Saturday, June 27, 2009

Forever With You

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HAPPY 23RD ANNIVERSARY!

Today marks the twenty-third year Les and I have been married...and they said it wouldn't last two.

These years have not all been easy, but they have all been worth it. Blending two families is, at best, a challenge. At some times it has been down right difficult. We have been blessed with outstanding role models, both in our families and within our church family. Through out the years the kids have struggled with identity, but when we look around us and ask others who are not "blended", they seem to have struggled just as much and many in the same areas.

I would not trade even one of our six children and their children for any others out there. I thank the Lord for his love and blessings, as well as the nearly 13 grand children he has given us.

Les and I have been blessed to both have had good jobs (if not high paying, at least steady and rewarding). We have served the Lord's church in many capacities, worked with kids, older adults, ladies, and shepherding His flock, praise team and in community efforts as well. I've been blessed with a husband whose heart is after the Lord's and totally devoted to me. During my years of kidney failure and transplant he was ever beside me and never missed work. I thank you Lord. I also thank my precious husband.

To all those, family and friends, I love you all and have loved sharing our twenty three years with you.
Looking toward 24.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Special People- #4

Special People
***A Brother - A Friend***
Today I want to introduce you to one of my two brothers. The "older" one. While we were growing up he was an example to Valmond and me in so many ways. I might say, just so he doesn't get too puffed up, they weren't ALL the best possible examples.

There were the times he would have us be the "ammo" bearers in The War of the Spitballs between him and Sam. We learned to...stay OUT of the line of fire, even if you are doing an important job. It seems the ammo bearers were disposable and the warrior wasn't.

Then there were the times in the back seat of the car, you know the ones when the belt came off, when he would whisper things that made us scream and cry, "gross". We learned from those times to duck before screaming.

Oh, there was the game of "you can ride the bike (we all shared one) when you catch me." Ha! The lesson there was wait until he was tired of riding and then get the bike.

I trained for my future employment from him. I would charge him to clean out his car and shine his shoes. I learned to tell him he looked really cool when he combed his hair like Elvis. (I have to admit I continued to learn to support myself when Valmond started working too. Stay tuned for a future post on that one.) Tell me, do these three precious children look like trouble makers to you?

He took me for hamburgers, ice cream and rides in his car, "taught me to drive" when I was twelve. Only so I could hold the wheel while he ate his hamburger.

He never ratted me out when I would hide in the back seat of his car and try to go on his dates when he would take Laj to the movies. He just took me back home and begged me to go inside so daddy wouldn't know I had snuck away.

Before you get the wrong idea about this older brother we had, I also must tell you he was the one who took me to church before mom and dad started taking us. I remember the two of us walking to Winborn Methodist Church on yep, Winborn Avenue, when I was very young. He would take me to my class and stand outside the door to see if I cried. Of course when I learned he was waiting there, I cried. I'm not sure if I learned to attend church, or to cry to get my brother's attention. No comment, V.P.

I remember his humble acceptance of daddy's "house rules" even after he was grown and out of the house. Any time he came home he showed the utmost respect and honor for our parents. I learned it was cool to respect (if not fear) daddy's rules.

When we were older and had families of our own he let Wayne and Connie live with them in Enterprise so they could finish their third and fourth grade years. The teachers in EBRP went on strike and the schools had to make up the time lost during the summer. Of course my kids didn't think it so cool to have an uncle as principal and one as their teacher. Poor "Little Wayne" had to take fifth grade classes under Uncle Valmond and get sent to Uncle Wayne in the office.

A few years later Wayne moved to Jackson and started a career in a Children's home. After serving there for a couple years he moved to Albany and started and ministered to children sent by our Lord using land that was given him by his dad. He spent almost thirty years ministering to those in need wherever he met them on their journey through life. The examples he set forth are still borne out in the lives of many of those young people today. I had the honor of serving with him for a year close to the start of that ministry.


For twenty years our lives took different paths but we never stopped loving or praying for each other. After such a long time God brought us back together and now we share a love and understanding of Love, Mercy and Grace we could never have known as younger siblings. He now has the opportunity of knowing the most gentle, understanding man I have ever known in this life and I have been given the chance to know and love a true lady. One who knows the meaning of love as defined in I Corinthians 13. I pray we all can experience love demonstrated in this way.

On this day, June 24th, 2009, I wish my older brother a very Happy 66th Birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

I LOVE YOU,


SISSY








Sunday, June 21, 2009

SPECIAL PEOPLE - A LEGACY

A MAN WHO LEFT A LEGACY



The words that follow may be some of the hardest I will ever write. I think most of you who read this will either know this Special Person personally, or know him through the legacy he left in this world. My preference would be that you all could have known him personally, even as his children, grandchildren, or nieces and nephews knew him.

Henry Calvin Wallace, Henry Jr.,(even though we wasn't a junior) Pete, Petey, Daddy, Brother'n Law, Uncle Pete, Pa Paw Pete, Chief, Honey...I've heard lots of different names for him, all spoken either in respect or love, or both.

All three of us kids have stories we could tell about him until the cows come home I know, and probably most of you do, too. A few that come to my mind include:

...the sound of a belt popping through belt loops after lights out (right in the middle of a spit ball fight across the room, guys..)
...the sound of that same belt hitting the side of the bath tub (instead of our backsides, where it should have been) I don't think he actually spanked us, well me, anyway.
...the sound of that same belt across the back seat of the car along with the words, "don't make me pull this car over". Like he needed to. That belt knew just where to go. The back seat looked like an evacuation zone. We were all on the floor board. (That was before click-it-or-ticket)
...his voice, along with Uncle Valmond's, pushing grand pa Wallace's buttons about, well okay, we won't go there, but you all remember, right?
...the times I made coffee for him and took it out to the back yard. He always asked me if it burned my tongue, if not, it wasn't hot enough.
...clearing the front yard of the neighborhood guys was easy, it only took the red chief car coming down the street. Thanks daddy, I never did live that down. Someone must have been the scout because they all flew into Myra's yard at one time.
...marking out and pouring the basketball court in the back yard, along with the help of Unc and the boys, I'm sure.
...teaching us all by example about hard work, ethics, integrity and his faith.
...teaching us how to love our children and grandchildren, also by his example
...how to love and care for our Mother through the years. We all remember the latter years, but what about those early ones when he worked two or three jobs to keep us with food on the table and clothes to wear and not the best of worldly possessions, but family times to remember
...times that included trips to "the country", and to the camp
...college educations, vehicles when we needed them, an inheritance much greater than money, one that included his whole life.

I could go on and on but I want to post this while it is still Father's Day. I wish I had one more to share with him. Bub, and Bub (oh, do we sound like we are from deep East Texas, or what), here are a couple pictures to remember the good times.


What was the joke? Just sharing a good ole cook out with daddy


Okay, Wayne, what's with the hair?? (oh wait, is that Elvis?)



This is my all time favorite picture. I wish it weren't so dark, but it was taken in the swamps of Louisiana. It was on daddy's 60th birthday and we were having a birthday toast. Yes, that IS me, believe it or not. Oh the good ole days. Any stories or remembrances you all have are welcome.


LOVE TO ALL

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Special People - New Mexico Style

As I start to make this post, it is as unclear in my mind as the others have been. I'm not sure just what path it will take. I know I want to share with you all our trip and visits of the past week. Beyond that, God will lead me...

We started on Saturday morning and drove, what seemed to be a thousand miles, ending in Ft. Stockton, Texas, actually 300+ miles or so. For those of you who have never been to Ft. Stockton, it is the arm pit of this huge state. It was so hot and dusty I thought I had gone back in time to the Old West movies. We even had dust on our salad plates at K-Bobs. (for someone who worked in food service for almost 15 years that was hard to swallow)

On Sunday we started the fun part of the trip. Trading dust for a quick trip through the mountains of Cloudcroft. What a refreshing glimpse of the beauty on God's green earth. The temperature dropped about twenty degrees from either the ascent or descent. We had lunch there and then continued to Alamogordo where we checked into our motel and went to see David, Stephanie and girls. I must say David and Steph were cute and sweet but they don't hold a candle to the girls. I'm sure part of the post will be pictures, you'll just have to wait to see them all. We were in Alamo through Monday night. We enjoyed grilling, playing at the park, eating pizza, shopping for the girls and a movie for the guys, playing Nerts and watching a movie at their house. We were all exhausted by midnight on Monday.

Tuesday morning we all went through Ruidoso, view of the mountains again, to Roswell where we had a fun afternoon with granny and grand daddy. Grand daddy played in the back yard with Katy and Emily while granny sat on the couch and snuggled and kissed with Lilly. We had lunch and then they had to load up and return home. It was a sad time for the adults and probably confusing for the little ones.

Wednesday through Friday morning we were with granny and grand daddy, aka Les' parents. During that time we saw Marsha, Les' sister, and her daughter Tammy (and watched "Zu" movies. Zu is Marsha's grand son, Tim's son) We saw Wayne, Les' brother, and Judy and their kids and grand kids. My how two years changes children. It shocked me to see how big all of Wayne's grand kids were. (he must be getting old...) On the way to visit at their place for a few minutes we saw several antelope on the road side. Only Jerry, Les' younger brother, and family weren't there. We never seem to all be together at the same time.

On Friday morning we left Roswell for the long, seemingly never ending journey, back to Houston. The trip back was relatively uneventful save for tornado warnings in Junction where we spent the night, and heat, heat and more heat. Saturday we finished the trip, getting home mid-afternoon. We saw Toni and Hunter at dinner, where else but Casa Ole!!! We had to come back to Houston to get good Mexican (well Tex-Mex) food. The trip is over and we are left with fun memories and some really good pictures. Enjoy...


GRAND DADDY & PAPAW LES
GRANNY & LILLY
KATY AT THE PARK
PAPAW LES & EMILY
EMILY AT THE PARK
JERRY & SANDY AND FAMILY (ISAAC'S WEDDING)

I have included a picture of Les' brother and his wife so the family is complete, sort of. Hopefully this journal thing will get better. I Love You All. Nana




Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Special People

Diva's Garden Party at DS#3 (Myra's)

Our special spread for the above garden party.

Meet the Divas. Preparing for First Diva trip to Spring, Tx.

Yes, we are totally pooped. Our first day of "Discount Shopping"

Sharing a hug after Chris and Karen's wedding. We are smiling
around the tired feet.

Doing what Divas do best. Sharing food, conversation and fun!

This is hopefully going to be the first of many "Special People" stories. I thought for a long time on how to combine all the "Special People" into one post but just could not. Each entry is a chapter all it's own. I'm starting today with these three because I have more pictures readily available. Theres no way to put all of them in any specific order. Sit back and enjoy (I hope)

The Special People
THE DIVAS:

There is no definition in Webster's for Diva Sister because it means "bonded at the heart". We have been a part of each others lives for fifty five to 60 years. (that part we don't publicize so don't repeat it!!!)
Only in the last four years have we realized the ties that bind us together. I would say no one (except spouses, maybe) knows us better than we know each other. Our passions, our dreams, our hurts, our joys...our hearts.
We have shopped, talked, laughed, cried, eaten, driven, (even shared toothpaste and dental floss, well not the SAME floss) you get the idea. Starbucks would be out of business without the Divas.
We've shared births of our children, weddings of our children, and births of their children. We've shared the growing old of our parents and that of ourselves. There is no time of day or night we can't reach each other and quite often the call doesn't need to go out, one just calls the other.
To be a Diva is life shared the way God intended us to share life, in relationship. The joy of being a Diva Sister is a joy treasured. I send love to my Divas and to all how read this blog.
In God's care
Alma
DS #2
If I tried to list all the reasons Diva Sisters are Divas, you wouldn't read this post because it would be way too long. I'm going to conclude with a few pictures to tie my story together. (sorry, I don't have this thing down yet, and probably never will. Pictures came first)