Happy Birthday Suzanne

It seems as if it was only yesterday that we moved to Manhattan, Kansas and JoAnn was 8 months pregnant. Don't ask and I won't tell. It was late evening, JoAnn was putting off going to the hospital since we didn't have any insurance. We were between schools and jobs. Not very good timing on my part, but we only lived 2 blocks from the hospital. In spite of the stress and challenge of moving and the 90 minutes JoAnn spent in labor in the hospital, we ended up with a beautiful little girl who today turns a little older, but I'm not allowed to tell you how much. Like all of our children she has been a delight to us. Enjoy a few photos of her early years.

Talk about precious, and new. She was just a few days old in this photo.

Please note that even at 1 year she couldn't keep her hands off. Without
JoAnn grabbing onto her hand it would be chocolate everywhere.

You can see she was into construction as a youngster, no wonder she
married a civil engineer.

Taken at Ledges State Park in Boone, IA, this photo of
our three little girls is one of my all-time favorites.

Little stinkers. When you are only 13 months apart you are best friends.

Sitting in the park in Ames, IA these two kept us busy just trying to keep up.

And as a mother of five. She has made us proud. Also, compare her
face with the previous photo - there is no mistaking who her.

Classic Monday - On Sunday

Just when you think your have it all figured out a daughter comes along and has a Monday birthday. In our house birthdays have a high priority, or at least we like to think so. So, almost Happy Birthday Suzanne!!!

Today I've chosen to go back and highlight my brother and I. We were born 10 months and 3 days apart. I'm the older, smarter, and more handsome. Well, I keep telling myself that. We were fortunate to have a grandfather - Robert Merriam, who took photos as well as a mother who took photos. What follows is a highly selective documentation of our life together. I want you to notice how often we have "look alike" clothes on - shirts, pants, coats, shoes (if you could see them). It wasn't until we hit high school that Dennis and I asked if we could be different, because we are.

The photos bring back fond memories of growing up in so many different places, but always as a family. Enjoy the photos.

Summer, 1947 in Des Moines, Iowa. Dennis was almost 4 months old.

Dennis & I in our hunting attire at the bottom of the hill
below the Merriam homestead in Des Moines - March, 1952.

Guess what we got for Christmas in 1953. We look awfully good don't we,
even with my closed eyes.

You wonder where I get my OCD - look at the organization in the garage!
Grandpa Merriam made the tool box for us, and we used it for years. It might
even still be around somewhere. Christmas, 1953.

It got harder to get a photo of just Dennis and I, but we were always willing
to do photos with our little sisters - Patti & Jeri. January, 1961 in Abilene, Texas.

It's the 4 of us again around Easter, 1962. Note that Dennis &
I aren't dressed alike anymore! Abilene, Texas.

Celebration of Life Monument

In today's blog by Donna she announced that this weekend the "Utah Donate to Life Coalition" is dedicating their "Celebration of Life Monument" to the living and dead who have donated organs. Their names will be on the monument. Calvin was one of those. Donna, Chris, and the boys are going to the dedication. Those of us who are family and many of our close friends know Calvin, whether they knew him or not, and how he impacted all of our lives. As Donna says, he continues to impact our lives and others, even today. We were all grateful for the 13 years we had with him. Not a day goes by that I don't think of Calvin or look at his photo somewhere in our home (there are several around) or in my office. The one below is a favorite.

Wordless Wednesday

The Real Classic Monday - Graduation times 2

Classic Monday - 3, no 4 Generations of Scouting

I was going through some old photos recently and came across some Boy Scout photos of myself. I did a little deeper search and found some of my sons, and then found some of my grandsons. Truth is, when I got to the photos I was a little short on photos of a couple of them, but I will make it up.

Me as a Cub Scout on
Guam. The eyes are closed
as it is a family trait.

My earliest days of Scouting harken back to when I was a young man living on Guam (in the South Pacific) and my mother was my Den leader. Mostly I remember the games we played. Later I attended my first, and most memorable, Scout Camp while living on Guam. We had an ocean front camp. Of course I do remember when sharks got inside the reef and we couldn't swim until they left. Next I remember a winter campout in Bellevue, NE at the nearby scout camp. My brother and I huddled together all night to stay warm - we thought for sure we were going to die from cold. Remember, this was in the 1950s, long before contemporary camping equipment was available. You ask, "how cold was it?" We had to defrost our eggs in the camp manager's home before we cooked them. I remember a scout camp in the Sand Hills of Nebraska (if you haven't read about the sand hills you should). We rode up in a stake truck (a flatbed truck with fence like walls). This was in the days before safety concerns and requirements. Then there was our Scout building in Biloxi, Mississippi, which was a barracks and it was where our Scoutmaster used (we were on Keesler Air Force Base) as his quarters (he was single). It was a great building. We got to decorate it all the different ways we wanted. By the time we moved to Abilene, Texas my Scouting days were waning. I was getting too old and I had little encouragement. I finished as a Star scout with enough merit badges for Life, but I never pursued it. We did fly to San Antonio to Lackland Air Force Base as an Explorer Post to attend a conference. We flew on an Air Force DC3. We had parachutes, benches along the side of the airplane (metal), and a 50 gallon drum strapped to the middle of the aircraft for if we got sick (no airbags). Also, there was no restroom, no airconditioning, and no heat.

I just pulled out my 1948 Handbook for Boys (the scout manual of my day) and on the inside I had written some of my troops and patrols. On Guam I was in Troop 20 the canteen patrol (think we were in the military); In Bellevue, NE I was in Troop 53, the cobra patrol; in Biloxi, MS I was in Troop244, the wolf patrol, and in Abilene, TX I was in troop 96 and was the troop scribe, but I did not list a patrol.

Beach front Scout Camp on the Pacific Ocean. Does it get any better?

As an adult I became involved in Ventura, CA as a Cubmaster in our church Cub Scout Pack. Even later, in Ames, IA I provided basic Scout Leader Training for members of our church. In Cedar Rapids, IA I sat on the District Council. In Ames, IA and Bloomington, IN I organized camporees for those troops from out Stake (about 10 units), Eagle Courts of Honor (only in Des Moines) with a General Authority present.

My most rewarding Scouting experiences were as a father. I was my oldest son's Webelos Den Leader. We had 11 boys and we met every week in our kitchen in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They were great kids and I loved all of them. They were a tight group and worked well together. All but one of the boys achieved their Arrow of Light. That was our goal. I was my second son's scout leader for his 11-year old period. There were 4 boys and they were buddies. The best remembrance I have is seeing the 4 boys walking down the trail with arms wrapped around shoulders, 4 abreast. All 4 boys achieved First Class that year and had the requirements for Star completed also.

Tim receiving his First Class Award. He went on to become an Eagle Scout.
The first Eagle Scout in our family.

Scouting builds strong boys and gives them direction and skills for today's world they aren't going to get anywhere else. I'm glad we have 3 generations of scouting in our family. Actually, you can count 4 generations if you count my mother and I just remembered that my Dad was the Cubmaster while we lived on Guam.

Calvin receiving his Tenderfoot & 2nd Class Awards in Spanish Fork,
Utah. He is an inspiration to all of us and is our first 4th generation scouter.

Going Home…

Mike and Allison arrived in Bloomington, Indiana yesterday evening. For me it was a bittersweet feeling. In one sense JoAnn and I wished we could be in Bloomington to greet them into our old home, our old Ward, and to the University. Yet, those times are behind us, we have moved on. It was about this time in 1990 that we arrived in Bloomington to start my new job with Indiana University. We came with 5 children, and the 2 at college eventually found us. It was another adventure and chapter in our lives and in some ways the most profound. We have lived a number of places, but in Bloomington we lived the longest we, as a family, had ever lived and I as an individual, had ever lived. It was a wonderful community. There was much to do and much to learn.


While we never learned to appreciate Indiana’s humidity we absolutely enjoyed the long springs and falls. After 13 years in Iowa we were prepared for milder winters and long springs and falls. The beauty of living in southern Indiana never became commonplace for us. Regardless of the season, there was great beauty to see. The spring flowers, the fall colors, the winter mists, the summer greenness. In each there was a great beauty.
The beauty of the place is one thing, but the people were also wonderful. Our children had life enriching experiences, made lifelong friends, and grew in so many ways. It felt like what home should be, but that was because of family, friends, and church. We lived on the edge of town and often I could walk home from work. It was only about 2.5 miles, not bad at all.

Story County Courthouse in Bloomington, IN

But that’s our story. Mike and Allison are making their own story. For Mike it is a bit about going home, but it is also new. He was a son, now he is a husband. He was a student, now he is a breadwinner. He returns as a family and with a wonderful wife and to a community where he has friends. We are so excited for them. We are nearer the end of our story than the beginning, although with many pages left, and they are at the start of their story.

Some Family History You May or May Not Know

Today’s blog looks at things you may not know about your family’s history. I thought it might be good for you to know a little of this, after all a little knowledge never hurts.

• Your Grandma McLean’s maiden name is Merriam. The name came from Kent in the southeast of England. The first Merriam came to the new world in 1635 and landed in Massachusetts, and settled in Lynn. The family remained there until after the American revolution when the father, a successful merchant had died, and local patriots ran the family out of town claiming they were royalists (in favor of King George). The settle in Ontario, Canada.

• There are no Merriams left in England today.

• The McLean family first came to the United States in 1840 and settled in Moore County, NC, a place where the name “McLean” is more common than Smith or Jones. His name was Angus and his wife’s name was Nancy McDonald who was born in Moore County, NC.

• The first Longcor was “Johann Wilhelm Langhaar” who was born in Morris, NJ in 1714. However, his father never immigrated to the United States, so there is some confusion about where he was born, but he did die in Sussex county, NJ. His wife was Anna Elisabeth Miesen, also born in Germany in 1716 and Christened in Rengssdorf, Rhineland, Germany.

• The Longcor name has also been spelled as Langhar, Langhaar, and Longhair.

• The oldest Longcor we have a record of was born in 1629 in Hardert, Rhineland, Prussia, Germany. His name was Johann Langhar, but we don’t know his wife’s name.

• The Hardie family, Mom’s mother’s maiden name, is first recorded in our family history as James Hardie and was born in 1847 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England. His wife was Rebecca Alvira Lewis who was born in American River, Sacramento, California. That makes Donna and Jeni 5th generation Californians.

I hope you enjoyed this little excursion into family history.

Wordless Wednesday - 43 Years

Classic Monday

Today Mike and Allison leave for their adventure moving from Idaho to Indiana. It seems just like yesterday that we were embarking on the same adventure. Between 1972 to 1977 we lived in Ventura, Ca, Fort Sill, OK, Provo, UT, Manhattan, KS and landing finally in Ames, IA. Most of that time was spent with me receiving a masters and doctorate degree at Brigham Young University and Kansas State University and starting my first academic job at Iowa State University. For us it was quite and adventure, and at times challenging. We didn't have much money and most of the time I worked 2 or 3 jobs.

We started this adventure with 2 children and completed it with 4. In August, 1974 we moved from Provo, UT to Manhattan, KS with JoAnn 8 months pregnant. I can't believe we did that. We drove our Volkswagon bug into the moving truck and packed around it (not a smart thing to do, but what did I know). Within 4 weeks of our arrival in Manhattan Suzanne was born and 13 months later Tim was born, but I'm ahead of myself and that may be for another day.

We borrowed my parent's International Harvester Travelall to tow a small trailer to Ft. Sill, OK where we spent 13 weeks at the Armor Basic Course. It was our first long trip and JoAnn's first living experience outside of California. The photo to the right shows Donna and the quality of car seats in those days. Behind her we had a cot set up and that was where baby Jeni slept while we traveled.

When we got done at Fort Sill we drove back to central California where I dropped off JoAnn and the girls to spend time with our parents while I spent a week at Fort Irwin with my National Guard unit. I then went and picked them up, drove up over to BYU, dropped the kids and JoAnn off and then took the car and trailer to Las Vegas where I dropped it off, then back to central California to pick up my car and back to Wymount Terrace married student housing. You can see the quad and apartment buildings right behind the photo of JoAnn and Jeni. I was done driving for the summer and didn't care if I drove again or not.

That was the start of our great adventure. Good luck Mike and Allison - you too have begun your great adventure and we wish you the best and send all of our love.

PS - If I got any of the facts wrong let me know.

17 Years? It Seems Just Like Yesterday

It seems just like yesterday that JoAnn and I were flying from Indiana to Utah to meet our soon to be "first" son-in-law. There is something special about a first son-in-law. They are all special, but that first one has the opportunity to set a standard, which he did.

It was summer and the wedding was still a few weeks away and we wanted to meet the young man that dazzled our oldest and, at the time, most eligible daughter. Our function was to meet him, approve of him (that was our only option given by Donna - come to think of it, when the other children married we had the same single option), and make sure we came back for the wedding with the rest of the family. Once we met Donna's beau it was clear they were madly in love. That was good enough for us.

JoAnn & I both thought it looked
like Donna was holding on for dear life.

Seventeen years later we see a family built on love, hard work, and the gospel. They both chose wisely and have worked hard to build a family. I'm sure there have been moments, but Olaf (not his real name, thank goodness) is the most patient person I have ever met. If I had 1/100th of his patience JoAnn would spend a lot less time frustrated with me and my children might be kinder and gentler, but I'm digressing.

What sealed 17 years ago in the Manti Temple has blossomed into a wonderful eternal family. We send all of our love, hopes, and knowing that the next 17 years will be even more wonderful than the first. In fact, I expect to write a blog for that one too.

A Day at the Zoo

One of the fun things of being a grandparent is taking the kids to the zoo. In this case it was all 8 of them. Had we not brought the mothers (and our daughters) along I'm not just sure how it would have turned out. As it was we had a great time.

When you are a child you never tire of going to the zoo. It is a place of adventure, of seeing old friends, of seeing new and exotic friends, and of having new experiences. On this day as we walked in the zoo, a zoo volunteer was walking around with a king snake, which of course the kids had to explore.

Zoos have learned they need to create fun experiences for children. It is the experiences that bring families back. The Boise Zoo has play areas spread throughout the zoo, and the kids absolutely love them. The play areas have representations of animals, and the areas expand the children's opportunity for imagination, resulting in a lot more fun.

The days of the petting zoo are not gone, but are approached differently at many zoos. Boise lets you feed the goats. The kids love lining up to get food for the goats and then feeding them. I think there is more of a feeding frenzy lining up than there is of the goats competing for the food. It's interesting to see the grandchildren feeding the goats, but ignoring the ones they have at home. I guess zoo goats are better than home goats.

Everyone in our little group had a great time at the zoo, on the play devices, feeding the goats, looking at the Tiger, running ahead of mom who couldn't catch up, and playing with their siblings and cousins. The final photos show various aspects of all of the fun we had. It was a great day!

The Golden Eagle nest is just the right size for a gaggle of Eaglets.

Did I mention its more fun sometimes to
watch the feeding frenzy at the goat food
dispenser for the grandchildren and mother?

Chas is all about knowing just how cool
that hat is, especially when standing
next to a penguin (sort of penguin).

Wordless Wednesday

Classic Monday

It's just 9 days until we celebrate our 43rd anniversary. The photo below was taken on 16 August 1967 in Modesto, California. It was hot, but not so bad in the back yard. Actually, it was cooler in the back yard than in the house, which didn't have air conditioning. Next Monday I will post a photo of our wedding. I can hardly believe it has been 43 years already, but what a wonderful journey it has been and what a great person to share it with. In case you are wondering, JoAnn and I are not in the photo and it was shot by Grandpa Merriam.

Classic Monday

I did a "3 faces of a 9-year old" in May and last week we were out to dinner at Fancy Freeze, a local Boise, ID drive-in. Our 2-year old grandson was in heaven eating his hamburger and fries. Actually, he didn't eat much, but the photos were good. In fact it seems that when boys are eating at a casual place (I can't call the places we were at a restaurant - an outdoor drive-in fits what we wanted. So Chas was really enjoying himself and it's obvious from the photos. Enjoy them.