Like Grandmother, Like Mother, Like Daughter

This week's Family Search question is: What hobbies, interests, and talents do you have in common with your parents, grandparents, and other ancestors?

I share many things in common with my parents and grandparents. In fact, I can't think of a single characteristic that I did not either inherit or was influenced by my parents and grandparents. The four that stick out the most to me are: my cooking abilities, my dancing talent, my love of reading, and my passion for teaching.

Cooking

I come from a long line of cooks. My maternal great grandma Virginia is an amazing cook. My maternal grandma Linda is a great cook. My mother Debbie is a very talented cook. And my paternal grandma Carol is an amazing cook as well (so I have the genes on both sides). I have spent my life eating delicious meals made by my grandmothers and mother. When I was a teenager I didn't think that I had inherited this much needed cooking ability, but when I was pregnant with Benjamin I taught myself how to cook, and now I'm quite pleased with the dinners I serve my family (I call amazing dishes "worthy of Mrs. Weasley"). I brought that up to my grandma Linda one day and she told me that she also taught herself how to cook. That's another thing I have in common with her, we both taught ourselves! I used to feel like I lived in my mother's shadow when it came to cooking; and now we share recipes and tips!

Dancing

My mom did gymnastics, dance, and cheer leading. Her dance talent won her the title of Jr. Miss Grand Coulee Dam, and she went on to do well in the Jr. Miss Washington competition. When I was little I loved looking at the pictures of her in her costumes, and I wanted to do the same. I took lots of dance classes and tried gymnastics growing up. When I was 11 years old, I discovered ballroom, and that became my main style of dance.

I learned that my paternal great grandparents were Swedish Fold dancers. And I read in my maternal great grandma Nola's autobiography that she used to go to Church dances and dance the Waltz frequently while she was growing up. My maternal grandparents, Kent and Linda, met each other at a Church dance performance. So, like my cooking talent, my dance talent comes from all over.

Reading

My love of reading was instilled in me by my parents reading to me as a young girl. My aunt Vickie, and several of my cousins are big readers as well. Vickie introduced me and my cousins to Harry Potter. My grandma Linda was an elementary school librarian, and she gave me new books all of the time. I have seen Benjamin and Luna fall in love with reading as well, and I'm so excited for them. Reading always has been and always will be encouraged in my family.

Teaching

I graduated from BYU in 2015 with a teaching degree. Choosing teaching as my future career was definitely inspired by my family. My grandpa John Larson was an administrator and later a math teacher. My grandma Linda Peterson is a librarian. My dad is a math teacher. My mom is a Low Reinforcement Room facilitator (a.k.a. detention and in school suspension). My aunt Susie teaches math and science. My aunt Julie teaches math. My aunt Vickie is a school psychologist. And my aunt Deanna teaches English. I am the only history teacher. 😉 Education has always been important in my family, which I think is why teaching the next generation is something that appeals to many of us.

I am so grateful for the different talents that I have inherited from my family, and I am grateful for the fun things we have in common. I'm looking forward to see what inspires and influences Benjamin and Luna.