Litster Reunion- Let the Good Times Roll!!!!!

The report on the first of two family reunions this summer........
Litster Family Reunion: July 9-10, in Salt Lake Valley Area: We met on Friday at Copperton Park for a potluck dinner, playground fun and talent show. Seriously, the playground there is..... amazing. Not to mention big, and fenced in. So we didn't see much of the kids except when they hungry, thirsty or needed a bathroom. The adults enjoyed shade and conversation under the pavilion while the kids played.

Unknown to me, that weekend we celebrated Grandpa Errol Litster's 100th birthday. So in addition to a giant Costco cake (my favorite) we had two of his favorite snacks: Red Licorice Nibs and popcorn, freshly popped and buttered. Yun!!!!

The talent show had a wide range of talents- from 9 year old soccer tricks, to piano solos (courtesy of the portable keyboard) to father-son-daughter & guitar-drum-vocals trio. I love seeing my neices and nephews exploring their talents, trying new things, etc. It's a great feeling!

Saturday morning we met a Melanie's for juice and breakfast casseroles, sort of a delicious spin-off of cinnamon french toast, supposedly easy to make. Then off to Kennecott Copper Mine for a field trip. It really a fascinating place to visit, starting with the size of the trucks they use. Just the size of the tires alone is immense. A school bus can't hold a candle to a mining truck, size-wise.

We watched a movie about the history of Kennecott, so big it can be seen from space. The thing that stuck out to me was how technologically savvy mining has become, how many jobs are needed, that it's so much more than people digging underground, riding trains up and down out of the mine, etc. Basically how I pictured mining up to this point.

We spent time touring the museum, it was big and full of information, I'd love to go back when I have more time..... I had no idea that copper was used for so many things! Pipes, Coins, all the Medals from the 2002 Olympics, sink fixtures, etc. Surprisingly though, my favorite parts of the museum had little to do with copper. My nephew Carter's comment to his cousin, "I wish we could see some diamonds here!" and they had a little house model to help show all the things that copper helps make. But even copper usage wasn't the best part. Nope. It was all the little details that went into the house! No detail overlooked, seriously. They even had a storage room with a food pantry and you could clearly read the Betty Crocker cake mix labels, recognize the cans of Campbells soup, etc.

The end for now..... Still to come, swimming and adults only BBQ dinner!

A Beautiful Scene......

What a fabulous 4th! It began with a pool party at my aunt and uncle's. I stuffed myself on good food- Joe Morley's BBQ beans and potato salad, fresh fruit salad, chips and dips, pasta salad, burgers and hot dogs, rhubarb crisp (that my mom made- with my recipe) and in Grandpa Morley's honor: lemon pineapple sherbet.

After splashing, swimming and shooting hoops in the pool, we got cleaned up to hear the Salt Lake Symphony (the orchestra that my mom and Aunt Elizabeth both play in) perform and see the fireworks.

During the night, I kept looking around and feeling amazed and grateful at the scene around me. Me on the phone working out details with my future roommate (housing is not always easy here, but SO much easier than obtaining housing in other countries) my cousin sending/recieivng texts (communication is not restricted here as in other countries) officers out directing traffic (in other countries that I have lived in, traffic is not always enforced, bribes tend to be more importatnt.......) reading newspapers and magazines (freedom of the press), thinking about school (not only am I not restricted, but there are resources to help me get through school)

But the most touching part of the night? Sitting with my family, immediate and extended, watching beautiful and loud fireworks cracking and lighting up the sky, seeing my niecie and nephew, wrapped up in blankets, both fast asleep. (How they did that- I don't know.....) Realizing that at that moment I really had a not a care or fear in the world. I felt safe. I felt happy. Beautiful. Simply Beautiful.

Being Christlike- A Must Read!!!!

I read this article in the Deseret News this morning. FYI- it's not a happy, feel-good article at first, though there was a reunion between a woman and the man who saved her life, a father and three children were killed in 1952.

So, why am I posting this? The mother in the story, Christal Litster Young Mathis, was my great-aunt. She passed away when I was (16?) but left an incredible legacy. She stood at 4'11, if that, had a head full of snow-white hair, always had a smile, a hug, always wanted to know how I was doing.

I can't begin to know or even imagine what it was like for that family, but I do know that Christal's example makes me want to be a better person, to not get so caught up in petty disagreements or other disgruntlements. Resolve, and then move on.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705314976/Tragedy-and-triumph-Utahn-reunites-with-officer-who-saved-her-life-when-dad-sisters-were-slain-in-1952.html

Funeral Talk P.S.

Funeral talk PS- I knew I was missing something! Here it is....

Shortly after my Grandpa's passing I thought about "being the person he would want me to be." That thought was quickly replaced by, "I love you just the way you are." And that's just what he would do. While he was an advocate for change and personal growth, he would be among the first to take us in his arms and tell us, "I love you just the way you are."

Grandpa's Funeral Talk

The following is the talk I gave at my Grandpa Morley's funeral, June 22, 2009 (it's not exactly the talk I gave, but pretty close! The complete transcribed version will be in the life history, handed out at the reunion)

First I would like to tell my family how humbled I am at the privilege of speaking today. Thanks family.

It was hard to see Grandpa lying in his casket last night (at the viewing) because he was so real to me, real to all of us. The past fews years I have had the opportunity to record his life history. Today I would like to share some examples from his life history about how the influenced him as a grandfather.

Grandpa's 4th birthday, Nov 14, 1918 was the day the WWI armistice was signed. However, on that day he was not out celebrating patriotism, he was out gathering all his friends in the neighborhood and bringing them home for a birthday party. As he said, "It was a surprise to my mother, but we had a good time."

"Had a good time" describes what it was like to go visit grandpa. A place where the front yard was the ideal size for playing red light, green light, the basement beckoned imaginative play, the swingset was the sturdiest around and a pineapple sherbet ice cream cone was never far behind.

As we grew older, Grandpa rejoiced in holding each new baby, and we enjoyed the chances to sit and visit him, often over a rootbeer float. He supported us and we all have pictures of important milestones in our lives, with Grandpa by our side, encouraging us on. And this last year of serving him and caring for him was truly a joy.

Also, when he was a little boy he liked to go to the hospital around the corner and visit and have lunch with the nurses. He became a favorite with more than one of them. That describes how Grandpa was with people. He saw people as individuals and treated them as such. While we were proud to be Jan's daughter or Joe's son, Grandpa never referred to us that way.

A couple of examples of Grandpa's personal touch in my own life. He knew I loved bananas so if he knew I was coming to visit, he would make sure he got some from the store. If I just dropped by but he had some, he would make sure I left with one. A few years back I spent a year in Taiwan, teaching English. Shortly before I left, I got a call one night from Grandpa. Channel 7 had a travel show about Taiwan and he thought I might like to watch it.

Grandpa's physical presence is no longer with but his influence lives on because we all have a part of Grandpa within us. Due to time contstraints, here are just a few examples:

Grandpa loved music: Marchelle, Erin, Deborah and Cristine all pursue degrees in Music
Grandpa believed in education: Christopher, Erin and myself have all pursued advanced degrees
Grandpa believed in serving community: Rob became a firefighter and Melanie started a choir at her local elementary school
Grandpa loved Joe Morley's BBQ- Brent and Nathan are now building their careers at a place Grandpa loved.
We love you Grandpa! In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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I rejoice in what a beautiful service it was. I rejoice in his life so well lived and in the gospel we all live by. And yet, I still miss him. Often. He was a big part of my life and I am so glad to know that the best is yet to come!