We've moved from MSN to Google

Welcome to the new home of The Case Cousins. We began the email group several years ago as a way to keep up with family members across the globe. MSN is shutting down their Groups feature so we've migrated over to Google . . . and to be honest, I'm really like it!

Things have slacked off with the family, as of late, and I fear that is my fault. I've let life get in the way of keeping connected with family. I'll try to better.

This is where we can share family news, news of reunions, pictures, just all the good things that come from family!

Stay tuned for new and fun things . . . and yes, that means you have to help me come up with fun and new things!

I'm Candace Salima, the daughter of Leighton Freeman Case and Muriel Harris. Mom and Dad divorced when I was a teenager and things changed pretty drastically at that point. Through the course of the years our family lost touch with one another until Uncle Gordon (son of Alys Mae Barkwill and Levi Freeman Case) sent an email to all of us telling us of the death of Alys Mae, my grandmother. I emailed Uncle Gordon back and asked who all the people were in the "To:" box of the email. That's when I learned you were all my relatives.

We all began communicating, catching up with one another, emailing pictures and it was a wonderfully enlightening time. We've had several family reunions since that time and have come to know and love each other so much better. With the economy the way it is, I don't know when we'll all be able to get together again, but it is my hope we can have a reunion this year, 2009. Uncle Mike (son of Alys Mae Barkwill and Richard Shrank) kind of got shafted out of his reunion in Maryland, so I think we should shoot for that. We'll see how it all comes together. This is where you need to come back to in order get the latest info . . . or the family blog.

Uncle Gordon came up with a wonderful slogan for our family and we've stuck with it every since: F.G.A.B. -- Family Good, Alone Bad. Hence our group logo. And yes, Cash, I know it needs work and I'm open to revised versions of said logo.

Here are some pertinent URLs to keep you learning more and more about the Case/Shrank family. If you have a family or business website we don't know about, please email me with the URL and I'll get it added to the group page right away!

So welcome, welcome, welcome! Let's pull together and be the stupendously supportive and fun family I know us to be!

May only the best and brightest of things happen to you and yours in 2009.

So come on over to the F.G.A.B. Google Discussion Group and let's get things ramped up again.

Candace Salima

Interview with Candace E. Salima

Hey Family - I had to share. I am so excited about this. I was interviewed by Steve Enfield, former official videographer of the Clinton Presidency, of Reel Line Productions. He talked to me about my book Forged in the Refiner's FireI thought he did a fantastic job and I wanted you guys to see too!

Hope all is going well with everyone.

Alvin is doing great! The kidney transplant was a wild success and he hasn't had dialysis since April 14th. He is getting better, stronger and healthier every single day. I haven't seen him looking this healthy since college. Thank you so much for all your prayers and kind thoughts. They gave us so much strength, especially during the scary times.

God bless you all!

Cash is Okay!

Cash and Tara had a little scare the other day. He'd been at a gun show with a friend, come home and was breaking down his gun. He said he wasn't holding on to it tightly enough and it slipped and went off, shooting him in the thigh.

Of course, he was rushed to the hospital. In the E.R. he overhead someone say softly, "Was it a suicide attempt?"

Cash, being Cash, I know you all know what happened next.

"Yeah. I thought I'd shoot myself in the foot and if that didn't work, then the knee and on up until I got the job done."

He broke up the entire E.R. Doctors, nurses, EMTs . . . Tara.

To be serious though, the bullet took a fist-size chunk out of his leg and they had to put a rod in from knee to thigh. Turns out they put in one that is too long so I don't know where it's going to go from here, but I'll keep you all posted. He's home from the hospital, in pain but healing.

Life has been insane in the Case/Sluyter family over the last year.

When Dad (Fritz Sluyter) was diagnosed with terminal cancer last January, all of the family went home to spend time with him. While we were there, Sven's house burned down. It wasn't good, but they are a month away from moving into their new home.

Daddy passed away on March 8, 2007 -- we still miss him very much.

Jay's house burned down a couple, or maybe three, months ago. But he ended up getting a sweet property in Rigby, Idaho. Mom is selling the farm and will be moving to Rigby. We are putting a modulated home on an acre of Jay's property, moving Mom's animals into the barn and we'll all be hunky dory. An "adopted" daughter will be four miles away, Jay and his family just across the acre and Mom and Cheryl will be well taken care of . . . the best part, I'm only 3 hours away now and can be there in a flash if I'm needed.

We may have found a donor for Alvin . . . we'll know more in the next few days. But it's looking like his kidney transplant will take place near the first of March. Was hoping for earlier, but nope . . . it just didn't work. He's doing well and hanging in there.

Crystal is in Rugby, North Dakota ( I know, Rugby -- Rigby, believe me, when I'm tired I get confused) with Sweetie, her dog. They're having a blast and enjoying themselves up there.

I think everything else is status quo!

Have a great day everyone!

Too long . . .

Hey Everyone,

Sorry it's been so long since I dropped by this blog. Alvin just got out of the hospital after having parathyroid surgery on October 30th. Things have been a little hectic at our house. But we're doing great now. Alvin is already back at work, sleeping a lot when he's not, but growing stronger all the time.

I've got a new job at LDSBlogs.com. I am the manager of the site, managing all the bloggers and the content. It's a lot of fun and I am able to do it from home, or in Alvin's hospital room, as the case may be! It works great for us and brings in the extra money we needed.

Alvin got a promotion at work, and a raise, so we're pretty happy. We're in the process of filing bankruptcy to get all the old medical debt off our shoulders. With his job insurance and Medicare, we no longer have medical bills for Alvin anymore, which is a huge blessing.

BYU's kickin' butt in the Mountain West conference, which of course, makes me deliriously happy. I swear, every week as I watch my nephews play, and there is always one or two in every single play on the field during the game, I could not be prouder!

Connor, Heather's nine-year-old son, scored touchdowns in the last two games of his flag football season. We missed them and I felt terrible! We are so proud of him. His skills as a football player are growing (with a dad like Aaron and an uncle like Alvin, could they do anything but?) and he's getting better and better at the game.

All of Heather's children are growing, strong and healthy. Who could ask for anything more than that?

Mom and Cheryl are doing good on the farm. It's been tough from Mom to adjust to life without Dad around, but she's managing the farm and the business and doing okay. She and Cheryl are working hard, they're happy and healthy.

I think that's it for the update right now. I've got lots to do today and should get started on it.

Love you all and hope life is treating everyone great. Check in and let us know what's going on! Uncle Mike we need the 411 on the reunion this year. Cash, we need a heads up on what's going on in Texas. Bryan, Kristi --- everyone. What's up? Oh yeah, and our missing Uncle Richard. Never in the office, never returning a phone call. Uncle Mike tell him we miss him!

Lots of love from the Utah clan

Tyler and Katie Conger Family

I suppose if it is a family blog, then more than just Candace should be writing. I thought I could start by telling you a little about my family. My mom is Lynette Kachelmeyer, daughter of Freeman Case. Since I have talked with most of you I have started my own family. I married my husband Tyler in June of 2005, and we are currently living in Provo Utah while he finishes school at BYU. He will have a teaching credential for Technology and Japanese, and if anyone has suggestions for places where teachers make decent money and can afford to live, we are keeping our eyes open. For now I stay at home with our little girl Peyton who was born last year on December 26- poor girl, but I also have a teaching degree from BYU which I am sure I will put to use at some time. Aside from that, there is not a whole lot of exciting business going on with us, just the day to day trying to finish school, work, and raise our little family.