Best brother ever...

As the years go by I feel more and more thankful for my brother Lloyd. We have had some really wonderful and difficult experiences over the years. It was a very sacred and comforting experience to be with him at Mom's bedside the last few months of her life. He was my rock and I borrowed his faith and strength many times. We had a wonderful road trip to California a few years ago. We have worked together to plan family reunions. He is a no nonsense kind of person. He is fair and is always the first one to help others in need. He rarely waits to be asked, he just seems to know. He has the best sense of humor and one-liners. He has a big heart. He loves his son and daughter, and he loves being a grandpa. Lloyd always honored Mom and Dad. He helped Grandpa and Grandma Federer many times. He was often at Uncle Carl's ranch doing chores and helping him as well. We have always been good friends. I honestly cannot remember a time we had an argument. He let me hang out with him and took me roller skating or to Ft. Collins to get curly fries at Arby's. We went horseback riding and played in the hay loft at Grandpa's barn. He let me drive the tractor. We went sledding and ice skating. Lloyd and I can talk about anything and he gives me sound advice. I really love him with all my heart. He's so grateful for anything you do for him, even the smallest thing he will always show his gratitude. He has found the love of his life in Rhonda. He treats Rhonda like a queen, her happiness is paramount. It really is so heartwarming to see them work together at the ranch. Rhonda mentioned to Lloyd that she wanted a memorial for her Dad. Since his death Rhonda has wanted a large stone to be place under a tree at the ranch. She said it was "Dad's tree." He chose the perfect stone and had a plague made. He sent me a picture and he said Rhonda was "astounded." What a thoughtful gesture. What an amazing and lasting tribute to her Dad. Now they have a place to go to honor him and remember him. Mom loved butterflies and every now and then he will see a butterfly and take a picture. He sent one awhile ago and simply text the word "Grannie." Lloyd and I are only fourteen months apart.

Kenny ~ Lloyd ~ Marion ~ Ernie ~ cute puppy

Roseanne ~ Kenny ~  Marion ~ Lloyd ~ Eileen ~ Les ~ Ernie

Ivan and Nelle and our family a long time ago

My Mom made my dress and I loved it

Lloyd ~ Eileen ~ Ern ~ Roseanne ~ Kenny ~ Marion

Lloyd ~ Ernie ~ Marion ~ Dad ~ Kenny

Lloyd and Dad

Lloyd and Christopher at my grandparents homestead 

Eileen and Lloyd, San Luis Obispo, California

Lloyd can get out of any tight spot!

Marion ~ Eileen ~ Lloyd 

Lloyd ~ Jasper ~ Paden, grandsons ~ daughter Mandy

Lloyd and Rhonda with their family

Ern ~ Eileen ~ Lloyd

 I want to give a shout out to the best brother ever. I love you Lloyd. I'm very thankful you are my brother. Happy Birthday!

From coast to coast...

From coast to coast to the Happiest Place on Earth!

It looks like Christopher is having a wonderful time with David and his sons in California.

Mind your own business...

"Life is easier when you mind your own business"

~ Lloyd Federer

This is some wisdom from my brother Lloyd. We talked about this when I was with him last weekend. It's seems easier with social media to meddle in people lives. People often judge and gossip. Lloyd and I came to the conclusion that at it's core 'mind your own business' can mean focusing on what you can control and avoiding worry too much about what you can't. He's a wise ole' cowboy!

And for good measure here our some examples of what business you should mind:

• Your own thoughts and feelings. You can’t control what other people think or feel, but you can control how you react to them.
• Your own actions. You are responsible for your own behavior, so make sure that your actions align with your values and goals.
• Your own relationships. You can’t control how other people behave in your relationships, but you can control how you show up and how you treat them.
• Your own health and well-being. You are responsible for taking care of yourself, both physically and mentally.
• Your own happiness. No one else can make you happy. It is up to you to create a life that brings you joy and fulfillment.

Grandparents Day...

Edna May Parker Federer

I noticed it's Grandparents Day today. I never paid much attention to this so called holiday. I learned that it's not a holiday invented to sell cards and flowers. As I read about the real purposes for a National Grandparents Day it touched my heart. 

There are three purposes for National Grandparents Day:

To honor grandparents.
To give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children's children.
To help children become aware of the strength, information and guidance older people can offer.

This is post is mostly for me so read on if you would like. 

I was blessed to have a grandmother who loved me unconditionally. Her influence is still very present in my life, even though she passed away 40 years ago. Grandma Federer was supportive, a master in the kitchen, an expert seamstress, and so much more. She always made time for her grandchildren. She set the example for the kind of grandmother I strive to be. 

I have found that being a grandmother makes growing older such a joy and a great gift on so many levels. With the birth of each of our grandsons I have seen the world in a a whole different way. I have faith for the future. Cash, Colby, Grey, and Grahm are the jewels for our older age! I count my blessings daily as I think about how grateful I am to be Grandma to Cash, Colby, Grey, and Grahm. My most cherished name besides Mom will always be that of Grandma. 

Do something grand this month!

THE HISTORY OF GRANDPARENTS DAY

A day for young and old to honor each other, and an opportunity for civic engagement for all generations. National Grandparents Day falls each year on the first Sunday after Labor Day. It's not a holiday invented to sell cards and flowers. It was initiated at the grassroots level by West Virginian Marian Lucille Herndon McQuade, with the behind-the-scenes support of her husband Joseph L. McQuade. They had 15 children, 43 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild. After being married for over 60 years, Mr. McQuade passed away in 2001. Mrs. McQuade passed away in 2008.

There are three purposes for National Grandparents Day:
To honor grandparents.
To give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children's children.
To help children become aware of the strength, information and guidance older people can offer. Mrs. McQuade wanted Grandparents Day to be a family day. She envisioned families enjoying small, private gatherings, perhaps even a family reunion, or participating in community events.

On a societal level, National Grandparents Day gives us a chance to publicly affirm the identity and importance of grandparents, that they do play a vital role in families. It is also a day of giving – giving of self; sharing hopes, dreams, and values; and setting an example and advocating for future generations. Generations United in Washington, DC encourages all ages to engage in intergenerational civic engagement for the entire week following National Grandparents Day.
Mrs. McQuade has modestly referred to herself as "just a housewife," but her unending work to establish and publicize the holiday marks her as a true community leader. She spent much of her life advocating for older adults. In 1971 she was elected Vice-Chair of the West Virginia Committee on Aging and appointed as a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging. In 1972, Mrs. McQuade's efforts resulted in President Richard Nixon proclaiming a National Shut-in Day. She served as President of the Vocational Rehabilitation Foundation, Vice-President of the West Virginia Health Systems Agency, and was appointed to the Nursing Home Licensing Board, among many other involvements.
Mrs. McQuade started her campaign for a day to honor grandparents in 1970. She worked with civic, business, church, and political leaders to first launch the day in her home state in 1973. Then, after many years, much persuasion, and unending persistence, she finally achieved her bigger goal. It was in 1979 that President Jimmy Carter proclaimed the first Sunday after Labor Day each year as National Grandparents Day (September was chosen to signify the "autumn" years of life). In part, the proclamation reads:
Grandparents are our continuing tie to the near-past, to the events and beliefs and experiences that so strongly affect our lives and the world around us. Whether they are our own or surrogate grandparents who fill some of the gaps in our mobile society, our senior generation also provides our society a link to our national heritage and traditions.
We all know grandparents whose values transcend passing fads and pressures, and who possess the wisdom of distilled pain and joy. Because they are usually free to love and guide and befriend the young without having to take daily responsibility for them, they can often reach out past pride and fear of failure and close the space between generations.
Mrs. McQuade was thrilled when her efforts were finally realized. "I couldn't believe it," she said. Since the holiday's inception, Mrs. McQuade has been firm in her view that the holiday should not become overly commercialized, and that young and old remember its fundamental spirit.
Grandparents Day was recognized in Canada in 1995 as falling on the second Sunday in September to acknowledge the importance of grandparents to "the structure of the family in the nurturing, upbringing, and education of children... [Grandparents play] a critical role in strengthening the family." Commented one member of Canadian parliament speaking on behalf of the motion:
I do not hold grandparents to be glorified babysitters but rather as parents' surrogates who bring love, a continuance of generational values, and a sense of the child's worth to the integrity of the family... I was brought up by a grandparent. My parents both worked outside the home for most of my life. They needed to for economic reasons. It was my grandmother who nurtured me, gave me a sense of worth and molded in many ways the course my life was to take. My grandmother was my role model, my mentor, and my confidant.
While Mother's Day and Father's Day have apostrophes, officially Grandparents Day does not. It seems this may have simply been an oversight when the holiday was proclaimed. But it's an oversight that serves the holiday well. Mrs. McQuade did not envision the holiday as "belonging" to grandparents. Instead, she saw it as a day of celebration involving the whole family, a day to connect the generations. It's just as much a day to honor grandparents as it is a day for grandparents themselves to confirm their loving legacy to the generations that follow them.
Mrs. McQuade's interest and concern for seniors seems to have been sparked by her own grandmother. "After working all day on the farm, Grandma would walk off to visit elderly people in the community," she recalled. "Often I would tag along. I never forgot talking with those delightful people. That's where my love and respect for oldsters started."
Mrs. McQuade's legacy has been carried on by many of her children and grandchildren.
Daughter Ruth McQuade is a trial attorney for the US Department of Justice. She says her mother's legacy to her is two-fold: "She was always talking about the connection to all our relatives. She was always keeping records on grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins – where they had come from and what they had done. She also impressed upon me at an early age the importance of grandparents and the elderly. I remember making speeches at 4-H about it at a very early age."
It's clear she's also very proud of her mother: "My mother worked long and hard to establish a Grandparents Day. She was a one-woman effort. I'm glad she stuck with it. I'm glad a lot of good things are coming out of it."
Another daughter, DJ McQuade-Lancaster, remembers her mother as much more than just the founder of National Grandparents Day. "She sewed all our clothes until I was in senior high school. She grew African violets. She collected stamps. She made sure we had piano lessons. She entered the West Virginia Mrs. America contest. She ran for Congress."
Lailah Rice is one of Mrs. McQuade's granddaughters. "My grandmother fought to get shut-ins noticed," she says. "When I was little, my grandmother took me to visit shut-ins. I want to carry forward what my grandmother worked so hard for, especially National Grandparents Day."
When asked about memories of her grandmother, it's evident that Mrs. McQuade was a strong role model. Says Lailah, "My grandmother was very free-spirited, feisty, and very caring and nurturing toward others."
Lailah also has fond memories of visits: "Whenever I'd go over to my grandmother's, we'd look at the coins she collected and sort them by year into bags. She was fascinated by coins and the year they represented. One of the things we did was find the coin with the year we were born."
And Lailah has a message for today's children: "You can learn a lot more from grandparents than you think you can – and it's not a chore."
National Grandparents Day is an important official marker of intergenerational relationships. But increasingly, schools and community groups are organizing Grandparents Day (or Intergenerational Day) events at any time during the year as a way to bring together families and build community. Children have an opportunity to show their appreciation and love toward their grandparents (and other special older adult friends), and grandparents feel valued as their role is validated.

It's that time!

Fall soccer has begun and we always enjoy watching the Grands play. It took a minute but Grahm got his rhythm back and almost scored a goal. He has a few friends on the team and that makes it a lot more fun!

Just for fun this was Grahm's first soccer game three years ago.

Grey just amazes me. He has really learned how to play his position and still can run so fast. It was hot but in true Grey style, he never gave up. 

And I'm pretty sure this was one of Grey's first games in 2019. We have the cutest grandson!

We missed Cash's game but we will be at the next one. It's going to be a good season and Grandpa and I will be cheering our grandson's on!

Mark can't help but get his feet on a soccer ball! 

Labor Day Weekend 2024...

For several months I have had a few strong promptings that I should visit my brothers and other family in Wyoming. My brothers don't like to travel and they really don't like airplanes. So it's up to me to make the trek and I really don't mind. There have been several prairie fires in Wyoming and you could really see the haze. 

It's been about five years since I've visited family in Wyoming. I usually don't let that much time pass but I took a lot of extra trips when Mom was sick and passed, then again when my sister-in-law Mary Kay passed away unexpectedly. I also went to see my brother Kenny several times when he was so ill and exactly four months to the day from when Mary Kay passed, we had to say good bye to him. So much heartbreak the last few years.

There are not too many things better than going home to family,  eating good food, and relaxing.

I always drive out to see my family's ranch and Grandma and Grandpa Federer's homestead. So much has changed but it will always he home to me.

Lloyd called me and told me not to eat at Taco Johns because he was going to grill steaks. Grass fed Federer beef, it just melts in your mouth. Lloyd and Rhonda are excellent hosts. I always feel so welcome at their ranch.

I went for a walk every morning with Mister. He's the sweetest dog.  I heard the Meadowlarks sing too.

Lloyd and I met Theo and his family in town then visited Mom and Les's graves. We also had a nice visit with my cousins Grey and Vicki but I didn't take any pictures.

Brittney, Theo, Raeland, Teagan and my brother Lloyd.

Teagan plays football and is in full teenager mode. He's giving his parents a run for their money, testing their patience, and all those things. Raeland is delightful. He is also playing football, and is taking piano and trombone lessons. I've heard him play and he's doing great.

Lloyd and Rhonda work so hard everyday to keep the ranch going. There is always something to be fixed or fed!

Lloyd took me along to check the cows. Mister came with us and he can work the cows like nobody's business! It's so fun to watch.  

A few cows got out and Mister had them back in the right pasture in no time. Thankfully he avoided being kick by a cow!

We did relax in the evenings and I sure enjoyed watching John Wayne with Lloyd! 

It cools off in the evenings so it was nice to sit by a roaring fire that Lloyd built.

I knew a lot of my family would be gone over Labor Day but I had four days off, so I went ahead with my plans. Lloyd and Rhonda hosted a BBQ and I was so thankful to spend time with my brother Ernie. He is the best storyteller and is very funny. He's looking more and more like Grandpa Federer.

Ern and Lloyd had a good time relocating a few prairie dogs. They are reeking havoc with the pastures.

My cousin Greg, my nephew Carl, and great-nephew Gabe also joined us. It was great to see them. Greg keeps busy with several rental properties he has in town. Carl is coaching Gabe's high school football team. They won their first game! 

How I love the Wyoming sunsets.

Monday I drove the back way to Glenrock. I really wanted to visit Mary Kay's grave. I went to her funeral but she wasn't buried the same day. I found the cemetery but I couldn't find her grave. I called Carl and he navigated me there. Mary Kay was one of the most genuine, loving, forgiving, and helpful people I know.

I also wanted to get a beverage at my niece Kaylynn's business. She now has four Sips location in Wyoming and they are all very successful. Before I could text her and my nephew Jake, Carl had already contacted them. They were waiting for me at the very first Sips location. Kaylynn is a savvy business woman and I'm so proud of her. Her husband was killed by a drunk driver a few years ago but she has managed to keep going and not give up. 

I also wanted to attend the Casper Wyoming Temple open house. Casper is not that far from Glenrock. As I walking up to the temple I heard someone call my name. To my surprise my nephew David and his wife Reese were also there. What are the chances? I was so happy I got to see them. The temple is very beautiful and means so much to the members in the area.

I stopped for a minute at Independence Rock on the way home. It's an interesting part of Wyoming history.

Antelope and cows like Wyoming!

I don't know when I'll make the trek again to Wyoming but I'm still feeling so grateful that I could go over Labor Day weekend. Each time I make that drive I feel I have guardian angels with me. I'm especially thankful that I could spend some time with my brothers. I love them so much.