All family histories have to begin somewhere, and I choose to go no further back than my parents' wedding. The photo above is their only wedding picture, taken in my grandmother's yard, January 8, 1949. To go back any further would make an already long story longer. My parents had three daughters: Laura, Allison, and Deena. Laura was their first child, born the same year they were married. Allison arrive four and a half years later. My parents believed they were done at that point. I startled them ten years later by making my appearance. Laura had a daughter in 1976 and a son in 1980. My son was born in 1986, and my daughter in 1988. Allison never had children, but adopted the small, white dogs, below, as her children. They have been her constant, loving, loyal companions for many years, and she has cared for them as tenderly as any mother ever has her children. As the dogs have aged, and slowly begun to pass away, her heart has been broken, just as the mother of a child's heart is broken upon losing her child.The most recent picture I have of the three of us and our children, except for the fuzzy ones, who do not fly well, was taken at my mother's memorial service. And as you can see, all of the children are growing to be taller than their mothers. Stacie, Laura's daughter, is married, with two sons who are Boy Scouts. I don't ever seem to have recent pictures of them, but here's what I do have. The one with the long hair is her husband. The one with the short hair is her brother, Richard. And not to be outdone, her cousin Jeremy followed suit. Of course, as the 18 year-old father of an infant, rather than the mother, his step-father and I were quite firm that he needed to be responsible for this young lady and her mother for quite some time to come, even if he and the baby's mother didn't stay together. And for awhile, they broke up before the baby was born. But three months afterward, they were married. and a month after that, both proud parents graduated from high school. And a few months later, he went into basic training for the Army Reserve, where he planned to become a practical nurse. He was home for his daughter's first Christmas, and looked sompletely grown up, whereas before he'd still looked like the teenager he was, and it was clear to me that the Army had been good for my son. He was now able to agree with my husband that when Lee had been tough on Jeremy, it had been nothing close to what Jeremy would face in military life. Jeremy had been looking forward to going into the military since age 5, so we had frequently discussed what he would face, there. And now, three and a half years later, Jeremy and Amber have two beautiful daughters and live in Texas. I wish they lived closer to me, but other than that, I'm very happy for them.
Laura had a daughter in 1976 and a son in 1980. My son was born in 1986, and my daughter in 1988. Allison never had children, but adopted the small, white dogs, below, as her children. They have been her constant, loving, loyal companions for many years, and she has cared for them as tenderly as any mother ever has her children. As the dogs have aged, and slowly begun to pass away, her heart has been broken, just as the mother of a child's heart is broken upon losing her child.
The most recent picture I have of the three of us and our children, except for the fuzzy ones, who do not fly well, was taken at my mother's memorial service. 
And as you can see, all of the children are growing to be taller than their mothers. Stacie, Laura's daughter, is married, with two sons who are Boy Scouts. I don't ever seem to have recent pictures of them, but here's what I do have. 
The one with the long hair is her husband. The one with the short hair is her brother, Richard.
Of course, as the 18 year-old father of an infant, rather than the mother, his step-father and I were quite firm that he needed to be responsible for this young lady and her mother for quite some time to come, even if he and the baby's mother didn't stay together. And for awhile, they broke up before the baby was born. But three months afterward, they were married. 
and a month after that, both proud parents graduated from high school. 
And a few months later, he went into basic training for the Army Reserve, where he planned to become a practical nurse. 
He was home for his daughter's first Christmas, and looked sompletely grown up, whereas before he'd still looked like the teenager he was, and it was clear to me that the Army had been good for my son. He was now able to agree with my husband that when Lee had been tough on Jeremy, it had been nothing close to what Jeremy would face in military life. Jeremy had been looking forward to going into the military since age 5, so we had frequently discussed what he would face, there. And now, three and a half years later, Jeremy and Amber have two beautiful daughters and live in Texas. I wish they lived closer to me, but other than that, I'm very happy for them.
