Sunday, July 24, 2011

Happy Pioneer Day!

Dear Friends,

It's been quite a toasty week here at Birdsong Cottage! Keeping the garden alive has been our priority, and after that, keeping cool inside! Our chickens have been "enjoying" daily dunks in their personal pool, to help keep them from overheating. Now they're the cleanest birds around! :)
July 24th marks the day that the Mormon pioneers reached the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. Both Mr. Graham and I have ancestors who crossed the plains in wagons or hand carts, so we like to spend some time honoring those who came before, and teach our children their stories so they know from whence they came.


Our church had a Pioneer Day Breakfast at a beautiful park near our home yesterday, and we had fun performing "Grandma's Feather Bed" and "The Star-Spangled Banner" for everyone.

But after we sang, we had even more fun exploring the creek that flows through the park!

 





  




(Some of us enjoyed the playground, too!)


 

There was a huge old oak tree guarding the entrance to the park, that was big enough for our whole family to go around (which we did).


~We nicknamed it "Tremendous"



 We'll leave you with the words of our favorite pioneer hymn, "Come, Come, Ye Saints," which gives us comfort and peace as well traverse our own trail of dreams.

*****************



Come, come, ye saints, no toil nor labor fear;
But with joy, wend your way.
Though hard to you this journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.
’Tis better far for us to strive
Our useless cares from us to drive;
Do this, and joy your hearts will swell
All is well! All is well!

Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?
’Tis not so, all is right.
Why should we think to earn a great reward,
If we now shun the fight?
Gird up your loins; fresh courage take;
Our God will never us forsake,
And soon we’ll have this tale to tell,
All is well! All is well!

We’ll find the place which God for us prepared,
Far away in the west,
Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid;
There the saints will be blessed.
We’ll make the air with music ring,
Shout praises to our God and King;
Above the rest these words we’ll tell,
All is well! All is well!

And should we die before our journey’s through,
Happy day! All is well!
We then are free from toil and sorrow, too;
With the just we shall dwell!
But if our lives are spared again
To see the saints their rest obtain,
O how we’ll make this chorus swell,
All is well! All is well!

Love,

Marqueta

17 comments:

  1. I have read about the history of this crossing and it yes, it is very moving but also it shows the strength that it took.

    Thank you for sharing a bit of your history with me my friend.

    The girls look so pretty in the gingham dresses and your bonnet - just lovely! :)

    Blessings,

    Maria

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  2. Although I'm not a Mormon, when I was in my teens our family traveled out west along and stopped in Salt Lake City to learn about your ancestors' history. Very brave people indeed. Isn't it good to know you come from such stalwart stock? Running out of ways to say how adorable your family is!

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  3. Lovely post...enjoyed the pictures very much...seems everyone had a wonderful time. Blessings

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  4. how sweet. Tre-mendous is a great name.

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  5. Such a beautiful post.. The girls look so lovely in their gingham dresses.. Love your bonnet... What a grand tree. Thank you for sharing this moment in time with us.
    Blessings to you and yours,
    Penny

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  6. What pretty little pioneer women!

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  7. It is certainly fascinating learning about ones ancestors! Oh the stories my grandma told of coming over from Germany when she was just a wee one! Wish she would have written a book!
    Your family looks so sweet, and I just adore your bonnet, Marqueta!
    Stay cool, my friend!

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  8. What fun! I love the dresses!

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  9. well it was nine feet high
    and six feet wide
    soft as a downy chick

    It was made from the feather's o
    of forty-leven geese
    took a whole bolt a cloth for the tick

    it'd hold eight kids and 4 hound dogs and a piggy we'd stolen from the shed

    we didn't get much sleep but we had alot a fun......................

    on grandma's featherbed.

    So, how'd I do? Don't tell me my mistakes. This is how I remember it from when I was just a itty bitty kid (around 9), with those big 'ol headphones that made you look like an airline control tower operator, belting out John Denver, never realizing that everyone else couldn't hear what I was hearing!

    Blessings, Debbie

    *keep the advice coming, I'm listening. :)

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  10. Happy Pioneer Day!! Great pictures love that first one of Frankie hehehe!! Looks like you guys had a ton of fun love the dragon fly picture too so pretty ~they look like fairies ~Love Heather

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  11. Hi Marqueta & Family,
    What a Pretty and Colorful posting! I Love you all around
    "Tremendous" in the beautiful dresses! (and shorts) ;-D
    Thanks for sharing JOYFULNESS !
    Love Hugs and Blessings, Linnie

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  12. Lovely post Marqueta. Your family photos always look so timeless . . . . wonderful. Eli x

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  13. aw, what a fun day! Glad you all could beat this heat with a dunk in the creek. How amazing too that your ancestors made that journey across the nation so long ago! Pioneer times and adventures always amaze me. I'm not sure I could have been so hardy as they were! Happy Pioneers Day!~

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  14. Marqueta, I love the pictures! I really like the one of you in the hat holding little button nose. You look radiant! Love, Lynn

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  15. Wonderful photos again--you have the cutest kids. Your post reminded me again that I want to find a copy of BRIGHAM YOUNG on DVD. I really like that film, but there are no copies anywhere in our area--not even at the dreaded Wal-Mart. Oh well--it will turn up when it turns up. Did you get your package yet? I will be mailing my reply to your letter this morning. Hubby was supposed to mail it before now, nut that just wasn't to be.

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  16. Happy 24th to you too, a little late! From one Mormon to another. It's so lovely to come across a fellow member. Come visit my blog laughinghorseart.blogspot.com. Just wondering-any fireworks on the 24th in your neck of the woods? There were plenty here in SLC!

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  17. Lovely post.
    What pretty little pioneer women,sooo cute!
    Hugs

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