Allen Reunion

Great Grandma Allen with Cora

Cute Nana with Cora

We played a game called "How ALLEN Are You?" It had sayings/principles that Grandpa Allen lived by and passed down. We had to fill in some blanks.

1. Do an honest days work for an honest days pay.
2. A man is no better than his word. (I personally like Grandma Allen's version: A man is no better than his wife.)
3. Be 15 minutes early for work.
4. Stay until the work is done.
5. Never tell a lie.
6. Be honest in all that you do.
7. Pay your debts.
8. Go the extra mile-always do more than asked.
9. Greet everyone with a smile.
10. Protect and honor your family name.

Some of the family members also remembered a few of the funny sayings Grandpa Allen said too:

*If you're not having fun, then you're not working hard enough.
*See ya...Not if I see you first and hide.
*You wouldn't be so ugly if it wasn't for your face.
*What's too tough for everyone else, is just right for the ALLEN'S.

We had an Allen family reunion, the last one was 10 years ago. I am so grateful for my Dad's heritage. My Grandpa lost his Mother then his Father by age 11. He worked his entire life, for pay from a very young age in Wayne county; herding sheep, or any kind of hands on work. He loved horses and remembered every horse he ever owned. In my grandparents history it talked about how when he was younger he would ride his horse with the wild horses and jump from his horse and grab onto the wild horse. I love that ruggedness. I think that is one reason why I was so attracted to Matt; because he reminded me of my Grandpa, loved horses, sheepherder, hard worker, honest, and sincere. My grandpa was very tenderhearted and I remember seeing him tear up in his later years, specifically whenever he told the story off getting lost as a young boy or when he sang the song "These Hands". My Grandma is living in a care center nearby. She was a city girl from Salt Lake whose family moved down south during the great depression where her father was a teacher. She fell in love with her country boy and lived a life she never dreamed of. She had to work hard right along side her husband as they raised five children. She has many stories of being alone and having to deal with things she had never experienced before. My grandma made sure my Dad had some music and culture, he played the piano and even tap danced. Grandma was my first piano and clogging teacher. She always planned great reunions and valued her family above all. She was very proud to be an Allen. My Dad carried on the tradition; early in my parents marriage he was a seminary teacher which he loved doing. But he felt like he wanted opportunities for his family to learn how to work, so he started running LDS church dairies in various places in the west, he would bring a struggling dairy to prospering again. Life is different for Matt and I...we would love to have the farm life but it is harder to make a living in that life. If we end up being city folks, we hope we can find other opportunities for our family to learn the value of work. Caleb has already had the chance to help Matt in the field when he is doing research, even paying him per hour. I think it is important to remember our roots and to pass that on to our children. I am grateful for my Allen side.