REMEMBERING

I spent the day yesterday, neck deep in nostalgia, reminiscing and whistful sighing. I have begun scanning pictures for Bub's Graduation DVD. It is much more time-consuming than I remember! I don't know how I am going to get through High School Graduation? I suppose I need to buy a new tube of waterproof mascara!


Charles, a few minutes old!


I don't hardly recognize myself here. Where are the wrinkles and gray hair?


We started our kids out early on our love for the outdoors!


Can you believe I used to think that I was fat in this picture? I'd give my right arm to weigh that again!


This picture of Charlie/Bubbie holds a lot of meaning for me. The stuffed animal on the floor next to him was a gift from my grandmother, his great grandmother. Mr Mouse went everywhere with him, it was his bestest friend. Charlie is a sweet, caring and sensitive person. I'm not being prideful when I say that he gets those traits from my side of the family and not Dave's, it's merely stating a fact! I've always known, the way a mother does, that God has a special calling on my son's life. He's outgoing, witty, friendly, polite and so on. In 2000, my paternal grandmother was diagnosed with Leukemia. I saw her in May when my oldest daughter Jennifer graduated from college and I remember telling Dave that I didn't think she had a lot of time left, her eyes no longer held their usual spark. In July, my father called me to tell me she was in the hospital and not doing well. Grandma and I had a very close bond, she helped raise me while my mother (her ex DIL) was busy working and trying to support the 2 of us. I left the next day, driving straight through to St Louis with Laura and Charlie so I could spend what turned out to be my last visit with her. It was difficult seeing her lying in the hospital bed, dependent on others to take her to the bathroom, her dignity slowly having been taken away from her. Every day, I still think of her and wish I could visit with her one more time. After a couple of days it was time to go back to Texas. Our last visit with her, before we left, Charlie went up to her and placed Mr Mouse next to her "so she wouldn't be lonely" there in the hospital. (Sorry, I STILL get choked up all of these years later). He took that mouse everywhere with him but he left it with my precious Grandma to keep her company. She was released, sent home to my Father's house with Hospice care and passed away 2 weeks later. Before she died, she told my father to make sure that Mr. Mouse got back to Charlie. I brought him back to Texas along with the trunk (filled with all of the family photos) that I recently had restored. To this day, my 18 year old son has a special place on his shelf for Mr. Mouse.