Visiting Family Around the USA

Many people have wondered what we have been doing with our time since we have been home from our mission to Germany. We have not been sitting around and “rusting”, but we have been very busy getting our home and yard ready to leave again, because we want to serve another mission as soon as we can. Also we took time to visit our family throughout our nation. Therefore, we have decided to recap some of our activities in pictures and narrative. The next three or so blog entries will cover these several activities.
After checking with the doctors and having tests at the hospital to see if Grant’s leg was all right, we found out he did not have a blood clot nor did there seem to be any problems with the bone or even arthritis in the knee. Grant’s leg had collapsed on him pretty badly during the last week of our mission in Germany and the mission doctors made him promise that he would get it checked out as soon as we returned home. Our doctor here said Grant was cleared to go ahead and take the trip out west to see our family.

Driving from the Salt Lake international airport

So in August 2010, we scheduled a roundtrip flight out west to see our children, grandchildren and as many of our siblings as we could. We also got to visit with some friends who aren’t relations. It turned out to be a wonderful two and a half weeks of visiting with many loved ones. It is so important to keep close ties with family and renew our kinship.
Our first stop was in Phoenix, Arizona where we stayed and visited with two of Grant’s sisters, Joyce Broderick and Mary Marble, and their husbands and families. It was great to see Howard and Joyce

At the right one of Howard and Joyce's great-grandsons seated on floor next to his mother Glory Brown on the sofa with Howard Broderick and Verena Broderick Beckstrand, taken at party in Glory and Andrew Brown's home

with many of their children and grandchildren on one evening, plus spending a very nice day just visiting with them and two of their daughters, Julie and Sarah, who are grandmothers themselves now.

Niece Sarah Rowse with mother,Joyce Broderick who is Grant's sister

We were also able to spend a couple of nights with Mary and James and visit with their children and grandchildren, too. We also got to visit a German family that are friends of James and Mary.

At right, James Marble & Grant standing, Mary Marble & Pat sitting

At almost every visit we had a chance to give explanations about FamilySearch Indexing and recruit participants. It was a very special time with them all.
From there we flew to California and visited with Pat’s two sisters and families, Kathy and David Whitford in Menifee and Sharon and Smitty (Carl) Smith in Sun City.


At left the three of us sisters sitting Sharon Smith, Pat Howlett and Kathy Whitford with husbands Carl Smith, Grant Howlett and David Whitford standing.

It was a special time to stay at Kathy and David’s new house in Menifee, and also visit with Sharon and Smitty, then spend time with their children and grandchildren.

Standing around the dinner table from left is Jennifer Whitford Nilsson, her husband Kevin Nilsson, David Whitford, Kevin Whitford and his wife Tanja Whitford

Everyone keeps growing up so fast that it is hard to recognize some of the children. We had a day devoted to the work of moving and organizing some of the household stuff left behind at Grandma Merrill’s passing. It was good that we could do that since Grant hadn’t been able to come home to her funeral, and it gave him a little closure to those events.
After leaving California we flew to Salt Lake City. Jacob and Ethen were at the airport to greet us, and they drove us over to a car rental place where we rented a car so we could be independent in our efforts to visit many different people in Weber, Salt Lake, Toole, and Utah counties.


Grandson Samuel Beckstrand seated at right and grandson Ethen Howlett being held by his dad Jacob Howlett.

We first stayed at the “Beckstrand Bed and Breakfast” in American Fork which is our oldest daughter, Susan and her husband Nels’ home. It was so fun to visit with them and our grandchildren there, Gregory, Kimberly, Samuel, Jonathan and Jason. How fast they are growing up! Then on to visit with our son, Jacob and his 5 yrs. old son Ethen up in Syracuse, Utah near the top of the Great Salt Lake. We also got to meet his girl friend, Melanie Vaughn, who is now Jacob’s fiancé and they plan on being married the end of December 2010. That will be another fun trip out to Utah and see many family members this December.


Melanie Vaughn laughing at fiance Jacob Howlett who is enjoying his barbequed ribs

While there at Jacob’s home we got a special visit from two more of our children and their families-- our son Mark and his wife, Sherlyn, brought their children, Brandon, Taylor, Cassaundra, George and Sara from their Duvall, Washington home, and our daughter, Karen and her husband Dan (who is Sherlyn’s brother) brought their children, Gideon, Claire, Issac, and Benjamin with them down from their new home in Rigby, Idaho. Dan and Karen’s visit in Utah was a continuation of one of their moving trips. They left most of the load in Idaho, and continued on to Utah. We had scheduled our trip so we could be in Utah at the same time these two families were scheduled to be there on the celebration scheduled for the other side of their families. Sherlyn and Dan’s father was celebrating a significant birthday.

Gathering at Jacob Howlett's house from left: Grandfather Grant Howlett reading, on sofa grandchildren Taylor Rachel Howlett, Brandon Howlett, Clarissa Howlett, Gideon Felt standing, and on sofa again George Howlett, son Jacob Howlett, granddaughter Cassaundra Howlett, then on floor granddaughters Claire Felt and Sara Howlett, with a partial glimpse of toddler grandson Benjamin Felt.

Our oldest grandchild, Brandon Howlett is 18 yrs. old and just graduated from high school. Our second oldest grandchild, Clarissa Howlett, from Ohio and daughter of our oldest son, Eric and his wife Chris, was visiting Mark’s family in Washington State at the time and they brought her with them to Utah for this visit. She got this special trip as a gift from her parents for her turning 18 yrs. old and graduating from high school too. It was fun to have a barbeque that evening at Jacob’s home with so many children and grandchildren making the house “rock” with happy chaos.


Group photo of Howlett relatives reunion at Lois & Jim Scott's backyard in Draper, Utah on Monday 16 August 2010. All are from Grant's brothers and sisters families and Grant and Pat's family

A reunion was scheduled for all the Utah Howletts who could come and it was held in Draper, Utah at Lois and Jim Scott’s home, another of Grant’s sisters. They were so gracious to let us all gather in their backyard and have another great time of happy visiting with so many of Grant’s brother, sisters and their families.


From left to right, Back of Pat Howlett's head, Grant Howlett, his sister Lois Scott, his sister Elaine Puckett and her husband George Puckett

Luckily, while we were in Utah we were able to spend one night with another sister of Grant’s, Elaine and her husband, George Puckett, and another night with his brother, Glen and wife, Carol Howlett.

Group shot at Burger King with some of Glen and Carol's family: From left granddaughter Mindy holding a greatgranddaughter, Grant Howlett, Glen Howlett, another greatgranddaughter, daughter Geri Lynn, granddaughter Karen, another granddaughter and Carol Howlett

It was a treasured walk down memory lane to see so many of the family members we used to know and associate with when we lived in Draper, Utah.

After flying home on August 20, we continued to visit with many of our wonderful children and grandchildren here in Ohio. Our oldest son, Eric and wife Chris have five beautiful children, Clarissa, Karlton, Peter, Joseph and Eliza who all live in a newly rebuilt home in Groveport.

Photo of Christina Howlett and Eric Howlett to the right in their kitchen with from left Chloe Oberting, Peter Howlett and Grandma Pat Howlett with two other grandchildren gathered around the kitchen bar talking.

Our third son Wayne and his wife Molly have three children, Kierstin, Jonathon, and Christopher, who all live in Newark, Ohio.
At left from the right is Kierstin Howlett granddaughter of Grant & Pat seated next to her father Wayne Howlett, the back of Quinton Howlett (Adam & Missi Howlett's son), sitting on loveseat John Oberting and Emma Howlett Oberting holding Gwyneth (Adam & Missi's baby daughter), standing in rear, Peter Howlett (Eric's son) and Chloe Oberting(John's niece).

Then our fourth son Adam and his wife Missi have five children, Alexis, Melinda, Corwin, Quinton and Gwyneth who all live in Westerville, Ohio.

From left Adam, baby Gwennie & Missi Howlett standing in Eric's front room, Jonathan and Christopher who are both sons of Wayne Howlett, are all watching a nerf basketball game with Melinda Howlett daughter of Adam and Missi also looking on.

Our youngest daughter Emma and her husband, John Oberting are living with us, along with John’s niece, Chloe Oberting which makes for a busy household.

At right is Emma Oberting. Below from left is Eric Howlett and John Oberting.









Our youngest child, Michael Howlett and his wife Harmony Lewis Howlett live in Columbus, Ohio and are awaiting the birth of their first child in June 2011. It is a very special family that we treasure and are humbled to be a part of.

Michael and Harmony Howlett