MARCH~MT. AIRY, MESA

March is such a beautiful month, and I'm glad it's the one that gives me the opportunity to highlight two of my favorite places: Mt. Airy and Mesa.  Mt. Airy, North Carolina, is where one half of my heritage originates.  I have included pictures of Grandpa Hiatt's house and the chapel across the street  in Sheltontown...part of Mt. Airy... and Chang and Eng, famous Siamese twins who were clients of Grandpa's father.  They were famous and toured the world in Barnum and Bailey's Circus.  Chang had 10 children and Eng had 12 children, if you can believe that!  I also included pictures of the town, with statues of Andy and Opie.  They really glory in their Andy Griffithness.  Also, in town, was the office of Hiatt and Hiatt, Attorneys at law.

Here, in front of Grandpa David and Grandma Ethel's house, is the Hiatt family as it was when I was a baby, their first grandchild.  The picture below, is of the Brinton family at the Mesa Temple just a few months later.  You can see Grandma Driggs, Grandma Brinton and Grandpa Brinton standing behind her, right next to Grandpa.  I was the 3rd grandchild of the Brinton family.

Mesa is also half the heritage of Dad, or at least Lehi (which is part of Mesa now).  I will highlight Superior, the other half of his heritage, in September.  The Biggs house was the first house built in the Mesa area and is still standing.  Below that picture is one of Dad with his parents, brother and sister, and Grandmother's family in Mesa.

On the left is the little house that Dad grew up in.  It had big pear trees in the front yard.  Dad was a young teenager when he moved from this house,  In its place is a carwash now.  The picture on the right is the house I grew up in, only I didn't move into it until I was almost 12.  Bottom right is Mesa High School in 1911 or so when Dad's dad went there.  Dad and I both graduated from Mesa High School.  Go Jackrabbits!  On the bottom right is the Mezona, which is no longer standing.  It was a church dance hall where most of Mesa's Mormon kids did their courting...including Tom and Susan.

A courtship that ended at the Mesa Temple where we began the Tom and Susan Biggs family in 1964.

March is such a perfectly beautiful month.   Our back yard, through the apple blossoms.  You can see that the pool is open...I just got out of it...and the rose bushes that Dad trimmed are leafing out, getting ready to bloom.   After our Easter picnic, we took a ride up to Noon Creek in Dad's new truck. The bottom picture I was trying to capture the flowers and the snowy mountain in the same picture and I managed to capture Thomas Wyatt's basketball just going in the hoop.  

And here are the March members of our family...all as beautiful as the month in which they were born.

Soren turned 8 on the 7th and was baptized a week later.  Esther's birthday was the 8th.

Jenn's birthday was the 14th.  She used to be the only claim we had to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, as she is Irish, but now we have another claim.  Announcing our newest family member, born on St. Patrick's Day, March 17th, Harvey Taylor Atkinson!  He was 7lbs, 12oz. and measured 19.5 inches.  Actually, Harvey Taylor is a famous Mesa name.  He was Mesa school superintendent for many many years and has buildings and fields named for him. We realize, however that our Harvey Taylor is named for his illustrious dad, and only incidentally, for his Evans ancestor Harvey Evans. I think they just like the old fashioned, strong name of Harvey. 

Crew turned 14 on the 19th, and Shauna's birthday was the 22nd.

Daniel's birthday was the 26th and Emma turned 10 on the 29th.

                                  Levi's 21st birthday was the 31st, also Grandma Hiatt's birthday.

~OUR MARCH~

We enjoyed some vacation time from the temple this month, because of a maintenance closure.  We caught up on our sleep, swimming, yard work, and other things we don't have time to do, such as taxes.  Dad has been so engrossed in Grandpa's and Joel's books and taxes...including Grandpa's taxes.  I didn't know you still had to worry about taxes after you were dead, or at least that someone has to worry about them for you:-(  

This month has been full of wonderful things and at least one not so wonderful thing.  Babies: new and announced; a new truck; horrible hives; the opportunity to serve by ironing and hanging curtains and veils in the Temple; Easter; picnics; General Women's Broadcast; tennis; and lots of trips.

We took a trip to Mesa for Soren's baptism.  When we first got there, we went to Jeremy's for an Andy Griffith marathon.  A marathon to us means 4 or 5 shows, so I'm sure the kids were disappointed because I think to them it meant a whole season at least!  Rachel and her girls stayed with us in the condo when they came down for the baptism.

So proud of our grandson!  Dad sat with him and gave him the talk about listening to the Spirit.  See me in the mirror taking the picture?

That night we went to a Brinton cousin reunion.  We had a very good time and renewed some cousin-friendships.  It was at Reed Flake's house.

On Sunday, we really did have a marathon...a church marathon.  We went to Joel's sacrament meeting at noon (I wanted to see him conduct the meeting), to Jeremy's meeting at 1:00 (Tayte was speaking), and to Esther's at 2:00 (Harrison was being the Ward organist).  Then we went back to Joel and Stephanie's afterward for dinner.  They graciously invited Rachel and the twins to dinner too.  The highlight of the meal, besides Stephanie's yummy food, of course, was listening to Docker play the guitar.  He is very good.  I didn't know how good be has become.

After we went home from Mesa the next day, everyone went to see a movie.  I don't know which one, but it looks as if they enjoyed it.

L to R: Time to restock the popsicle freezer! Dad and Mary planting petunias; We did a skin cancer treatment on Dad's ear and on top of his head.  It was scary.  He had to wear a bandage at night so he wouldn't get his pillow all bloody.  I just hope we got it all.  I gave this painting to Marsha Naegle many years ago and she just posted it on Facebook.  I don't know why.

Because the Temple was closed for maintenance, we were able to go to a couple of tennis matches.  This picture was the day all three girls won their singles, and their doubles.  Also a picture of Dad with his new baby...named GMC.  For Jenn's birthday sister lunch, we went to Toni's Kitchen.  Rebecca was in Mexico and Rachel was in Mesa, so we invited the men to come along and made it a triple date.

Later that afternoon, the kids came over to enjoy the pool and the sunny weather.  It was Alex's first time.  He started out liking it, but in just a few minutes he was screaming to get out.

It was also treasure box time.

On the 17th, we had our beautiful new great grandson, Harvey.  He was born soon after midnight on St. Patrick's Day.  He looks like a cute little leprechaun, doesn't he?

On the 19th, we attended a St. Johns reunion pot luck picnic.  All of our Safford kids showed up.  Mary was out of town.  I know the others went just because of us, but I appreciated it.  I know Dad did too.  It was hot, but good to see everyone and show off our beautiful kids and grandkids.

That night we were invited to the dinner preceding stake conference in Safford.  We were assigned to attend the conference, so we were invited as official visitors.  The stake relief Society did the dinner (lasagna, salad, bread, cake) that Rachel and Tony always did before.  The regional authority was Elder Romeo Villarreal  from Texas.  He was very personable and a good speaker.  We were assigned to speak on Sunday morning.  I was supposed to speak about preparing young people to go to the Temple to be married, and Dad was supposed to speak about preparing them to go to the Temple for missions.   Since that is basically the same thing, he spoke, rather, on the blessings received in the Temple.  He was so good and Elder Villarreal referred to his talk a couple of times.

One of my responsibilities in the Temple is to find seasonal pictures for our greeting cards, and also especially nice ones to give the brides when they are married in our Temple.  I have an assortment that I think are especially nice. Rachel, Erika, Mary and I took these pictures.

On Saturday, the 26th, Daniel's birthday, we had our annual Easter breakfast picnic.  We were going to have it in the desert, but Dad was convinced it would be too windy.  So we had it in our back yard which is just fine, but not as exciting or memorable.

Playing a throwing the egg game; Pulling up the giant turnip.

The two on the left are of Dad and Thomas and Rylie wrapping our post with tin foil to discourage cats from eating Dad's baby birds.  He has a little dove nesting on top of the pillar and doesn't want the neighbor's cat to eat her babies as happened before.

Rebecca and Scott; DeWitt and Deanna; Rachel, Maya and Tony; Thomas and Jenn; Tom and Susan

We don't know what happened, but something did.  Both Dad and DeWitt got a severe case of hives in the days following the picnic.  The only thing we can think of, besides the food, which everyone ate, was that they were both struggling to pull the huge turnip out of the garden.  Thomas Wyatt held it, but didn't really have contact with the leaves, and he doesn't have hives.  We don't know if that is the culprit, but we can't think of anything else.  They have both been so miserable...huge welts and terrible itching all over their bodies.  At first, I thought it might be due to the skin cancer medicine we were putting on his head and ear and hand, so I was worried, but when DeWitt got it too, I felt better, knowing it wasn't that, but something they had in common.

~EASTER~

We received Easter pictures from you.

Nathan and Shauna and Josh went with their ward to Nauvoo over the Easter weekend.

The party on the bus going to Nauvoo; Shauna at a Hawaiian display at Hobby Lobby in Nauvoo; at a cafe with her Dad's name: Grandpa John.

Joel and Stephanie's family had a jackpot Easter Egg hunt.  Crew won the jackpot, but everyone got something.$$

Some of the kids decorating eggs.  l-R: Analynn, Albert, Victor, Julian, Jordan.  The rest of the pictures are in their section.

Easter baskets, eggs and friends from the Rebecca and Scott family.

The Jeremy and Erika family spent the weekend getting ready to move into their new house.

Easter Sunday with the Rachel and Tony family.  Rylie and Isabel left church before the picture, so Rachel sent me these of the girls finding their baskets.

Esther and Shad's family celebrated Easter at preschool, Jadi's and with an Easter picture.

The Thomas and Jenn family, finding Easter baskets.  Thomas evidently received a visit from Ralph the midnight hairdresser!

The Mary and Tyson family after church and with a tiny Easter bunny.  Jared put a rabbit picture in the bucket so the bunny wouldn't be lonely.

I spent Easter Sunday going to church....At 9:00 to hear Isabel speak, at 11:00 to hear Brianna sing Gethsemane in Sacrament Meeting, at 11:45 to hear Jenn and her kids also sing Gethsemane with the choir.  Even so, I missed hearing Rebecca talk and Rylie and Isabel sing Gethsemane  in Relief Society, and Marlie talk.  The Biggs family was busy on Easter Sunday.  I just wish I could have been everywhere and heard everyone.  Dad couldn't go anywhere.  He was so miserable with his hives.  He did meet Pres. Kartchner in his stake president's office in Thatcher, who told him to take Benadryl. That put him to sleep for the rest of the day except for dinner.  Thomas and Jenn's family were the only ones who could join us for Easter dinner.  It was so nice to have them.  We had ham with all the fixings and Jenn brought homemade rolls and her signature fruit salad.  Perfect!  Everyone else was eating with in-law families that day.  

One cool thing that happened when I went to hear Brianna sing was that  when Lindsay bounced right into the chapel, before she even sat down beside me, she said, "My mom is going to have a baby in October!"   Exciting news.

On the 28th, we had the responsibility/privilege of ironing and hanging all the curtains and veils in the Temple.  We are so thankful that Thomas and Jenn, and Rebecca and Scott could help us.  Their service is much appreciated by us, of course, and by everyone who uses the nice, clean, pressed curtains and veils.

Last day:  Camille saw that Dad's bird had hatched on the 31st, so took a picture.  She says there are 3, but I only see 2.  Time will tell.  Also, I took this picture at sunset while the sky was still light and the lights were on.  I love it.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE FAMILY

~NATHAN AND SHAUNA~

Josh and Bethany and Palmer with Margaret Fincher on Margaret's  birthday.

The bottom photo is of the family at Bethany and Palmer's house for dinner.

Nathan performing his first wedding as a Bishop; Shauna teaching Bethany how to sew; Nathan and Shauna with some of the missionaries who have served in their ward.

St. Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage;

At the movies for Shauna's birthday on the 22nd.

Some of Josh the Preservationist buildings.  The one on the top left is his 500th post.

Nathan, Shauna and Joshua went to Nauvoo with about 45 members of their ward over the Easter weekend.  Joshua took these pictures of two important buildings.  The best of his collection.

The whole group outside the Nauvoo Hotel; A friend of Shauna's mother; the group on the way back to Omaha, watching the Women's Broadcast.

~JOEL AND STEPHANIE~

Stetson and Lindsay took a tour of college possibilities.  On the left, New York; on the right, Philadelphia; at the bottom, Orlando.  He still hasn't decided.

Levi's spring break in California.

Crew on his 14th birthday, in Orlando; the family enjoying Crew's birthday dinner; and the family in Orlando, working.

More Orlando pictures. What a spring break! Of course, it was a working vacation, but it was fun too.

After Orlando, they worked in Chicago.  On one weekend, this month, they had groups in Branson, Chicago, Orlando and DC.

~DANIEL AND CONNIE~

A cookout on the wilderness property...hereafter known as wp.

Left: cookout on the wp; top right, a moose on the wp; and bottom right, canoeing on the wp.

The drawing of Hermione is by Analynn!  She is very good, isn't she?  The picture on the right is of the artist at the Ice Castles in Rifle.

Shadrach received a new mission call to the same mission as before, the Fresno California, Hmong speaking mission.  He reported to the MTC on the 16th.  We are so proud of him.

Left: Shannyn and Analynn sporting El Charro shirts all around town.  Right: Porter and Alta with their puppy.  Their baby girl is due in June.

Daniel's amazing Connie cake...A German chocolate rabbit hutch with Papa rabbit's fluffy tail sticking out of the door and the rabbit family watching from the top.  The year Daniel was born, Easter was also early.  In fact, I had him over the long Easter weekend and was able to go back to school when it started again. He was actually my easiest labor and delivery...if there was such a thing...before epidurals  :-0

Also Emma's Connie cake.  She's really into Star Wars these days.

The house on Daniel and Connie's wp is finished!  Here are Parker and Albert at their wp mailbox; and some wp wild ducks.

Coloring Easter eggs...a huge undertaking with that many people and that many eggs!

~REBECCA AND SCOTT~

Being born on the last day of February means that Parley gets a lot of March press.  Rebecca was able to be in Virginia with him and she really enjoyed the grandmothering.

Parley Rudge

With his parents.

After she spent time with Dallin and Sara, Rebecca flew straight to Washington where she spent several days with Allison, hoping to encourage that baby to come.  The picture on the bottom is of Allison and Taylor's newly remodeled home.

On St. Patrick's Day, after Rebecca left and had gone to Mexico, Allison and Taylor's baby boy, Harvey Taylor was born.

They are both bound to be good babies as they are both thumbsuckers :-)

DeWitt and his friend, who is a girl (trying to be discreet, here) Deanna.

She went to Rocky Point with the family. They all had a wonderful time.

When they got back from Mexico, Polly finally got to celebrate her 17th birthday.  We went to dinner at their house and ate some of her birthday apple pie.

While we were there, Rebecca face timed both babies' families and we got to see them.  What a treat.

DeWitt and Scott prepared dinner for Rebecca and Polly while they watched the Women's Broadcast.

Also, Easter babies, Parley and Harvey.

Easter finery

~JERMEY AND ERIKA~

They are moving into a new house, down the street and around the corner from the one they're in...staying in the same ward.  It's a lovely home, well cared for, but obviously decorated for an older generation (I can tell, since I like the decor.)  But I know Erika will put her creative mark on it and it will be up to date soon after they move in.

Ellie played hostess to her cousins for Soren's baptism.  The bottom photo is of the grownups long boarding!

Jeremy and Erika celebrated their 21st anniversary on the 9th.  This is one of my favorite before-marriage pictures of them...so happy and carefree, even covered in mud.

Tayte and Reygan participated in their stake's trek.  Erika went along as the trek doctor.

Leaving Hayden and Ellie to go with Jeremy to Orlando!

Home again and all together.

~RACHEL AND TONY~

Brynlie's and Camille's science fair projects.

Luke's Boy Scout campout.

Rachel and the twins enjoyed their time in Mesa/Gilbert before the rest of their family joined them.

Then they hung out with the Browns for a little while before the Browns went to Pine.

Poor Isabel.  She dyed her hair blonde.  It is pretty.  I didn't like it when she dyed it brown, and she doesn't like it blonde.  Her natural color was perfect, but it's hard to get back to it.  I like the blonde way better than the brown, though.  Not that I don't like brown hair.  I do.  Actually, it's one of my favorite colors.  But I didn't think it suited her.  Sorry.  I already made her feel bad about it and I'm really sorry.  But she made her mom call me when she went blonde because she knew I'd tell her the truth.  Maybe that's not such a good reputation to have :-{

The family together in Mesa.

Biggs and Alder Easter picnic fun. Luke found Hyrum's CTR ring, for which I had promised a reward.  When he found it, I asked him if he wanted money or a treat for a reward and he said, "Just a hug."  

~ESTHER AND SHAD~

Soren's baptism picture.

Harrison made this birthday cake for Esther's birthday.  Peanut butter fudge.

Esther and Shad celebrated their 17th anniversary on the 12th.  I tried to get before-marriage pictures and I love this one. It was taken the night before their wedding.

At Soren's baptism.  The parents; the family; and all those who participated in the confirmation: Grandpa Brown, Uncle, Grandpa Tom, Shad, Tyson, Joel, Levi.

At the waffle brunch after the baptism.

A leprechaun  trap; Harrison, patiently waiting while shopping with Rachel.

Esther's family and Mary's family went to the cabin for a couple of days during Spring break.  I just divided the pictures so some of them are in Esther's section and some are in Mary's section. They had a good time, I think, in spite of some Hiatts working on Wimpy's cabin.  The Schroder picture is because Harrison was  always working on his piano ap.

They went to Natural Bridge.

She has been doing some redecorating.

~THOMAS AND JENN~

Family pictures...beautiful family by Thomas and Jenn, photos by Mary.

Hyrum was a porcupine in the school's spring program.

For their Spring break, they went to Tucson and saw the planetarium and the children's museum.

A bat got trapped in the girls' room and Thomas and Jenn donned hoodies for protection and chased him with a broom, trapped him in a basket and threw him out the window.

At the Easter picnic.

Thomas and Jenn also have a nesting bird at their house and he was able to get a picture of the eggs.  Every year, my lily blooms at Easter time, which is usually right around Kirtlyn's birthday of April 13.  This year, though, Easter was early, and surprisingly, my lily bloomed early too.  So we had to have Kirtlyn's birthday picture be an Easter picture.  On the last day, Maya came over to show us that she had lost her first tooth!  A red letter day in every kid's life.

~MARY AND TYSON~

Lindsay was a Brazil nut for the school's spring program.

Poor Alex.  He just gets over one injury and then runs into something else.

Mary's and Esther's family in Pine.

They saw a herd of antelope and the kids hiked into town to get ice cream.

Mary's kids were sick for the Easter picnic, but Rebecca and her family took pity on the kids who were so disappointed and had been counting sleeps, and hid Easter eggs at Mary's house for the Richins kids to find.  It made their day!  What a sweet Aunt, sister and cousins.

~MISSIONARIES~

Daynen, from Brazil.  This is near his apartment.

Hannah, from Hawaii.  She is pounding poi.

Shadrach going into the MTC.

Lillian from the Philippines with her planning board and with a Filipino family.

~SOMETHING TO MAKE YOU SMILE~

Dude club.  Hyrum and Soren very carefully set up the Dude club with rules and bylaws.  It looks really cool, but don't get too excited.  If you are under 6 or over 19 or not a Mormon or if you are a sissy, you are not allowed.

Stetson and Lindsay saw this incredible sight as they were touring around the country.  Can you imagine towing your grandma behind a motorcycle?  Also, the one of Henry reminded me so much of Thomas at that age.  Every morning he woke up and decided who he was going to be that day and then dressed appropriately.  We never knew who we would find at dinner: Batman? Spiderman? Superman? Aquaman?  It looks as if Henry has decided on Aquaman.

The twins were surprised with a love token from KFC.  And I loved the post from Ron Shiftlet about the El Charro.

Well, I guess you've noticed that my resolution to take fewer pictures has not held up :->  My goal was to have fewer than 100 pictures per month and I have 117 this month, and that's with putting them all in collages.  If I had posted them separately, I'd probably have 300!  But I just can't seem to help myself.  It's compulsive behavior for sure.  The thing is, I love seeing pictures of you and your families.  You are the light and joy of our lives.  Of course, with Easter and spring break this month it was a picture-intensive month.  Maybe April will be a little less eventful...maybe not, with proms and baby blessings. Then, of course, there's May coming up with graduations, etc.  We'll see.  In any case, don't stop sending me pictures.  I love having them and it will be up to me to use them all or not.

This month has also been a month of reflection about the miracle of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  The Atonement is everything.  It is the reason we are even here.  Without it, there would have been no purpose in creation, no purpose in life on this earth.  With it, through the Grace of Christ, we can do all things...we can repent of our stupid choices; we can have eternal families; we can do things that we otherwise would not have the strength, wisdom or even desire to do.  I am deeply thankful for Christ's gift, for His courage, for His love that makes it possible for us to be a family.  We love you all so much and are happy that you are all striving to live lives of love and service.  And we are especially thankful that you seem to love us and like to spend time with us.  What a wonderful blessing you are.  May the Lord guide you and bless you and keep you ever with Him.