heritage

When we went to Birmingham last weekend, we just missed my parents. They also were in town for Step Sing, but they went Thursday so they could spend the rest of their weekend at the annual Marriage Enrichment retreat (David and I can't wait to go one of these years!). Regardless, they left all kinds of goodies for us when we got there. My mom, of course, made amazing goody bags filled with delectable Valentine's treats. She is so creative and uses that gift in such thoughtful ways. (Oh, and she made dog treats for Harley and Bella. Yep. Made them. Some baby food and other stuff. Harley and Bella didn't think much of them, but David and Peter thought they were fine!)

Additionally, my dad (also of course) left a stack of books for us. Some were just to borrow, some were to keep (we're a book-loving family, in case you didn't know), but this one is my favorite. My dad has recently re-read this family treasure, and he knew I would want to also. It's called Kiss Josey for Me: Authentic Civil War Letters. The title is pretty clear, but the special thing about this book is that it is a compilation of letters written between Henry G. Ankeny and his wife, Fostina, during the Civil War. Henry Ankeny was my great, great, great grandfather. Josey (Joseph Newcomb Ankeny) was his son.

The best part about the book is obviously the fact that it is rich with my heritage. My blood. My family. The second best part is the hand written note in the front. In case you can't read it above, it says, "To Molly [even though my mom's name is spelled "Mollie", oh well]- These are the letters of your great great grand-father Ankeny. Little Josey was my father. - Aunt Louise." I get chill bumps just reading that. Aunt Louise was (from what I'm told) one of the most loved family members. So much so that everyone named their kids after her! A funny side note about that... many of us have Louise as a middle name (Susan Louise, Mary Louise, Emily Louise, Amber Louise, Reagan Louise) except one (who's first name is Louise), and Aunt Louise (apparently, again, I wasn't around for this) complained that no one was using it as a first name. The ironic part is that Aunt Louise's first name wasn't even Louise! She's Harriett Louise -- and I'm thankful we've carried on the Louise part.

We do have pictures of me as a baby with Aunt Louise, and I treasure those! In fact, Aunt Louise's legacy lives on in so many ways. Of course my mom and her sisters talk about her plenty, and I love learning more about her life. Also, I wear a ring on my right hand that was hers. My parents gave it to me for Christmas in 2007, and I cherish it!

Please excuse the terrible picture and the chubby looking hand. Oh, and the battle wounds of having a puppy who nibbles.

I am thoroughly enjoying reading these memoirs of a time I'll never know. A world so free of technology that required hand-written records of the events of a day. A family that still values our heritage. A God who provides so much!

PS- If you want your own copy of Kiss Josey for Me, you can buy it off Amazon. There are three options that pop up. One for $102.35, 12 used & new from $14.95 and one for $60. Hm... awfully curious.