singing to the latest hits.
There was the time the 4 of us went to Calif. I am sure you told me over 100 times not to put my crayons in the back window. Well I wasn't a very good listener and I put them in the back window and they did melt making a huge mess in your car.
When we were in Calif. (I think this was the time) we went to visit Roberta & Harold and I was sick and threw-up all over Roberta's couch. She wasn't very happy with me.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Happy Birthday, Mom!
Remember that time you came to Boston and stayed with us for 25 days? It was in January of 1987 and I was indisposed, in the hospital in Concord, Massachusetts expecting Bridget. You were in that big and freezing house on Andover Road taking care of Caity (almost 3) and Zach (almost 2). We had three major snowstorms during that time - you tried your hardest to keep up with that snowfall and made your way out to the driveway to shovel every single day. That extra long driveway. Do you remember it? One day you were shoveling, despite the fact that it was still snowing, and you instructed Caity to sit on that one step and wait for you. Zach was taking a nap . . . that's when Caity decided she should lock the door!
Thank you for all the times you came and rescued us when we were having babies. We needed you. When you finally made your way home to Texas we would often find evidence of your visit months later. Sometimes I’d go look for a tablecloth and would find it ironed in the closet. The napkins, too. The evidence was everywhere, but we didn’t need it to know you’d been there to help us.
On this birthday, in addition to the birthday wishes, may I say thank you (from the bottom of my heart) for all that you did for us when our family was heavy-laden with babies.
We love you. I love you.
Patti
Remember that time you came to Boston and stayed with us for 25 days? It was in January of 1987 and I was indisposed, in the hospital in Concord, Massachusetts expecting Bridget. You were in that big and freezing house on Andover Road taking care of Caity (almost 3) and Zach (almost 2). We had three major snowstorms during that time - you tried your hardest to keep up with that snowfall and made your way out to the driveway to shovel every single day. That extra long driveway. Do you remember it? One day you were shoveling, despite the fact that it was still snowing, and you instructed Caity to sit on that one step and wait for you. Zach was taking a nap . . . that's when Caity decided she should lock the door!
Thank you for all the times you came and rescued us when we were having babies. We needed you. When you finally made your way home to Texas we would often find evidence of your visit months later. Sometimes I’d go look for a tablecloth and would find it ironed in the closet. The napkins, too. The evidence was everywhere, but we didn’t need it to know you’d been there to help us.
On this birthday, in addition to the birthday wishes, may I say thank you (from the bottom of my heart) for all that you did for us when our family was heavy-laden with babies.
We love you. I love you.
Patti
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Deadline to post
Last day to post your birthday message to Grandma Gibbons is Sunday, June 1st. Make it a letter, a remembrance of a funny story or captions under pictures. Any problems posting (text or pictures) call David at (702) 641-9120, his office and home number. Blogger is pretty easy to use . . .
Check out BLURB to see varieties of finished products.
Caity, you're the pro . . . would you do the layout for us? The download to BLURB? Please?
Check out BLURB to see varieties of finished products.
Caity, you're the pro . . . would you do the layout for us? The download to BLURB? Please?
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