Welcome to my Family History Blog!! I would like to thank all of you who have helped me put this together. If you have anything you would like to add please feel free to email me…Rachelmatheny20@hotmail.com. Also, please leave comments. I hope you enjoy this and continue sharing this blog with those around you.
With Love,
Rachel
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Grandpa Benson
Click here to see Grandpa Benson and a few things he has to say about the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ7LcplfkgY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ7LcplfkgY
Monday, April 6, 2009
A Glimpse into my Family
David Edward Udall
Born April 4, 1951 in Phoenix, Arizona
*Fondest memory is Going to Owl's Baseball games
or hiking to top of Bears Hump (In Waterton)
* Favorite family tradition is telling Bible stories
at family night
*My favorite food is anything Mexican or steak
*My goal in life is to become a senator
FAVORITE SONG:
ANYTHING BEACH BOYS OR BEATLES
Laurel Benson Walker Udall
Born June 5, 1959 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
*Fondest memory is Skiing, Swimming
at the homestead, having a big Christmas,
all being together at the cabin in Waterton
*I have way too many favorite family traditions
*Favorite food is a pazookie
*Goal in life is to get a pool or tennis court
in my backyard or to go to Hawaii, and to
see all my children married in the temple (2 down, 4 to go!)
FAVORITE SONG:
TIME TO SAY GOODBYE- CELINE DION
Barbara Joylee Matheny Hatch
Born May 20, 1981 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Married to Garrett Benton Hatch. Mother to
Tori (5), Alex (3), Benton (1)
*Fondest memory is going to Waterton every summer
*My favorite family tradition is making donuts
every Christmas morning
*My favorite food is anything Italian
*My goal in life is to have two more children
FAVORITE SONG:
AT LAST- ETTA JAMES
I LOVE YOU ALWAYS FOREVER- DONNA LEWIS
Christine Laurel Matheny Hull
Born December 11 in Provo, Utah
Married to L Rock Hull. Mother to
Whitney (5), Sydney (3) and Weston (6 months)
*Fondest memory is when we all sit around late at night in the kitchen and eat food and just talk. I also like our family talent shows.
*My favorite family tradition is when it is a child’s birthday, we wake that child up in the middle of the night to have a milkshake with mom and dad.
*My favorite food is turkey burger with a nice juicy tomatoe and crisp lettuce with Dijon mustard and a dill pickle
*My goal is life is to raise happy and righteous posterity with my honey and run for state senate once the kids are out of the house (because our country needs people to stand up for what is right).
Rachel Matheny
Born January 20, 1989 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
*My fondest memory growing up is when we would
turn our couch cushions into horses. We would wrap
belts around the side and giddy up all around the house.
*My favorite tradition is when we go around the table
on each of our birthdays and we have to say
something nice about the birthday person.
*My Favorite food of all time is pasta.
*My biggest accomplishment is getting into
BYU-Idaho on a academic scholarship
*My goal in life is to get married in the temple to a
returned missionary
FAVORITE SONG:
YOU DON’T KNOW ME
MAN IN THE MIRROR
JOHNNY AND JUNE
Janelle Heather Matheny
Born January 27, 1992 in Mesa, Arizona
*Fondest Memory growing up is laughing at mom and
Big D and going to Canada.
*My favorite tradition is all of the Christmas traditions
*My favorite food is a pazookie
*My biggest accomplishment is making the
PGHS student council
*My goal in life is to get married in the temple,
have a big family, and own a home
FAVORITE SONG:
FOREVER-CHRIS BROWN
Louisa Elizabeth Matheny
Born November 24, 1995 in Mesa, Arizona
*Fondest memory is picking Robert up from
airport from his mission
*My favorite tradition is going to Waterton
every summer
*My favorite food is crepes
*My biggest accomplishment is winning
Little Miss Lindon
*My goal in life is to get a puppy
FAVORITE SONG:
FLO RIDA- RIGHT ROUND
Born April 4, 1951 in Phoenix, Arizona
*Fondest memory is Going to Owl's Baseball games
or hiking to top of Bears Hump (In Waterton)
* Favorite family tradition is telling Bible stories
at family night
*My favorite food is anything Mexican or steak
*My goal in life is to become a senator
FAVORITE SONG:
ANYTHING BEACH BOYS OR BEATLES
Laurel Benson Walker Udall
Born June 5, 1959 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
*Fondest memory is Skiing, Swimming
at the homestead, having a big Christmas,
all being together at the cabin in Waterton
*I have way too many favorite family traditions
*Favorite food is a pazookie
*Goal in life is to get a pool or tennis court
in my backyard or to go to Hawaii, and to
see all my children married in the temple (2 down, 4 to go!)
FAVORITE SONG:
TIME TO SAY GOODBYE- CELINE DION
Barbara Joylee Matheny Hatch
Born May 20, 1981 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Married to Garrett Benton Hatch. Mother to
Tori (5), Alex (3), Benton (1)
*Fondest memory is going to Waterton every summer
*My favorite family tradition is making donuts
every Christmas morning
*My favorite food is anything Italian
*My goal in life is to have two more children
FAVORITE SONG:
AT LAST- ETTA JAMES
I LOVE YOU ALWAYS FOREVER- DONNA LEWIS
Christine Laurel Matheny Hull
Born December 11 in Provo, Utah
Married to L Rock Hull. Mother to
Whitney (5), Sydney (3) and Weston (6 months)
*Fondest memory is when we all sit around late at night in the kitchen and eat food and just talk. I also like our family talent shows.
*My favorite family tradition is when it is a child’s birthday, we wake that child up in the middle of the night to have a milkshake with mom and dad.
*My favorite food is turkey burger with a nice juicy tomatoe and crisp lettuce with Dijon mustard and a dill pickle
*My goal is life is to raise happy and righteous posterity with my honey and run for state senate once the kids are out of the house (because our country needs people to stand up for what is right).
Rachel Matheny
Born January 20, 1989 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
*My fondest memory growing up is when we would
turn our couch cushions into horses. We would wrap
belts around the side and giddy up all around the house.
*My favorite tradition is when we go around the table
on each of our birthdays and we have to say
something nice about the birthday person.
*My Favorite food of all time is pasta.
*My biggest accomplishment is getting into
BYU-Idaho on a academic scholarship
*My goal in life is to get married in the temple to a
returned missionary
FAVORITE SONG:
YOU DON’T KNOW ME
MAN IN THE MIRROR
JOHNNY AND JUNE
Janelle Heather Matheny
Born January 27, 1992 in Mesa, Arizona
*Fondest Memory growing up is laughing at mom and
Big D and going to Canada.
*My favorite tradition is all of the Christmas traditions
*My favorite food is a pazookie
*My biggest accomplishment is making the
PGHS student council
*My goal in life is to get married in the temple,
have a big family, and own a home
FAVORITE SONG:
FOREVER-CHRIS BROWN
Louisa Elizabeth Matheny
Born November 24, 1995 in Mesa, Arizona
*Fondest memory is picking Robert up from
airport from his mission
*My favorite tradition is going to Waterton
every summer
*My favorite food is crepes
*My biggest accomplishment is winning
Little Miss Lindon
*My goal in life is to get a puppy
FAVORITE SONG:
FLO RIDA- RIGHT ROUND
A Little Life History of Me
I was born Friday January 20, 1989 to Ronald and Laurel Matheny. It was a cold winter evening in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I was born in the Rocky View Hospital right in the heart of the city. My grandpa Walker was a heart surgeon in that same hospital and was able to see my birth. My parents took me home to a small apartment after my birth. I was welcomed into a family of two older sisters and one older brother (Barbara Jo, Christine, and Robert).
A year after my birth my family moved to Arizona where my dad started practicing law. I lived in three homes before my family moved to our beautiful dream home in Gilbert, Arizona. I was five years old when my family made the move to our beautiful white stucco, red roofed home. My family was the picture perfect family. My dad was the hard working attorney; my mother was the typical stay-at-home wife/mother to six beautiful children (five girls and one boy). Life was picture perfect.
I have so many great memories of living in Gilbert. My little sister Janelle and I shared a bedroom. It was such a pretty room. I always loved falling asleep in that bedroom. I felt as if I was sleeping in a hotel. One Christmas, my parents surprised all six of us kids with a go-kart. It was bright red and yellow and it sat two people. Everyday I would get so excited to come home from school and go for a ride in my go-kart.
Another great memory I have of our house in Arizona was our pool. It was so much fun to go swimming whenever I wanted to. I remember thinking I was a mermaid and the pool was my personal ocean. I would even pretend that the pool vacuum was the scary shark of the ocean. My mom would always sign us kids up for swimming lessons. One year my mom signed my older siblings up for diving lessons as well as swimming lessons and I got stuck with just swimming lessons. I remember sitting in the pool watching my siblings learn how to dive with envious eyes. My mom promised me that the next summer I could take diving lessons. If only I was in Arizona the next summer…
The week before my eighth birthday my dad announced to my family that he had been having an affair. Being an eight year old I did not fully understand what was going on. The only thing that truly struck me about this was the fact that my father could not baptize me. Every other eight year old would have their dad there to help and perform this ordinance. Luckily, I had a worthy grandpa that could do it for me.
A week after my eighth birthday my little sister Janelle celebrated her fifth birthday. My mom and her sister Flora took me and my siblings to see the musical Beauty and the Beast. During half-time my mom felt prompted to get us out of Arizona. Our family migrated to a small cabin in Midway, Utah. This is where we would call home for the next three years.
Growing up in Midway was always fun. It was a small town where everyone knew everyone. It was hard to meet new friends and see my mom start dating. The years I spent in Midway were definitely trying years in my life. Nothing seemed constant in my life. My mom did the best she could raising six children all by herself. My dad would come up every-other weekend and visit us children. I still do not know how my mom did it all, but I am grateful for her sacrifices and everything she has endured. She is a great lady.
A few months after my parents’ divorce was official my dad announced he remarried. I was sitting in the kitchen after church one Sunday and my Dad called our house phone. This was very unusual because when he would come up for our weekend visits he would arrive on Friday evenings. He requested that he spoke to each of us kids individually out in his car. When it was my turn, I had no idea what was going on. As soon as I sat down in the passenger seat my dad announced his marriage. I was stunned. A million and a half questions raced through my head. How did dad fall in love so quickly after the divorce? Would he still love us even though he has a new wife? Will he forget about me? The hardest part about this news was I now officially knew that there was no chance my parents would get back together. I guess I always thought that maybe somewhere in time, my parents would get back together.
The remainders of my years in Midway were spent attending elementary school, meeting new friends, developing my talents, and just being a kid. Some of my fondest memories about Midway were taking field trips to the community pool with my school class. I always felt so cool going and swimming and being one of the fastest swimmers in my class. After we would swim my class would come back to school and eat a healthy snack. I also remember my older sisters dating. I always looked up to them and wanted to be just like them. They were so cool, popular, and pretty in my eyes.
In the year 2000, my mom married David Edward Udall in the Salt Lake City temple. I was very much against their marriage. I was finally adjusting to my new life I had made in Midway and I was not keen on the idea of mom being with another man that was not my dad. I was very dramatic about the whole remarrying situation.
At the age of eleven my family relocated to Lindon, Utah so we could be closer to my stepdads work. I was not too excited for this move but there was not much I could do about it. At first, I had a very hard time adjusting to Lindon. I did not make friends very easy and I was very shy. I wished that I could return back to Midway where my old school and friends were. A few months after moving to Lindon, another family moved in just up the street. Becca Russell and I instantly became best friends. We remained friends all through junior high school. Becca really helped me rebuild my self confidence that I had lost years and years ago.
In junior high I discovered my love for tennis. My mom instantly signed me up for lessons with a professional coach and my love for tennis grew even more. My life has always been an eventful life and I have learned that when I go out and play tennis I take my stress and frustrations and turn them into a positive activity. Tennis from this point has and probably always will play a huge part in my life. Some other talents and activities I was involved in while still young was the violin, piano, basketball, organ, and dance. My mom always believed that she should introduce her children to as many activities as possible. Although I did not like taking so many lessons at the time I have truly learned to appreciate the lessons my mom put me in. I know it has helped shape my character and made me, who I am today.
Once I entered into the crazy world of high school I discovered the art of becoming a teenager. Boys, shopping, friends, and driving became my life. I got a job at the local Hogi Yogi and I thought I was so independent. Working at Hogi Yogi was such a great experience. I made lifelong friends and discovered that making money on my own was so much better than having to depend on my parents for my financial needs. Getting a job was on of the best moves I made in my high school years.
Tennis unsurprisingly made a huge impact on my life in high school. I made it to state finals every year in high school and I even placed two out of the three times I attended. My favorite part of the school year was the fall because of tennis season. There is nothing like the smell of a fresh can of tennis balls and the heat of the court beating against your tired body. I love tennis so very much. Aside from tennis, I became very involved in the Nation Honor Society and the Family Careers Community Leaders of America Society during high school.
During my junior year of high school I met my soon-to-be best friend Grant Parry. Grant and I became best friends and spent almost every day together. After a year of being friends and after I dated most of his friends we decided to try dating. Grant was my high school sweetheart. He is currently serving a LDS church mission in South Africa. I definitely miss my best friend but I know he will be home soon.
I graduated high school with high honors and with offers to multiple universities with scholarships for sports and academics. My whole life I have only considered one university. That university is Brigham Young Idaho. I was ecstatic when I found out I was accepted.
My first semester of University was full of its ups and downs. I started out as a psychology major, and after attending my first psychology class my first day of school I discovered psychology was not the route for me to take. Over the span of my first two semesters I debated what major I should select. I was blessed to have such great roommates my first semester. I have never made friends as quickly as I did my first semester of college.
University definitely has its ups and downs. I love having independence from my family and starting my own life. I love to meet new people from all over the place who shard my same beliefs. I do miss all the help my mom gives me with cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. I love being able to stay up late socializing, but I miss sleeping in. The school part of being a college student is so hard. Tests are killer and always catch me off guard. All in all though, I love my college experiences I have had.
I am currently a sophomore at Brigham Young University Idaho majoring in Elementary Education. I love to play tennis, the piano, cook, hang out with friends, sleep, and watch movies. My family has grown over the years and now consists of two parents, two step parents, five siblings, two brother in-laws, four nieces, two nephews, and ten stepsiblings. I am so grateful for my life, my friends, my family, and my testimony. I have great plans for the future and I am just getting started with my life.
A year after my birth my family moved to Arizona where my dad started practicing law. I lived in three homes before my family moved to our beautiful dream home in Gilbert, Arizona. I was five years old when my family made the move to our beautiful white stucco, red roofed home. My family was the picture perfect family. My dad was the hard working attorney; my mother was the typical stay-at-home wife/mother to six beautiful children (five girls and one boy). Life was picture perfect.
I have so many great memories of living in Gilbert. My little sister Janelle and I shared a bedroom. It was such a pretty room. I always loved falling asleep in that bedroom. I felt as if I was sleeping in a hotel. One Christmas, my parents surprised all six of us kids with a go-kart. It was bright red and yellow and it sat two people. Everyday I would get so excited to come home from school and go for a ride in my go-kart.
Another great memory I have of our house in Arizona was our pool. It was so much fun to go swimming whenever I wanted to. I remember thinking I was a mermaid and the pool was my personal ocean. I would even pretend that the pool vacuum was the scary shark of the ocean. My mom would always sign us kids up for swimming lessons. One year my mom signed my older siblings up for diving lessons as well as swimming lessons and I got stuck with just swimming lessons. I remember sitting in the pool watching my siblings learn how to dive with envious eyes. My mom promised me that the next summer I could take diving lessons. If only I was in Arizona the next summer…
The week before my eighth birthday my dad announced to my family that he had been having an affair. Being an eight year old I did not fully understand what was going on. The only thing that truly struck me about this was the fact that my father could not baptize me. Every other eight year old would have their dad there to help and perform this ordinance. Luckily, I had a worthy grandpa that could do it for me.
A week after my eighth birthday my little sister Janelle celebrated her fifth birthday. My mom and her sister Flora took me and my siblings to see the musical Beauty and the Beast. During half-time my mom felt prompted to get us out of Arizona. Our family migrated to a small cabin in Midway, Utah. This is where we would call home for the next three years.
Growing up in Midway was always fun. It was a small town where everyone knew everyone. It was hard to meet new friends and see my mom start dating. The years I spent in Midway were definitely trying years in my life. Nothing seemed constant in my life. My mom did the best she could raising six children all by herself. My dad would come up every-other weekend and visit us children. I still do not know how my mom did it all, but I am grateful for her sacrifices and everything she has endured. She is a great lady.
A few months after my parents’ divorce was official my dad announced he remarried. I was sitting in the kitchen after church one Sunday and my Dad called our house phone. This was very unusual because when he would come up for our weekend visits he would arrive on Friday evenings. He requested that he spoke to each of us kids individually out in his car. When it was my turn, I had no idea what was going on. As soon as I sat down in the passenger seat my dad announced his marriage. I was stunned. A million and a half questions raced through my head. How did dad fall in love so quickly after the divorce? Would he still love us even though he has a new wife? Will he forget about me? The hardest part about this news was I now officially knew that there was no chance my parents would get back together. I guess I always thought that maybe somewhere in time, my parents would get back together.
The remainders of my years in Midway were spent attending elementary school, meeting new friends, developing my talents, and just being a kid. Some of my fondest memories about Midway were taking field trips to the community pool with my school class. I always felt so cool going and swimming and being one of the fastest swimmers in my class. After we would swim my class would come back to school and eat a healthy snack. I also remember my older sisters dating. I always looked up to them and wanted to be just like them. They were so cool, popular, and pretty in my eyes.
In the year 2000, my mom married David Edward Udall in the Salt Lake City temple. I was very much against their marriage. I was finally adjusting to my new life I had made in Midway and I was not keen on the idea of mom being with another man that was not my dad. I was very dramatic about the whole remarrying situation.
At the age of eleven my family relocated to Lindon, Utah so we could be closer to my stepdads work. I was not too excited for this move but there was not much I could do about it. At first, I had a very hard time adjusting to Lindon. I did not make friends very easy and I was very shy. I wished that I could return back to Midway where my old school and friends were. A few months after moving to Lindon, another family moved in just up the street. Becca Russell and I instantly became best friends. We remained friends all through junior high school. Becca really helped me rebuild my self confidence that I had lost years and years ago.
In junior high I discovered my love for tennis. My mom instantly signed me up for lessons with a professional coach and my love for tennis grew even more. My life has always been an eventful life and I have learned that when I go out and play tennis I take my stress and frustrations and turn them into a positive activity. Tennis from this point has and probably always will play a huge part in my life. Some other talents and activities I was involved in while still young was the violin, piano, basketball, organ, and dance. My mom always believed that she should introduce her children to as many activities as possible. Although I did not like taking so many lessons at the time I have truly learned to appreciate the lessons my mom put me in. I know it has helped shape my character and made me, who I am today.
Once I entered into the crazy world of high school I discovered the art of becoming a teenager. Boys, shopping, friends, and driving became my life. I got a job at the local Hogi Yogi and I thought I was so independent. Working at Hogi Yogi was such a great experience. I made lifelong friends and discovered that making money on my own was so much better than having to depend on my parents for my financial needs. Getting a job was on of the best moves I made in my high school years.
Tennis unsurprisingly made a huge impact on my life in high school. I made it to state finals every year in high school and I even placed two out of the three times I attended. My favorite part of the school year was the fall because of tennis season. There is nothing like the smell of a fresh can of tennis balls and the heat of the court beating against your tired body. I love tennis so very much. Aside from tennis, I became very involved in the Nation Honor Society and the Family Careers Community Leaders of America Society during high school.
During my junior year of high school I met my soon-to-be best friend Grant Parry. Grant and I became best friends and spent almost every day together. After a year of being friends and after I dated most of his friends we decided to try dating. Grant was my high school sweetheart. He is currently serving a LDS church mission in South Africa. I definitely miss my best friend but I know he will be home soon.
I graduated high school with high honors and with offers to multiple universities with scholarships for sports and academics. My whole life I have only considered one university. That university is Brigham Young Idaho. I was ecstatic when I found out I was accepted.
My first semester of University was full of its ups and downs. I started out as a psychology major, and after attending my first psychology class my first day of school I discovered psychology was not the route for me to take. Over the span of my first two semesters I debated what major I should select. I was blessed to have such great roommates my first semester. I have never made friends as quickly as I did my first semester of college.
University definitely has its ups and downs. I love having independence from my family and starting my own life. I love to meet new people from all over the place who shard my same beliefs. I do miss all the help my mom gives me with cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. I love being able to stay up late socializing, but I miss sleeping in. The school part of being a college student is so hard. Tests are killer and always catch me off guard. All in all though, I love my college experiences I have had.
I am currently a sophomore at Brigham Young University Idaho majoring in Elementary Education. I love to play tennis, the piano, cook, hang out with friends, sleep, and watch movies. My family has grown over the years and now consists of two parents, two step parents, five siblings, two brother in-laws, four nieces, two nephews, and ten stepsiblings. I am so grateful for my life, my friends, my family, and my testimony. I have great plans for the future and I am just getting started with my life.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
My Goals
My Personal Goals:
-Graduate from Brigham Young University Idaho in elementary education
-Marry a returned missionary in the temple
-If time and situation allows, go to law school to become an estate planning attorney
-always be honest in my everyday work and dealings
-keep close to all family members
-have a beautiful family
-teach at least one year on elementary school and one year of junior high
-learn how to change a flat tire
-read a book a month
-keep on doing family history work and pass the love of the work on to those around me
-always put 100% effort into my church callings
-keep a close relationship with my Father in Heaven
-Graduate from Brigham Young University Idaho in elementary education
-Marry a returned missionary in the temple
-If time and situation allows, go to law school to become an estate planning attorney
-always be honest in my everyday work and dealings
-keep close to all family members
-have a beautiful family
-teach at least one year on elementary school and one year of junior high
-learn how to change a flat tire
-read a book a month
-keep on doing family history work and pass the love of the work on to those around me
-always put 100% effort into my church callings
-keep a close relationship with my Father in Heaven
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
My Testimony
Testimony of Rachel Marie Matheny
March 2009
Taking family history has been an eye-opening experience. I have learned so much about my family and about myself. My testimony of the truthfulness of this gospel has blossomed.
I know that Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God. I know that he was chosen to restore this great and glorious gospel. I know that Joseph Smith was given a not-so-easy task and he met his highest potential. I know that because of his efforts and love for God and all mankind, I can live with my family forever. I know that I can have an eternal family some day and that is biggest goal in my life. I know that the temple is the House of the Lord. I know that what goes on in there is sacred and beautiful.
I know that Heavenly Father loves me and knows me personally. I know that he loves every child of his. He is there for all of us whenever we may need him. I testify that truth comes from the Holy Ghost.
I know that the greatest gift of God is eternal families and eternal life. I would invite everyone to partake in the marvelous feast of this gospel and family history. I know it has blessed my life in uncountable ways. I know these things are true, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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