Legacy

When you reach the end of your days what is the legacy that you leave behind? Some loved ones leave earlier than we wish and some live long lives.... But they all leave memories and stories that we will carry on for years. As we have been deep cleaning we have found things that remind us of those we love and Joey and I have been sharing stories about our grandparents, which seems appropriate as we celebrate our Pioneer heritage this time of year. 

My only living grandma, Needra, has filled up many memories in my heart. And she still is.... She is the only person I can call to talk about my guilty pleasure from watching reality tv! My favorite vacations with her were to California where we all stayed in beach houses and to Yellowstone. She always took me to Riverton Drug so I could get a coloring book and a treat if I was spending the weekend. I loved sleeping over except when my cousins and I would stay up too late and creep each other out in her big house where chandeliers looked like monkeys at 2 am!! As a young kid I hated eating my vegetables and I rarely cleared my plate. When my parents would turn around or leave the room, Grandma would always make my uneaten food disappear!! I love her many artistic talents. She can play the organ and paint! She is humble and wears her heart on her sleeve.

Grandpa Turner, Frank, was the adventure junkie. He was the jock, the SBO of Spanish Fork, and a hottie!!! He was an expert hunter and fisherman. He was skilled in construction and you can still find his hotels and restaurants that he built and ran in West Yellowstone. We loved his ranch in Hi-County Estates. Those were quite the Easter egg hunts. We loved feeding his horse Kasar apples and we loved the indoor pool. But I most remember spending time at Firehole River having sunbathing contests. And now he has built and left this cabin in Heber and every thing there reminds me of him. He loved ice cream and puzzles. I don't love puzzles... But I think the love for ice dream has passed down through each generation. What a man!

Grandma Hilton was my second mom. I talked to her many times a week. Sometimes I needed a secret recipe and other times I just wanted to here the latest gossip. She showed me what a wife can do to really honor a husband. She fixed three meals a day and kept the cleanest home ever! All of my best recipes come from her. And boy could she do Thanksgiving! We had a club and she joined us for fun activities. I loved going to Wendover with her and still think of her when I see a Cleopatra slot machine. My favorite memory has to be in high school when my friends went with me to St. George and we crashed the car. But our spring break was not over.... Grandma drove us around in her minivan and picked up guys for us by yelling out her car window!! And she even got some to follow us back to her house. I loved her sassy spunk and that every kid thought they were her favorite!

Grandpa Hilton, Leonard, was one of the hardest working men I have known. He worked his way from a janitor at OC Tanner to President of manufacturing. I blame him for my love of jewelry. He taught me to be an optimist. He taught me how to save money and to budget. I still have my silver dollars he gave me as a kid. And he create a sports fan!! I loved going to Crown Burger before the Jazz games. He always had a pastrami burger! And as we'd watch the games he taught me the rules. It paid off when I would find myself on a date and understood screens, 3 seconds in the key, etc. I loved these games.... And the treats. He always got DOTS at six minutes before the half. Thank you Grandpa for teaching me so many life lessons.

Do you wonder what legacy we are passing on? Are we spending enough time bonding with our kids in this age of technology? Turn off the tv and go teach them how to play Hearts! What will our kids and grandkids remember? I hope I can be even a fraction as amazing as my grandparents.