Hi my name is Krystal and I'm an addict

Last Saturday was the Kirtland Stake Women's Conference. I don't think I've ever been to a stake women's conference before and decided to try it out. I didn't know what to expect and luckily 3 other girls in the ward came with me. I probably wouldn't have gone otherwise, let's be honest. So the theme was families, nothing out of the ordinary there. Everything in the Church is about families right?

Yup.

So they had a lady give a presentation. Her name is Melinda Cummings Cameron, her dad was this guy

Bob Cummings. He was an actor in the 50's-70's and had his own prime time tv show. He's also in a Hitchcock film Andrew and I recently Netflixed Saboteur. (I fell asleep halfway through, it was that great)

Anywho, the conference was all about finding stories of your ancestors. After the presentation we got to choose different breakout sessions. One was to get signed up for the Church geneology website so I did that. I've never really been too into family history but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Was it a good idea you may ask?

I'm addicted. Fully addicted. Who would have thought that I would be addicted to family history? Not I. But alas, here we are, my name is Krystal and I'm an addict.

The website is new.familysearch.org and it is a party.

I love you

As a good wife would do, I also got Andrew addicted last night. He found out that he has noble blood on his dad's side. Sir Henry Alexander Webb was given nobility by King Henry VIII in 1577, you will all now refer to me as Countess Krystal Webb.





 And we found out that he's related to William Shakespeare by marriage. Seriously though, how cool is this?!

On my side there are some pretty awesome things too...I'm related to Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain and Anne Hutchinson, a very prominent religious figure during the 1600's.

can't you just see the resemblence?

I love this, finding out where my family came from and who they are/who I am. If you haven't done it you can become addicted too. All the cool kids are doing it. It's free and so easy to sign up. The website pretty much does all the work for you. Here's what my family tree looks like as of right now, I still need to put my mom's dad's side of the family in.

 and it just keeps going and going and going, like a little engergizer bunny.

Sort of.

New lives

This video breaks my heart and then gathers all the pieces and squeezes them together.

Life changes even when you don't want it to. But it still goes on.

I've watched this about 40 times and I still bawl like a baby.

My mom would have loved her so much.

Here's her blog, it's lovely

Nie Nie Dialogues

My Story, Part III (Italy)

A while ago I started writing about my journey with my mom and kind of stopped. This third part was especially difficult because it was probably some of the best times I have ever had with my mom. The happy times should be the easiest to write about but they remind me of why I really wish she were still here. Don't worry, this one won't make you cry...probably.

 If you want to read part I and part II go here and here. If not, this picks up about a year or so after she was diagnosed.

Oh dear

Andrew and I watched our wedding video last night. I was fine until this came up...

Granted this was the first time I had let myself watch a video of her since she died. Watching her move again was sweet, her smile, hugging everyone, such a proud mama. I lost it 150%. Snot running down my face, mascara everywhere, hugging my knees. I was a sight to behold.

It reminded me of last year around this time. How miserable I was and how what I just described (snot, mascara and knees) became a daily occurance. But back then I couldn't snap myself out of it. It was just a matter of when it would hit the hardest. I always felt like doing that but sometimes I didn't have the will to stop myself.

That was one of our happiest days together. After that it was no eating, surgery and hospice.

I have dreams all the time that she is still alive and when I wake up it bulldozes when I realize that she's not. But in those dreams I am the happiest girl in the world. I never knew what I really had until she was gone. That is my biggest regret. Not treating her better. She knows how I feel though, I know it. That's comforting.

Her 52nd birthday is on the 17th. I think that calls for a celebration!