Important Events

It's tough to come up with one memory or story about Grandma.  For as long as I can remember she has always been there along with Grandpa at some of the most important parts of my life.  I was always excited to see them attend my music performances in junior high and high school.  It was always neat to hear how proud they were of me and how much they wanted to share in my accomplishments.  I cannot think of a time that they missed a performance.  

Grandma and Grandpa were also there at my high school graduation and most importantly they are a big reason of why I was able to serve a mission.  I remember Grandma taking me shopping to help me buy my missionary suit and I know how much they helped me while I was gone which is even more amazing to me because they were serving their mission at the same time I was serving mine.  I remember an elder on my mission telling me that he had met my grandparents in the MTC and they loved talking about how proud they were of me.  That is one thing that I have always known about Grandma and Grandpa, that they truly love and are proud of me as their grandson.  

Prior to my mission I remember working summers with Grandma and Grandpa in their yard and I would sometimes stay there for days at a time.  This was their way of helping me out with scout camps and other things that I had going on my life.  They were always wiling to help out but they taught me the importance of hard work as well.  I will always cherish the talks we had while we were working or during our breaks when Grandma would prepare us a delicious lunch.  Their house and their yard hold some precious memories for me of wonderful times spent together.  It is through this that Grandma has also taught me the importance of cherishing the simple moments of spending time with family.  No matter how big the family gets she is always working to get us together and to teach us the important principle that families truly can be together forever.  Grandma also teaches this lesson to all of us through her dedication to family history work.  

Grandma and Grandpa I want to thank you for always being there for me and my family and for supporting me at all of the important events in my life.  You were there to support me in my love of music and show me how proud you were of me.  You were there to support me as I went on to scout camps.  You were there during precious family vacations to Yellowstone (a family favorite) and other places.  You were a major support for me while I was on my mission and were there when I got back.  You were always so welcoming and loving to new family members and showed that love and support to me and Rachelle on our wedding day.  Your gift of the picture of the temple was a wonderful way to remind me how much you cherish temples and family.  I also want to thank you for being there at the hospital after the birth of Benjamin.  It was amazing to see the love that you and Grandpa had for him as your newest great grandchild while you held him for the first time.  Family is truly a special thing and you have continually taught me that throughout my life.  Thank you for all the times you were there for me and continue to be there for me.  

We love you,
Matt, Rachelle and Benjamin Pugsley.  

Family Vacations and Hiking

Gloria Birthday

One of my many funny/fond memories of grandma is how she has signed birthday checks to my family over the years. One year she accidentally signed her name as Gloria Birthday. The year after that we got a check from Grandpa and Grandpa. Hilarious.
Love, Taffin

Love you grandma for all your support as I serve my mission! Hope you had a great birthday!

Love, Sister Madisen Bagley

All so Loved!

Happy Birthday Grandma! I am so glad to be one of your grandchildren. I appreciate everything you have done and continue to do for this family. It’s hard to narrow it down to one of my favorite stories so I will talk about a few. First, I just wanted to say that I love how you have kept our family Christmas tradition alive for so many years. You are always the one to remind all of us what Christmas is really about and how we are all so loved. Also, one of my favorite memories growing up was going over to your house and playing with all of the cousins. We would make forts in the backyard and you would always come outside to check on us and bring us treats and drinks. I will always appreciate how loving and giving you are! Thanks for everything you do for this family. I love you.

Love, Emily Myrick

Toronto!

It had been another busy day. I looked down at my phone to check the calls that I had missed while at school as I walked to my car. To my surprise, Grandma had called and had left me a message. I knew it was a good day because you know it's a good day when you get a call from Grandma.

The weekend before, Jeanette and I attended the bumpin' Randall reunion (don't forget to bring your own meat!) which Grandma Bagley had made a strong effort to get as much of the family out to as possible. We were happy to attend and enjoyed the festivities. Once everyone had a fair share of the potluck and had settled around MC Gloria-fizzle, with the reminisce-izzle on the mic, we were privileged to learn of all the new happenings in the fam. New babies being born, not much older 18-year-olds going on missions, baptisms, more babies, and some weddings. Grandma announced our wedding with a great big smile, a booming voice, and all the confidence in the world and said, "Preston and Jeanette just got married this last May in the Toronto Temple!" I just smiled and thought to myself, "Eh that's close enough, we got married just a couple miles south ...you know, Houston, Texas." Grandma realized her mistake and started to laugh hysterically and we all laughed with her! It was definitely a funny moment and a highlight of the reunion. Don't forget to come this year and don't forget your meat!

I listened to the message left on my phone, now a few days after the reunion. I listened to the sweetest message ever as I heard my Grandmother apologize for her mistake and how she knew and had always known the location of our marriage (she was there).  At the reunion I just enjoyed the comic relief and hadn't thought of it again, but receiving this message made me realize how bad Grandma felt about it. I realized then how much my Grandmother cared about me and the rest of her grand and great-grand kids. I saw how much Grandma wants to be involved and a part of our lives because she cares so much. I have never met a woman with a bigger heart than Grandma Bagley.

We used to run when Grandma whipped out her camera, but never when she whipped out a big hug. There was and is always something special about her hugs and her cute little chuckles that make you feel so good and so loved. When I was younger I thought Grandma was the best because she always had my favorite yogurt ready for me in the fridge, and she would always bust out the most tasty food at a moments notice. Grandma has this magic ability to take something as foul as eggplant and make it taste as good as hot cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. But now that I'm older, I realize that it wasn't Grandma's cooking charm that made Grandma special, but the unconditional love behind all the treats and the mouth-watering  grub. If Charity is what make us something, then compared to Grandma, she is amazing and we are nothing. I'm so grateful to have such an amazing example of Christlike love in my life and so glad I can call her Grandma. Thanks for your love over all these years!
Love, your grandson Preston

Grandma always there, especially to see me off onto the mission.

A hot and sunny day in Houston! See she was there for the best day of my life!

Gardening Season

The last frost day usually passes through North Central Texas around March 15th. That means it is safe to plant the warm season vegetables. We did that a couple weeks ago.

Mom encouraged us to grow a garden when we were young, so when spring comes, it doesn't seem right not to at least attempt to grow some vegetables to eat. When we were kids we thought zucchini was the answer to world hunger. Dad tilled the garden and Mom showed us how to plant the seeds. Before you knew it there were zucchinis bigger that your arm, and if you didn't watch carefully another one would seemingly grow overnight. We couldn't keep up with them.

The young and tender ones were the best, but Mom made use of the big ones too. She sliced them, dipped them in batter and fried them. Then of course there was zucchini bread, which looked pretty good at first, until you saw the little bits of green distributed throughout the bread. It really did taste good though.

We grew everything we could: potatoes, corn, radishes, carrots, peas and beans and I can’t remember what else. Mom had a strawberry and raspberry patch that she bottled jam from, but it had a rough time once Dad paved part of the yard and put a basketball hoop. We had wild Pottawatomie plums, chokecherries, and an old apple tree and Mom made use of it all. One of my fond memories is of Mom planting flowers around the yard each spring. She loved bringing beauty into our acre of paradise in Cottonwood after Dad reclaimed it from the wilderness.

In my teen years the garden was moved to the horse corral after we sadly departed with our horses. Mom and Dad still grow a large garden in that same spot to this day. I guess the ground is pretty fertile there. There is a row of perennial flowers in front of the old coral that Mom planted. There is an old cherry tree that Dad planted –all within the backdrop of the rugged Wasatch Mountains. 

Matt, Joann, Darell & Charles displaying their harvest

I learned to love nature, plants and gardening from Mom. I also gained a sense gratitude for the abundance of the harvest, which God provides. Most of all, I appreciate Mom for just being there and enjoying the moment, no matter the task at hand.

-Darell

Doctor Mom

When we were sick Mom would come to our aid. For a bad chest cold, like I have right now, the remedy included a hot lemon and honey drink and a Mustard Plaster at night. Has anyone heard of a Mustard Plaster these days? It was one of the original aroma therapies. Mom would make a poultice out of cotton cloth and mustard powder and I am not sure what else and literally plaster it right on your chest at night. It sounds like something to put on a hot dog instead of your chest, but the hot lemon and honey and the aroma of the mustard plaster, mixed with Mom's love and care, really worked wonders when you had a bad cold. Come to think of it, I could use a Mustard Plaster right now. Where are you Mom?

-Darell