"Geneology...I am doing it"

Have I told you yet how much I love homeschooling?  (Ha!)

Well, here's one of the biggest reasons why- 

Because we can focus on learning things like our family history and where we come from. Each year we talk a lot about our genealogy.  Each of the kids are named after someone in our family, tying them closely to their extended family.  A few years ago we even got to to Grandma Dessie, my Dad's, Great Grandpa Rodney and the Vance family graves.  

I've been telling my kids stories about my grandparents.  They love "Grandpa Gary" stories and have seen his grave in Mesquite.  I've told them I was named after my Grandma Emma Nell (that's my middle name) and Cash gets his middle name (Hampton) from my Grandpa Cox.  

Well, telling them about the graves is not the same as visiting the graves themselves.  

Sadly, this was also my very first time seeing these graves myself.  My Grandma Cox died while I was on my mission and before marrying Chase I had actually never been to this part of Idaho before. We felt like it was time for Cash and I to go see these graves. 

We took this as an opportunity to teach more about the gospel, our ancestors and the second coming. 

I'm so lucky to have a wonderful husband who not only loves and supports me but is a fantastic father and teacher to our our children.  He feels a very sacred duty to teach them about the gospel and to ensure that they each have a close relationship with their Savior.  It fuels everything he does. 

We had a very tender, special experience here in the cemetery surrounded by our family.

I was happy Cash got to see his middle name everywhere, even if he didn't have any specific memories of anyone with that name.  

I've seen these names and photos on my personal family history charts for years. Standing where they lay was very emotional for me. 

“ …Bridges between generations are not built by accident.  

If I want my children and grandchildren to know those who

 still live in my memory, then I must build that bridge between them.  

I alone am the link to the generations that stand on either side of me.  

It is my responsibility to knit their hearts together through love and respect.”  

-Dennis B. Neuenschwander