Love Story

Our love story started in the summer of 1986. My parents still lived in the house where I grew up in Arlington, Texas. A new neighbor had moved into the house next door the previous fall. My parents were in their mid-sixties and enjoyed traveling. They always relied on my sister and myself to take care of things when they were on vacation. However, we started hearing how wonderful the new neighbor, ‘Leroy’, was and how he could take care of whatever needed to be done while they were away. I had not met this new neighbor and quite frankly felt that he was invading my territory. I can remember asking my sister, "Who is this guy, and he needs to understand he’s not getting put into the will!" Much to my amazement, when my young daughters were visiting my parents, they met Leroy,and they came home also singing his praises.
One hot July day, my Mom and I were sitting out back at the pool and Leroy was cutting a tree down in his front yard. He had used a ladder and climbed up into the top of this sycamore tree and was using a hand held saw to cut the smaller branches out of the tree. My Mom looked over and asked him if he would like a cold beer (being in Texas we had beer on tap), Leroy answered, "You could twist my arm to have a beer." Mom turned to me and told me to go and take Leroy a beer. Before I could get over to his house with the beer, he had dropped a branch and knocked over the ladder and was stranded up in the top of this tree. I looked up at him and said, "Just what exactly is this beer worth to you?" In the retelling of our tale, Leroy always interjects at this moment that he told me he would marry me if I helped him get down out of the tree. I don’t remember what he said actually.
That Thanksgiving I systematically invited EVERYONE we knew to come and have Thanksgiving Dinner with Leroy and I. I had never felt so much rejection in my whole life. No one would accept my invitation, and if they did they called within a couple of days and backed out! I had cooked enough food for about twenty people. We sat down and had a very nice quiet dinner just the two of us. When we finished eating Leroy excused himself, left the dining room and when he came back had his camera and a vase of yellow roses. My favorite. He wanted me to smell the roses and he was planning to snap a photo of me smelling the roses. I wasn’t in the best mood after being rejected by everyone I knew, and told him I didn’t feel like smelling the roses. About the third time he asked me to smell the roses, at this point through clenched teeth, I looked down in the center of one of the roses and saw a beautiful diamond engagement ring. He knelt down on one knee and asked if I would marry him and live out our lives together. I said YES!!! And suddenly knew why no one would come to Thanksgiving Dinner with us! We left our house and joined friends for an informal engagement party, complete with champagne. We were married the following May.
We blended together our families of one son and three daughters, Michael, Amy, Nichole, and Jennifer. Sadly, we lost our son Michael in an automobile accident that June. We have added a daughter, Stephanie. And our family has grown to include two son-in-laws, Dan and Grant, and one grandchild, Caroline, with another to arrive in May.
We joke with our friends that we have been married for 46 years. Our twenty together, Leroys previous marriage of 18 years and my previous marriage of eight years. We want to put an announcement in the newspaper when we reach 50 years!

Legacy

Webster’s defines legacy as anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor.

I have received a legacy from my mother, and grandmothers and great-grandmothers.. And now, since I am a grandmother, it is time for me to think about the legacy I will leave behind.
There is a popular contemporary Christian song that expresses some of what I'm feeling as I contemplate this very important question. I would like to share some of the lyrics with you.

Legacy–Nichole Nordeman

Artist: Nichole Nordeman Song:

Legacy Album: Woven And Spun [" Woven And Spun " CD]

I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me

And I enjoy an accolade like the rest

And you can take my picture and hang it in a gallery

Of all the Who's Who's and So-and-So's

That used to be the best at such and such

It wouldn't matter much

I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights

We all need an "Atta boy" or "Atta girl"

But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides

The temporary trappings of this world

I want to leave a legacy

How will they remember me?

Did I choose to love?

Did I point to You enough

To make a mark on things

I want to leave an offering

A child of mercy and grace

Who blessed Your name unapologetically

And leave that kind of legacy

I don't have to look too far or too long awhile

To make a lengthy list of all that I enjoy

It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile

Where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon enough destroy

I want to leave a legacy

How will they remember me?

Did I choose to love?

Did I point to You enough

To make a mark on things

I want to leave an offering

A child of mercy and grace

Who blessed Your name unapologetically

And leave that kind of legacy

Not well-traveled, not well-read

Not well-to-do, or well-bred

Just want to hear instead

Well done, good and faithful one

I want to leave a legacy

How will they remember me?

Did I choose to love?

Did I point to You enough

To make a mark on things

I want to leave an offering

A child of mercy and grace

Who blessed Your name unapologetically

And leave that kind of legacy

I am lucky to be in possession of some letters my grandmother’s grandmother wrote to her. They were written in 1911 to a young girl who had been born out of wedlock, and whose mother died in childbirth. Although she carried his name, Spencer, my great grandfather could not care for her. She was taken in by a family who loved and cared for her needs. My great-great grandmother kept in contact with her through these wonderful letters. I want to share a portion of one of the letters.

January 1912, Mount Calm, Hill County, Texas
Grandmothers precious Arlice, I received your letter a few minutes ago, was truly glad to hear you was all well, I am in good health except pain in my joints from rheumatism. I was so glad you got so many Christmas presents, and I was glad of your studies. Alma is no farther advanced than you and she is several years older than you are. Yesterday was the anniversary of your birth. The 14th of January . Grandmother prayed earnestly to her heavenly Father to keep you in the hollow of his hand from the world, the flesh, and Satan, they are the souls three greatest enemies. Grandmother prays the blessings of God upon they that give you shelter. May He bless them and theirs for the kindness they give you. Give your cap to some little sweet child it will fit, also all your clothing you outgrow, give them to some mother that has to work and toil to make a living for her children and God will bless you.

I know that my grandmother lived her life in service to the Lord, and dependent on the Lord. She loved me with all her heart, and I know she prayed for me.

I also have portions of my mothers journal. Here is my favorite part.

October 1995, Arlington, Texas
I went to church and felt such a wonderful presence of God. A young woman was baptized. I remember the night I was baptized. My mother told me when she was baptized she felt she was washed as white as snow and began her life all over again. I felt the same way when I was baptized and always felt and still do, God’s presence. I know he is watching over me. Thank you my Lord God. I thank you for all the wonderful blessings, but most of all for coming into my life and giving Your Son who died to wash all my sins away and the promise that someday I will be with You in heaven and all my loved ones and my beloved Dale. I am living for that glorious day Dear Lord. I pray you’ll keep me strong until that day.

Having these memories of my mother and her mother are so special to me. My mother did not live a devout Christian life. We all fall short. But one of the things my mother was great at was serving others. I remember when she came to help me after Nikki’s birth. She did everything you could imagine that I needed. And never tired at serving–she even ironed my sheets!! She taught me how to care for a newborn, and shaped my parenting skills. I was thankful for her help, but I really didn’t understand how much joy she must have received from those chores– I understand now–words cannot express the joy and fulfillment I experienced over the last couple of weeks, just doing the mundane chores around Nikki’s house.

I want that to be a part of the legacy I leave for my children and their children. A legacy of prayer, service and love.

Grandparenting

I babysat for my beautiful granddaughter day before yesterday. We had a really fun time together. Her name is Caroline, she is 15 months old and jabbering all the time, and very mobile. The thing that has surprises me the most about being a grandmother is that it really makes me miss my parents. My dad passed away in 1995, and my mom passed in 2001. They were both really good with my older daughters. Their relationships with them were very strong. I learned so much about being a mother from my mother. I really would like to share what I am doing and feeling when with Caroline with my mother. That really shocked me how those feelings of grief that I thought I had moved past sweep over me when I'm with Caroline. I can see my mom in the things I do and say to her. Your parents know that you as an adult child love and appreciate them, I know my mom knew that about me. I just wish I could tell her how much I appreciate the things she taught me about being a grandmother.

First Addition

This is my first post on my new blog. I'm not sure that I will have much to say. But have hopes that in the future I'll loosen up and be able to share more of what is on my mind and heart. Is anyone listening?