June 1991 - My Book of Mormon Experience
Pages 1-4
After the birth of our twins, we had five children within 4 1/2 years:
Our daughter, Angela, born on 14 September 1949
Our oldest son, Mario, born on 11 June 1951
Our second oldest son, Renato, born on 8 June 1952
And our twin sons, Orlando and Romeo, born on 5 April 1954
We had no idea that we would be double blessed and so it was a big surprise for my husband, who was waiting in the hospital hallway, together with two other men, when a nurse came out from some door with twins in her arms. Being in a hurry, she threw her chin toward the three men and said, "You are having twins."
My husband told me later he was looking at the first man next to him and smiled and thought: You can have joy". Then the nurse said, "No, you!" My husband looked at the second man, smiling and thinking, "Oh, it is you!" But when he heard the nurse say a second time, "No, youuu!" he knew it was him; but still in disbelief asked, "Me?" "Yes, youu," the nurse said and showed him the two bundles.
His knees were shaking, but his smile got bigger when he looked into the sweet faces of his little sons. His face showed only happiness when he came in to my room with a bundle of roses. We both love our children very much!
Not only were we blessed with healthy, perfect children, we were surrounded by good neighbors and loving friends. They were happy to help with a second bed and a twins carriage, a playpen, and toys, used baby cloth that still looked like new and diapers, diapers, diapers. Cloth diapers, mind you and they had to be boiled every day and hung outside. Some people sent money and baby food.
Even my mother came from Germany and brought some tiny baby shirts made from hand spun cotton. The sleeves were so tiny that my babies hands would not go through. "Who wore these," I asked. Mother explained that my father was the oldest boy of 15 children and had never owned any shoes, until he went to school. The younger children were so tiny that they fit in to these tiny doll shirts.
Then there was the sales lady who came ever so often to our door to sell brushes and such. Once she said to me, "You are such a busy lady but you always take to talk to me." "Well," I answered, "I makae time for you and do the work later."
Now where I had twins, she brought one day a set of wonderful yellow outfits, hand knitted by her from very fine yarn! It was hard to believe that a stranger would do such a thing for us. Where did that lady find the time to do it? I had known many people like that in my homeland Germany and in Switzerland where I was married. They really loved their neighbors.
Soon we got used to having two new members in our family and things were sometimes hectic, but smooth-running. The older children were thrilled, of course, to have double babies and tip-toed from one bassinet on wheels to the other, to push them ever so gently and peek inside.
Between my husband, our children, and myself, we managed to take care of our newcomers pretty well. Except in the evening when I was nursing the first one and I had a hard time to stay awake for the second baby to feed. My husband would diaper the second and bring him to me. When the first was asleep, he would put him to bed.
We had worked out a routine that made things around the house as easy as possible and the children helped. But, the work had to be done every day and eventually the workload took its toll on us. When the twins were about five months old, we decided that "time out" had to be called. The place we went was way out in the meadows completely away from city life. We never saw anyone, never heard a car or any other noise except for the birds sining early in the morning and all day in the fruit trees that surrounded the house.
We had to carry the water from a pump outside in to the house and warm or boil it on the stove. Also, the wood had to be cut small and carried inside. So, there were some little chores to do, but the rest of the time they could lay on blankets, run around the trees, or whatever they wanted.
We had invited my mother and for her it was just like olden times: cooking on a big stove, eating on a big table, and baking bread in a big oven that also heated the house (we had some rainy days!). We put the sheets and blankets on the hay in the rooms and slept splendidly every night. It was a farmer's summer house and very comfortable.
The time came too fast to leave our paradise and go home to our everyday chores. The children grew and were a great joy to us. They all had their chores to do and were a great help to me.
My relatives were all in Germany and I had no help from that side of the family. My husband's family members were all Catholic and could not understand why he married a Lutheran half his age. He was 42 and I was 21 when we met. They did like me so they called me "ladybug," (not when I heard it, of course). They had another girl for him.
His oldest sister told my husband that she knew someone where I could have an abortion when I was pregnant with our third child who is just a year away from the second. It makes me shudder just to think about such a terrible thing. Every child was a gift from Father in Heaven to me! My husband's relatives never came to visit us and we stayed to ourselves. So, no help from that side either. We just struggled along and did our best.
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(Page 5 of this entry is missing)
Page 6
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the Universe displayed
When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze.
Then sings my soul, "My Savior, God to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!"
That was one of the most spiritual experiences I had in my life. Everything was great on my vacation, but I was homesick: I very much wanted to be home with my family. So, I called home. My husband said, "We miss you so much, I will visit you on the weekend." That was enough to make up my mind not to stay at the hotel one more day. When my husband came, I told him, "I am coming home with you." They tried to change my mind, but could not. We had a wonderful time for one day in the morning were on our way home, together again! The children also were happy to see me again.
In the train my husband told me that two young men had come to the door one day and he invited them back when I would be home again. I said, "Oh, I am always soo tired, I really do not want to see or hear anyone." "Well," my husband said, "It's up to you." We decided to listen to them just one time to see what they had to say. So we called and made an appointment for Thursday evening.
On Thursday I could hardly wait until it was evening. My husband had told me that they wore suits, white shirts with ties, and had short hair cuts. All day I wondered, What kind of "young" men would wear those kind of clothes on a plain day in the middle of the week?
Well, evening came. Even the children had been excited, but it would have been too late for them to stay up. Finally, the door bell rang and my husband went to let our guests in. I was all "anticipation", when my husband was bringing them in to the living room, I was pleasantly surprised. They looked so humble with the dark colored suits they were wearing and the black books they were carrying.
They shook hands and introduced themselves and missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A feeling of awe came over me and I still get the same feeling when I see missionaries anywhere. I offered them to take seats. Their names were Elder Hales and Elder Sukasian. Elder Hales was the senior-missionary and started to speak first. Elder Sukasian was a convert.
The teachings of the Elders were more relaxed then (1955) and we would listen more than speak. Only when one of us had a question would we speak up. Today the Elders call their lessons "discussions" and use pictures and printed material and need attache cases to hold it all. (My youngest son was a missionary from 1980-1982.) The Elders that taught us used their scriptures and pamphlets. But, they taught us very well.
End of entry
Pages 1-4
After the birth of our twins, we had five children within 4 1/2 years:
Our daughter, Angela, born on 14 September 1949
Our oldest son, Mario, born on 11 June 1951
Our second oldest son, Renato, born on 8 June 1952
And our twin sons, Orlando and Romeo, born on 5 April 1954
We had no idea that we would be double blessed and so it was a big surprise for my husband, who was waiting in the hospital hallway, together with two other men, when a nurse came out from some door with twins in her arms. Being in a hurry, she threw her chin toward the three men and said, "You are having twins."
My husband told me later he was looking at the first man next to him and smiled and thought: You can have joy". Then the nurse said, "No, you!" My husband looked at the second man, smiling and thinking, "Oh, it is you!" But when he heard the nurse say a second time, "No, youuu!" he knew it was him; but still in disbelief asked, "Me?" "Yes, youu," the nurse said and showed him the two bundles.
His knees were shaking, but his smile got bigger when he looked into the sweet faces of his little sons. His face showed only happiness when he came in to my room with a bundle of roses. We both love our children very much!
Not only were we blessed with healthy, perfect children, we were surrounded by good neighbors and loving friends. They were happy to help with a second bed and a twins carriage, a playpen, and toys, used baby cloth that still looked like new and diapers, diapers, diapers. Cloth diapers, mind you and they had to be boiled every day and hung outside. Some people sent money and baby food.
Even my mother came from Germany and brought some tiny baby shirts made from hand spun cotton. The sleeves were so tiny that my babies hands would not go through. "Who wore these," I asked. Mother explained that my father was the oldest boy of 15 children and had never owned any shoes, until he went to school. The younger children were so tiny that they fit in to these tiny doll shirts.
Then there was the sales lady who came ever so often to our door to sell brushes and such. Once she said to me, "You are such a busy lady but you always take to talk to me." "Well," I answered, "I makae time for you and do the work later."
Now where I had twins, she brought one day a set of wonderful yellow outfits, hand knitted by her from very fine yarn! It was hard to believe that a stranger would do such a thing for us. Where did that lady find the time to do it? I had known many people like that in my homeland Germany and in Switzerland where I was married. They really loved their neighbors.
Soon we got used to having two new members in our family and things were sometimes hectic, but smooth-running. The older children were thrilled, of course, to have double babies and tip-toed from one bassinet on wheels to the other, to push them ever so gently and peek inside.
Between my husband, our children, and myself, we managed to take care of our newcomers pretty well. Except in the evening when I was nursing the first one and I had a hard time to stay awake for the second baby to feed. My husband would diaper the second and bring him to me. When the first was asleep, he would put him to bed.
We had worked out a routine that made things around the house as easy as possible and the children helped. But, the work had to be done every day and eventually the workload took its toll on us. When the twins were about five months old, we decided that "time out" had to be called. The place we went was way out in the meadows completely away from city life. We never saw anyone, never heard a car or any other noise except for the birds sining early in the morning and all day in the fruit trees that surrounded the house.
We had to carry the water from a pump outside in to the house and warm or boil it on the stove. Also, the wood had to be cut small and carried inside. So, there were some little chores to do, but the rest of the time they could lay on blankets, run around the trees, or whatever they wanted.
We had invited my mother and for her it was just like olden times: cooking on a big stove, eating on a big table, and baking bread in a big oven that also heated the house (we had some rainy days!). We put the sheets and blankets on the hay in the rooms and slept splendidly every night. It was a farmer's summer house and very comfortable.
The time came too fast to leave our paradise and go home to our everyday chores. The children grew and were a great joy to us. They all had their chores to do and were a great help to me.
My relatives were all in Germany and I had no help from that side of the family. My husband's family members were all Catholic and could not understand why he married a Lutheran half his age. He was 42 and I was 21 when we met. They did like me so they called me "ladybug," (not when I heard it, of course). They had another girl for him.
His oldest sister told my husband that she knew someone where I could have an abortion when I was pregnant with our third child who is just a year away from the second. It makes me shudder just to think about such a terrible thing. Every child was a gift from Father in Heaven to me! My husband's relatives never came to visit us and we stayed to ourselves. So, no help from that side either. We just struggled along and did our best.
****************************************
(Page 5 of this entry is missing)
Page 6
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the Universe displayed
When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze.
Then sings my soul, "My Savior, God to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!"
That was one of the most spiritual experiences I had in my life. Everything was great on my vacation, but I was homesick: I very much wanted to be home with my family. So, I called home. My husband said, "We miss you so much, I will visit you on the weekend." That was enough to make up my mind not to stay at the hotel one more day. When my husband came, I told him, "I am coming home with you." They tried to change my mind, but could not. We had a wonderful time for one day in the morning were on our way home, together again! The children also were happy to see me again.
In the train my husband told me that two young men had come to the door one day and he invited them back when I would be home again. I said, "Oh, I am always soo tired, I really do not want to see or hear anyone." "Well," my husband said, "It's up to you." We decided to listen to them just one time to see what they had to say. So we called and made an appointment for Thursday evening.
On Thursday I could hardly wait until it was evening. My husband had told me that they wore suits, white shirts with ties, and had short hair cuts. All day I wondered, What kind of "young" men would wear those kind of clothes on a plain day in the middle of the week?
Well, evening came. Even the children had been excited, but it would have been too late for them to stay up. Finally, the door bell rang and my husband went to let our guests in. I was all "anticipation", when my husband was bringing them in to the living room, I was pleasantly surprised. They looked so humble with the dark colored suits they were wearing and the black books they were carrying.
They shook hands and introduced themselves and missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A feeling of awe came over me and I still get the same feeling when I see missionaries anywhere. I offered them to take seats. Their names were Elder Hales and Elder Sukasian. Elder Hales was the senior-missionary and started to speak first. Elder Sukasian was a convert.
The teachings of the Elders were more relaxed then (1955) and we would listen more than speak. Only when one of us had a question would we speak up. Today the Elders call their lessons "discussions" and use pictures and printed material and need attache cases to hold it all. (My youngest son was a missionary from 1980-1982.) The Elders that taught us used their scriptures and pamphlets. But, they taught us very well.
End of entry
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