Thanksgiving Week--Grant Family Party

November is the time when we admit what we're thankful for aloud. This year I have so much to be thankful for--including a new husband and family. We packed the week with lots of events, including family reunions, dinner with old college roommates and lots of time with family.

Monday of Thanksgiving week we always have the Grant Family Party. My grandmother is about 86. She and her cousins are the grandchildren of Heber J. Grant. I love to hear their stories of their grandfather. The grandchildren won't be around for many more years, so we have to take the opportunity now to hear their stories about Grandpa Grant. My grandmother told a story about her parents. To become engaged Clifford Earl Young asked President Grant for his daughter Edith's hand in marriage. Clifford had a work opportunity in American Fork and would be taking his family there. President Grant gave all his daughters land adjacent to his home for them to build a house on. Since the Young's would not need the land, President Grant gave Clifford one stipulation: that he had to bring Edith by once a week to sing for him. Edith would accompany her husband to Salt Lake once a week on business. She would take the town car to Grandpa Grant's to sing for him while Clifford conducted business.

I love to hear the stories of my grandparents and great-grandparents. My own grandmother has the same gift of music that her mother did. I credit their influence and the influence of my mother with my own love for music.