To the Women who've gone before me....

January 2012 My house feels so empty when the Christmas decorations go down, that this year I decided to decorate my table in honor of all the wonderful women who I have had the privilage to call Mom, Mother In-Law, Grandmother, and Great Grandmother.....I think it turned out pretty cute!

So, how all of this got started was......a couple of years ago I decided that I would like to have one tea cup and saucer from each of my Grandmothers....I slowly recieved tea cups from my Mom's side, then my Dad's side...and finally determined it wouldn't be complete until I had the Shaw & Stewart side also!

Lets start with me.....this is my tea cup with the pattern Todd & I picked out for our wedding some 19 years ago!

Then comes My Mom's cup, Shonya Norton Nelson, who's China I have always thought was the most beautiful and dreamed my whole life of having one day....(she wouldn't give it to me for my wedding & said I needed to pick my own....that some day I'd have it)

And then her Mother, Charlene Heaps Norton, who did not recieve china when she was first married, but was later given her Mothers original set from England.

Last on my Mothers side is my Great Grandma Heaps....she was such a character & lived an amazing life! Her delicute little tulip tea cups came across from England with her. There are only four in the set and I have each of them!

Then we move on to the Nelson side of the family...my Dad's Mom Anna Rae was given her China by one of the Grandmothers....I can't remember for sure but I believe it was given to her later in life, by Grandpa's mother Thelma. It's the only one I ever remember seeing, and it was always used at special family dinners!

This beautiful little tray of salt, pepper, sugar & toothpicks belong to Grandpa LeBaron...it set on my Grandmother Anna Rae's family table all while she was growing up. We aren't sure who it belonged to. It was Grandpa LeBaron who always used it, and we don't think it was Grandma's Mother Eliza's because she died at a very young age, and it wasn't her step mother Wilma's because Grandma remembers her Father using it before he was married again. So our best guess would be it was just his...or it belonged to his mother Mary Ann Openshaw LeBaron. Either way it is precious!

Thelma Rosely Nelson was the Great Grandmother I remember best.... she was quite a the lady! Full of it if anything...always playing tricks on Grandpa! I loved that about her! This Grave Boat belonged to her! The Shaw and Stewart side is full of equally Great Women.... We start fist with my Mother In-Law Rosolyn Stewart Shaw

Her Tea Cup fits her well if you ask me....classy, yet just a little flashy, which seems to work with her youth in Las Vegas and the the gold coloring.

For Rosolyn's Mother Afton Mildred Linck Stewart I don't have an actual tea cup, Rosolyn's Daughter has her China, but I do have the Child's Tea Cup she gave to Rosolyn when she turned eight and was Baptized. It's the teeny tiny clear glass cup by the hat box & flowers!

As we move over to the Shaw side of the family we have Todd's, Father's, Mother who was named Leah Henriette Albrecq Shaw, her tea cup is a very simple one with just a slight rim of silver and is very pretty.

Last is Todd's Great Grandmother who I adored....her name was Hazel Beatrice Sloan Albrecq....I remember her well from all the visits we made to Las Vegas! She had bright red hair and a big personalitly to boot! All of these wonderful women have been grand examples to me in how to love, live, and care for their families! I am grateful for each of them!