Summer Barbeques

I was sitting here this afternoon thinking about some of the great fun we used to have in Menan during the summer months. I remember going to Grandma Strupp's house when I was a kid and having barbecues with the whole family, everyone would bring a salad or side dish and the kids would play games like kick the can or no bears out tonight once the sun set. One of my favorite memories is walking down the road to the Midway elementary school and playing softball on their ball diamond with my aunts, uncles, and cousins. It didn't matter who won the game, just that everyone had fun in the process. One of the things I've learned since becoming an adult and teaching kids of all ages is that I was extremely lucky to have family gatherings like these and have the family that I have. Although we are all older (and hopefully wiser about some things) I think we all yearn for those days at one time or another. I'm looking forward to the family camp out this year and seeing all my cousins and other family members who can make it out to it. Last year I spent it in pain and being carted around in a wheelchair and it looks like my mom might end up doing the same thing, but no matter what, we'll be there to enjoy the company of our family. I love you guys!

Almost a new year!

So I have yet to gather anything for this blog, but hopefully that will change in the upcoming year. With the passing of Uncle Dick on November 1st, I think the whole family has realized how precious life is and how few our moments really are in life.

I'm not sure if there are memories of spending New Year's Eve at Grandma Strupp's house or not, but I do remember spending the winters holidays out in Menan with all the aunts, uncles, and cousins. Although Grandmas didn't have a huge house, it always seemed large enough to fit all of us. I have memories of sledding on the roads in Menan, being pulled in a sled behind Uncle Ronnie's truck. I think I always ended up flying off the sled and into the gutters, but it was a blast. We came inside to warm up with some cinnamon rolls and hot cider or hot chocolate. There were icicles hanging from the roof that were as tall as my little brother at times. We'd break them off and pretend they were swords or walking sticks. There were some great times out there.

Online Geneology Sites

I have joined a couple of online genealogy sites to continue building on our family genealogy. I know that there are a lot of people in our family that are interested in our family genealogy, so any additional information you can add would be greatly appreciated. I am on MyHeritage.com and Ancestry.com. I lost some of the information that I had already collected during the transition from my desktop computer to my laptop so I am trying to update the information.

Gathering Our Memories

My hopes in creating this blog is that our family, near and far, will have a place to share their memories of our family. History is all in the perspective of the majority, but even the "little" people can have an impact on how things are viewed. I'm looking for any stories, pictures, etc. that you would like to share with extended family, especially stories of the Merrill Nine growing up in the Annis and Rigby, Idaho, area. Thanks in advance for helping with this project of love :)