Remembering When I Promise From This Day Forward

                                                                 November 30th, 1997


Sixteen years ago this day was a Sunday. At this point in the day I was getting ready for the BIG moment! My intended and I were going to be married in a candlelight service after the evening church service. The church was decorated for Christmas and it was beautiful. Every time I watch our wedding video I am mesmerized. Would it be wrong to say everything looked Holy? At the least it looked serene.

At 8pm we were married. It would have been a candlelight service, but we didn't even notice until later that our pastor's wife had forgotten to turn off the lights. lol Everyone got a big laugh when we were told, you may now kiss the bride, because it looked like I almost attacked Fred. What really happened was I lost my footing and fell into him. lol My grandmother was there and she wanted to catch the bridal bouquet so much, but she didn't manage it. We all got a big laugh out of how serious she was about that. lol I sure do miss her. My dad was also there and he has also passed on. Miss him like crazy. In fact his birthday was last Sunday. My FIL was also at our wedding and he too has passed on and left an empty spot.

My kids were small then or at least young. I was a widow with five children when Fred and I married. My youngest then was seven and my oldest just barely twenty-one. Levi was the ring bearer and during the ceremony he got tired and decided then would be a good time to sit down and take a rest on the steps up to the stage. lol Jarred was a taper lighter and I can't remember if it was a man's hair or a curtain he almost set on fire, but I know it was something.

Heather was a bridesmaid and stood up with me. Gabrielle was my flower girl and she took the job seriously. She took her time placing rose petals just so. Wayne walked me down the aisle. After the ceremony he and his friend Josh were so spiffed up in their tuxes they had to go drag main and make sure they were seen. lol We had a wonderful reception after the ceremony with church members, family and friends sharing sandwiches, finger foods, punch and wedding cake. So much food we gave a lot of it away! Our pastor's wife catered the reception and made our wedding cake and the grooms cake. I was very grateful for her help and she did a beautiful job. The main thing I remember from that day is the joy and happiness and love. I was so in love I felt giddy every time I looked at my love. That love would grow into ties that bind and bonds that don't break in the years to follow.

Sixteen years, another pregnancy, a lot of tears, hard work and happenings, some heartache, up's and down's and peak's and valley's, McKenna's surgery and a lot of joy and laughter,  so MUCH joy and laughter, Levi's joining the military and his deployment, an adoption, children married, two dil's, a sil, lots of grandchildren born and some very much loved family members passing on and we call this life and embrace it.

Lord thank you for it all! We are blessed and God willing we will be blessed with another sixteen years and many more.

Space Rockets In Flight And Found Treasure!

Have you ever had one of those crazy, exciting experiences that leaves you wide eyed amazed? Well I had one yesterday.     My daughter-in-law and I took the girls to the park to launch a rocket I had bought. Just a simple rocket launched using two large rubberbands. The girls were so, so excited! You might say over the moon. Pun intended. When we arrived at the park my granddaughter Breanna said I might not want to park where I did because there was a bee's nest. I was thinking a bee's nest more along the lines of a wasp nest. I pulled a little more forward and put the truck in park and we all piled out.                                                                                                                                                                  

 We found a surprise at the park!

                                                                                                      

               THIS is what we saw buzzing about. Honey bees!

Gracie, another granddaughter, was scared and afraid we were all going to be stung. Actually I think she thought the bees were going to attack and carry us off because she started running and yelling, "They're going to sting us!" Once she realized the bees were calm and weren't excited she calmed down. I'm pretty sure she thought I and her mother had lost our ever loving minds though because we ventured close.......closer............and closer still. We wanted to get a good look. A REALLY good look. And look we did. We looked at those bees until we were practically ogle-eyed. 

 This picture was taken approximately five feet from where the bees were flying in and out of a large crack in this elm tree. The girls had quickly lost interest in the bees and had run off to play soon after we arrived. Except for Gracie. She stayed close by. Not because she wanted to see the bees, but I think because she thought she might have to rescue me and her mom. Hee Hee! Just call my daughter-in-law and I the bee charmers! Those bees certainly seemed to be charmed by us and never appeared threatened anyway. Finally we had our fill of watching the bees and resorted to doing what we had come to the park to do. Make memories and have fun with the girls.

                                                  10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 ,2, 1 BLAST OFF!

                                                                 Space rocket in flight!

 

This is going to be a good launch. Look at that form.

 

Aim it over there. Keep clear. Don't shoot yourself in the eye!

 

Stretch it tight and Let R fly!

Rocket in flight!

 

Getting ready to launch.

Let's see, I think we hook it here.

We accomplished so much more in this afternoon than the story these pictures tell. We created memories. A timeless treasure these girls can carry with them throughout the years. Special times and bonding. Time spent together is never regretted or wasted. My hope is that one day they will look back and remember times like these and emulate them for their own precious children. I hope they will take these lessons to heart and repeat them in their own families one day and they will be heard to say, "I remember when," and then tell the next generation a timeless story of love.

 A story about them and their story and their family history. Of a day that grandma, mom, aunts, and nieces spent the afternoon together in the park flying rockets. An afternoon making memories because today doesn't last forever and because we love them and want them to have the legacy of a close, bonded family.  The dollar fifty I spent on that rocket was worth it's weight in gold for the treasure it contained in memory making and an afternoon full of fun.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.Psalm 127:3-5