So proud of himself!
awww... I love that smile!
Lookin' good lil' man!
Let's go, Mama! 
Thursday, July 22, 2010
The boy has got style!
Eli decided to pick out his outfit the other day. It was not a surprise to me that he decided to wear his favorite jammies and then of course throw a pair of shorts on as well... the boy has got style!
awww... I love that smile!
Lookin' good lil' man!
Let's go, Mama! 
awww... I love that smile! Lookin' good lil' man! Let's go, Mama! 
The 4th of July!
Huggs for cousin Lukey!
Time for a snack!
Yum!
Sharing with Papa Mike!
Hey! Where'd they go with the pretzels?!
Me with my flag cake!
Sally, Pam, me & Kel... with my flag cake!
...the flag cake!
Time for sparklers!
The boys and Papa Mike.
Emma (a family friend)
Luke, Papa Mike & Eli
Eli with Uncle Chris.
Nice, Nick...
Uncle Jeff being silly!
Us on the 4th!
Chris, Pam & Lukey!
Auntie Sally & Uncle Boom!
Watching the fireworks!
Whoa!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
My Grandpa Mac, Part 2
My Grandpa Mac, was interviewed for the Marshall paper. It's a great article outlining his service in the military. So proud of him!
http://www.marshallindependent.com/page/content.detail/id/517703.html
Green Valley's Clarence McLaughlin grew up in North Dakota.
"I was born in Baker, Montana which was the closest hospital to our farm in southwestern North Dakota," he said. "There were seven boys in my family and five girls - I was number seven."
Clarence grew up during the Great Depression.
"Those were very bad years," he said. "We had dust storms and grasshoppers . . . you could hear the noise of the grasshoppers hitting the windmill. I don't think I really realized how bad it was -the neighbors lived the same way and we didn't stop to think about it."
Public education in western North Dakota was a challenge. Clarence attended the local country school, which was only a mile and a half walk away, through the eighth grade. But high school, located 40 miles away, was another matter.
"We stayed at a dormitory in Marmot, North Dakota," he said. "The boys lived in the basement and the girls lived upstairs . . . I finished one year of high school."
"I worked on this farm until I was 16 years old when my brother and other kids joined the CCs (Civilian Conservation Corps)," he added. "We joined the CCs because the times were tough."
Clarence, his brother, and their friends boarded a train in early December 1941, Clarence's first train trip, for their CCC assignment in Miles City, Montana. The world changed unexpectedly during that train ride when the boys heard about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
"When we heard about the Japanese bombing Pearl Harbor, why, there were rumors they were going to put all the CC boys in the military right away," Clarence recalled. "I was kinda worried because I was only16."
The rumors proved untrue and the train delivered the boys to their CCC camp near Miles City. The new CCC boys went to work.
"Every day they'd load us up on trucks and we'd go out and grub sagebrush," Clarence said. "We'd chop the sagebrush and put it in piles and burn it - they'd replant the area in grass."
Clarence said the CCC camp was a good experience for him. The boys were well-fed; they earned money; and he was with his brother and several friends.
But the war triggered cuts in the CCC program and the Miles City camp closed.
Clarence returned home where he worked again on farms.
The draft took several of his friends over the next couple years, so in late 1944 he decided to volunteer. He called his local draft board and was on a train to Fort Snelling, Minnesota within days. He was the sixth member of his family to put on a uniform during the war.
Another train took Clarence to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. "That's where I got my GI haircut and all my new uniforms that didn't fit too good," he said with a chuckle, "I was sworn in the first of March of 1945."
The Army sent Clarence to Camp Robinson, Arkansas for 16 weeks of Basic Training.
Clarence mastered Basic Training with few problems and returned home on leave before reporting to Camp Rucker, Ala. for advanced training. But the new soldiers did not train. They passed a couple weeks pulling KP and guard duty before boarding a train across country to Camp Adair, Oregon. Once again they did not do any training. The young soldiers learned why their training was being curtailed when they heard of the Japanese government's surrender.
The young soldiers took yet another train to southern California where they boarded the USS General Randall, an enormous troop ship.
"It seems to me there were five or six thousand of us on that huge troop ship," Clarence recalled. "They didn't tell us where we were going."
Being at sea was, of course, a new experience for Clarence, but one he enjoyed despite being stacked with the other troops in the berthing areas like sardines.
Two weeks later the ship docked in Yokohama, Japan. Clarence ended up in Tokyo where he was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division, one of the units charged with occupation duties in Japan after the war.
Clarence worked on a number of occupation missions, the first of which involved guarding government buildings in Yokohama. The city was severely bombed out and the Japanese people were in bad shape.
"They were begging for food, so things weren't very good," he said.
The Division reassigned Clarence later to a port at the mouth of Tokyo Bay.
"We were assigned to this program where these repatriates (Japanese soldiers) were coming back from different islands," he said. "Some of these soldiers were sick or in bad shape . . . mainly I was a driver for doctors and interpreters."
Clarence final assignment was to a camp where his new unit did a lot of training patrols in jeeps.
"One time we went real close to Mount Fuji, so we stopped there and we all tried to climb Mount Fuji," he said with a laugh. "We went part-way up, but it was real hard climbing because it was all ash."
Clarence accumulated enough points to return to the States in October of 1946. His troopship passed under the Golden Gate bridge into San Francisco harbor where a train took him north to Fort Lewis, Washington and his discharge from the Army.
About his service, Clarence commented, "I learned a lot from being around other people." He concluded, "I was proud I was in the service."
Thank you for your service, Clarence.
Copyright 2010. William D. Palmer.
http://www.marshallindependent.com/page/content.detail/id/517703.html
Green Valley's Clarence McLaughlin grew up in North Dakota.
"I was born in Baker, Montana which was the closest hospital to our farm in southwestern North Dakota," he said. "There were seven boys in my family and five girls - I was number seven."
Clarence grew up during the Great Depression.
"Those were very bad years," he said. "We had dust storms and grasshoppers . . . you could hear the noise of the grasshoppers hitting the windmill. I don't think I really realized how bad it was -the neighbors lived the same way and we didn't stop to think about it."
Public education in western North Dakota was a challenge. Clarence attended the local country school, which was only a mile and a half walk away, through the eighth grade. But high school, located 40 miles away, was another matter.
"We stayed at a dormitory in Marmot, North Dakota," he said. "The boys lived in the basement and the girls lived upstairs . . . I finished one year of high school."
"I worked on this farm until I was 16 years old when my brother and other kids joined the CCs (Civilian Conservation Corps)," he added. "We joined the CCs because the times were tough."
Clarence, his brother, and their friends boarded a train in early December 1941, Clarence's first train trip, for their CCC assignment in Miles City, Montana. The world changed unexpectedly during that train ride when the boys heard about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
"When we heard about the Japanese bombing Pearl Harbor, why, there were rumors they were going to put all the CC boys in the military right away," Clarence recalled. "I was kinda worried because I was only16."
The rumors proved untrue and the train delivered the boys to their CCC camp near Miles City. The new CCC boys went to work.
"Every day they'd load us up on trucks and we'd go out and grub sagebrush," Clarence said. "We'd chop the sagebrush and put it in piles and burn it - they'd replant the area in grass."
Clarence said the CCC camp was a good experience for him. The boys were well-fed; they earned money; and he was with his brother and several friends.
But the war triggered cuts in the CCC program and the Miles City camp closed.
Clarence returned home where he worked again on farms.
The draft took several of his friends over the next couple years, so in late 1944 he decided to volunteer. He called his local draft board and was on a train to Fort Snelling, Minnesota within days. He was the sixth member of his family to put on a uniform during the war.
Another train took Clarence to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. "That's where I got my GI haircut and all my new uniforms that didn't fit too good," he said with a chuckle, "I was sworn in the first of March of 1945."
The Army sent Clarence to Camp Robinson, Arkansas for 16 weeks of Basic Training.
Clarence mastered Basic Training with few problems and returned home on leave before reporting to Camp Rucker, Ala. for advanced training. But the new soldiers did not train. They passed a couple weeks pulling KP and guard duty before boarding a train across country to Camp Adair, Oregon. Once again they did not do any training. The young soldiers learned why their training was being curtailed when they heard of the Japanese government's surrender.
The young soldiers took yet another train to southern California where they boarded the USS General Randall, an enormous troop ship.
"It seems to me there were five or six thousand of us on that huge troop ship," Clarence recalled. "They didn't tell us where we were going."
Being at sea was, of course, a new experience for Clarence, but one he enjoyed despite being stacked with the other troops in the berthing areas like sardines.
Two weeks later the ship docked in Yokohama, Japan. Clarence ended up in Tokyo where he was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division, one of the units charged with occupation duties in Japan after the war.
Clarence worked on a number of occupation missions, the first of which involved guarding government buildings in Yokohama. The city was severely bombed out and the Japanese people were in bad shape.
"They were begging for food, so things weren't very good," he said.
The Division reassigned Clarence later to a port at the mouth of Tokyo Bay.
"We were assigned to this program where these repatriates (Japanese soldiers) were coming back from different islands," he said. "Some of these soldiers were sick or in bad shape . . . mainly I was a driver for doctors and interpreters."
Clarence final assignment was to a camp where his new unit did a lot of training patrols in jeeps.
"One time we went real close to Mount Fuji, so we stopped there and we all tried to climb Mount Fuji," he said with a laugh. "We went part-way up, but it was real hard climbing because it was all ash."
Clarence accumulated enough points to return to the States in October of 1946. His troopship passed under the Golden Gate bridge into San Francisco harbor where a train took him north to Fort Lewis, Washington and his discharge from the Army.
About his service, Clarence commented, "I learned a lot from being around other people." He concluded, "I was proud I was in the service."
Thank you for your service, Clarence.
Copyright 2010. William D. Palmer.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Family Reunion - Bowman, ND
Cousin Bailey and Eli, hanging out...
Anita showing Eli the horses. He LOVED them!
Cousin Pax & Cousin Blythe feeding the horses.
The fellas, hanging out.
My Grandpa's brothers, Robert and George.
My Grandpa.
The ladies, hanging out.
Eli with Pax & Blythe.
Eli & Blythe.
Eli & Pax playing football.
Nice catch, Eli!
Silly boys!
Tug of war?
Go Pax!
Time to get some work done on the tractor.
Snack time with cousin, Shirley.
Petting the horse with Papa.
...and Dada, too!
Miss Grace going for a ride!
Miss Grace with Anita.
Mom, Auntie Gloria & Cousin Kim.
Headless Mama and Eli riding with Anita's help!
The Sundsmos with Bambie.
Horses! Horses! Horses!
Uncle Gary and Bruce out for a ride.
Eli is ready to saddle up!
Cousin Nate.
Uncle Gary.
Cousine Bruce.
Eli & Papa.
Uncle Gary & Eli.
It's fun to ride Dada, too!
Bruce.
Papa & Eli.
Eli getting some work done on the farm.
Lots of work to get done!
Dada & Eli.
Big Papa & Eli.
Big Papa giving Eli some tractor tips.
The guys out for a walk.
North Dakota cacti.
Beautiful.
The cows are out for some lunch!
More cacti.
Wow.
Tumbleweed.
The letters in the background use to read Bowman.
Bruce and Anita's home.
A shot of Eli's cute little bottom in his Wranglers! Thanks, Nana!
My Grandma Jean (right) with her dear friend, Roberta. They both grew up in Bowman and have been friends since they were little girls.
All throughout my life, my Dad's family has held reunions bi-annually. We have them in North Dakota, Montana, Minnesota and Colorado. The reunion is usually held at the end of June in honor of my Great-Grandfather's birthday. In 1980 (the year I was born) they held the first reunion in honor of his 100th birthday, and this year we celebrated his 130th birthday! The family consists of the decedents of my Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa McLaughlin. This year my Grandpa and 4 of his brothers were able to make it.This reunion was a wonderful weekend with wonderful people. It was held in Bowman, ND where my Grandpa grew up. My Grandma Jean also grew up in this small town, so our roots are deep in Bowman. I always loved going to Bowman as a little girl, and I still do! I remember walking around town with my cousins, going to visit any of the Great-Aunts and Great-Uncles (who are like extra Grandparents). We would go to the local pool to swim and then run down to the Tasty Freeze (yep, like Jack n' Diane) for a snack.
We got to Bowman Friday morning, and went to my Great-Aunt Darlene and Great-Uncle Gerald's house to visit. Later we went to their son Bruce and his wife Anita's home just down the road. We had a nice dinner and met up with everyone. Because of the traveling, most were pretty sleepy early on, so it was an early night for all.
Saturday, we started out at Bruce and Anita's for a delicious pancake breakfast followed by horseback riding on Bruce and Anita's property with their horses, Otie, Bill & Bambie. Eli was lucky enough to ride three times! He LOVED the horses!
After a while, we went back to the hotel for a nap and some swimming with Eli. Later, we went to Bruce and Anita's for a BBQ and an evening of catching up with family. One of our favorite things to do is listen to my Grandpa and his brothers tell us stories about growing up on the farm. Shortly after some storytelling, we decided to get a fire going and get ourselves situated for an evening of more catching up, etc. Eli had gone to bed earlier, so, Nick and I were looking forward to some fun with the family! Before we knew it, my cousin Corey was hollering, "Call 911!"
To my shock, I see a man lying at the end of Bruce and Anita's driveway. It was my cousin, Craig, Gerald and Darlene's Grandson. He had just gotten to Bruce and Anita's and was flying a remote control airplane when he collapsed. We could see that he was breathing and he had a strong pulse. My dad held his head and my mom had her hand on his wrist as she monitored his pulse. I was rubbing his back and could feel a strong pulse as well as his breathing which seemed strong. He was completely out... there was nothing.
When the police arrived, they laid him on his back and said that he stopped breathing. In hindsight, the strong breaths I felt while rubbing his back were probably labored breathing… his last breaths. When they rolled him onto his back, you could see that he was gone. His eyes rolled back and his arm just lay out in an awkward position. But they tried CPR on him… we all prayed to ourselves as we stood there and watched them work on him. I begged God to please save him, but I knew in my heart that it was too late.
Craig McLaughlin II was 30 years old when he died last Saturday. The following Thursday, July 1st, was to be his 31st birthday. He suffered a massive cerebral hemorrhage. There was nothing anyone could have done. That being said, it isn’t easy to watch someone so young loose their life so quickly and so unexpectedly. I think it will take me a while to process this, and even after that, he will always be in my thoughts.
The lesson I am taking away is just to savor every single moment. They are all so very precious.
Craig McLaughlin II was 30 years old when he died last Saturday. The following Thursday, July 1st, was to be his 31st birthday. He suffered a massive cerebral hemorrhage. There was nothing anyone could have done. That being said, it isn’t easy to watch someone so young loose their life so quickly and so unexpectedly. I think it will take me a while to process this, and even after that, he will always be in my thoughts.
The lesson I am taking away is just to savor every single moment. They are all so very precious.
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