In Memory

I know it has been a long time since I have been on here and there is so much to tell that it will take me several posts to catch up.  However, since this is Memorial Weekend, I really want to start with a special memoriam to two soldiers who were very important in my life.
The first is my daddy, William Walker "Billy" Murray.

Daddy was a Navy Radioman First Class in World War II stationed in Okinawa.  I have his scrapbook where he kept the newspaper clippings from the war.  I also have his uniforms,  a softball he found on the island of Okinawa along with pictures on the ship and with his buddies. 

Daddy died too young.....age 48...from a disease called cirrosis of the liver.  Those last few years were very difficult for momma and us kids.  I loved my daddy and just hated what he was putting himself and us through.  Our family enjoyed many wonderful, fun times when my brother, sister and I were young and that is the part I like to remember.

But I will always honor him as a hero of the war and a veteran who deserves recognition and appreciation for the freedoms we enjoy. 

Another war hero who deserves honor and respect is Cecil Wallace, Gary's dad.  Cecil was in the Marines and stationed in Guam and China.  I am so proud to have known these brave soldiers.

Cecil was one tough guy.  He worked in line construction most of his life...climbing poles..electrical work.   He broke his back, his hip, was electrocuted twice, had a bout of lung cancer and survived it all.  He was a quite a horseman, raising and breaking Quarter Horses.  It was very cool to watch him make a big, spirited stallion act like a puppy.  Cecil was also my step-dad and here's why.  I may have told this story before, but here it is again:

Momma was only 46 when Daddy died in 1971.  Now, I realize just how young that was to become a widow.  Then, I was 22 years old, B.J. was 19 and Karla was 18.  Mom was a Sales Associate at Sears and worked there until she retired.

It was 1976 and Gary and I had been married about 9 years, had all three kids and were living in a double wide mobile home.  Gary's dad had been divorced about a year and was working out of town all week and staying with us on the weekends.  One Sunday morning he came in for breakfast and told us he had a date last night.  We said..."with who?"  He answered, "your mom."  What??????  How????  He said that they had been "fixed up" by Harold and Sue.  Well, Dad worked with Harold and Sue was mom's hairdresser.  Mom and Cecil had actually only seen each other one or two times in our marriage and one of those times was at our wedding.  The other time was Mother's Day, after Daddy had died.  He and Gary's mom invited her to go with all of us out to dinner.  And now...here they were...DATING!!

Well, it was a very brief courtship and they went to Miami, Oklahoma one weekend in June, 1976 to get married.  It was very obvious that they loved each other and were very happy together.  Our kids loved being with Grandma and Grandpa....why wouldn't they?  The horses, swimming pool, being adored by two people they adored.  It was such a fun time....until.....1992.

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Roddy Merle Wallace was Gary's baby brother, 15 years younger than Gary.  He was 28 years old when he died.  He was 12 years old when Dad got full custody of him and he came to live with Mom and Dad.  He graduated from Willard High School, got married, had a little boy, Eric and was working for Asplundh Electric in Arkansas when he was killed on the job....electrocuted.  So sad, because all he ever wanted  do was linework...like his Dad.  We were all devastated when the folks got the call.  We couldn't believe it.  I think the whole ordeal took a toll on Mom and Dad.

After 18 years of an incredible marriage, combining his 6 kids and her 3 kids into one huge family, Mom died September 17, 1994 of pancreatic cancer and Dad died December 16, 1994 of cancer in his lymph nodes.  Our families lost our foundation, our roots...."the folks."  Where do we go for holidays, for cookouts, birthdays, Sunday lunch?  Who do we talk to about "stuff", play Triominos with, watch John Wayne movies with?

Time has eased the hurt somewhat, but I can't help but wish they could have enjoyed their "great grandkids" for a little while.  I still, after almost 17 years, want to call Momma and tell her something or ask her advice about something.   My Momma was very nearly perfect in my eyes and I loved her so much.

I didn't think anything could hurt as much as losing my Momma.....until Karis.....

Karis Rose Wallace was the daughter of our oldest son, Todd, and his wife Heather.  She was their first child.  We were all so excited for them and couldn't wait to meet their little girl.  However, at Heather's 39 week appointment, the doctor told them that there was no heartbeat.  I will never forget the look in their eyes as they told us that their little girl had died.  Todd cried....Heather just stared ahead, as if in a trance.  Then she still had to go to the hospital to be induced and deliver her baby.  That was such a long night in the waiting room for us and I can imagine it was even longer for Todd and Heather as she went through labor until she delivered Karis...stillborn.... the next morning.  I think that part of me wanted to believe that the doctor was wrong....that somehow when they brought her out she would start breathing....but she didn't.  Thankfully, their nurse, Paige, suggested they dress her up and take pictures.  They weren't sure about that, but now are so glad they did.  They planned a very sweet graveside service and appreciated all the love and support they received from family and friends.  They, in turn, have been a blessing to others who have had to go through a similar situation.  I am so thankful that the Lord has blessed them with a marriage that has grown stronger through this adversity and with three beautiful, healthy children.

Well, our family has lost many other precious members whom we loved....all of our grandparents, many aunts and uncles....but these are the ones who were closest to me and who my heart still aches for at times.  These are the graves that my sister, Karla, and I visit, put flowers on and remember............

In Loving Memory,

Donna

Happy Birthday to Wendy

Today our daughter, Wendy Rebekah, is 36 years old.  Wendy was born March 28, 1975 and is our youngest.  She has two older brothers, Todd, 40 and Matt, 38.  This is my favorite picture of the three of them.

Here she is at 3 months old.  What a cutie pie!  Please disregard her hand....she's just a baby.  We didn't even notice that when we picked out the pictures, but have had a few laughs about it since. 

Wendy was the only grandaughter on both sides for several years and also was one little girl in the middle of a bunch of boys.  She, fortunately, had a best friend just 3 months older than her, who lived next door to us and kept her from being a total tomboy.  Of course, the girls did their share of playing whatever the boys were playing, but then could come in for a tea party when they wanted.

Age Two and one half......

 Age Five.....

Then she started school....This is Kindergarten....

I think this one is Second Grade....

Here's our little cheerleader.  I made her outfits to match her brothers' Boys Club basketball team uniforms.

She played softball in the Willard Lions Club league during the summer and basketball during the winter.

Then Junior High.  They let the girls go out for cheerleading half the year and play a sport the other half if they wanted to.  So she chose to cheer for football season and play basketball.

That is some high hair, sis.   Well, it is the 80's after all.

 This might have been 8th grade graduation.

Here's Freshman basketball.

She was in band in Junior High and High School...played in the percussion section.  We loved going to the Marching Band competitions.    She had to make a decision after her sophomore year between Band and Softball.  Their practices overlapped and she could not do both.  Softball won out. 

This is the traveling team she played on during the summers.  Tournaments were in Tulsa, OK, Sullivan, MO, or Shawnee Mission, KS on the weekends.  We even played in Kearney, Nebraska for Regionals one year.
 

Then graduation and college.  She started at OTC then transferred to Evangel to play one year of softball.  During her college time, she met the man who was to become her husband.  He was the Student Minister at our church and although he came to our church after she was out of high school and not in the student ministry, he noticed her and asked her out and that was it.  She went to Houston on the 1995 summer mission trip with our students (which Doug led) in July and our all-church retreat (which Doug led) in August.  Then on October 7, 1995, Doug proposed.  That proposal is another story in itself (or video if we could get our hands on it).  This is their engagement picture.

They were married on May 18, 1996.  She was a Teachers Aide at Truman and at Watkins in Springfield until their first child was born.  And here's what she has been doing since......

 

                                Lucas, May 3, 1999; 
                                Bailey, November 29, 2000; 
                                Micah, May 20, 2002; 
                                Ruth Ann, October 9, 2003.


Wendy, your dad and I are so proud of the Godly woman that you are.  I love how you and Doug train your children to love the Lord and serve Him already at their young ages.  You are an incredible wife and mother and I have learned so much from you.  I am thankful that we can talk every day if we want to....that we have so much fun when we are together....that we both love LeMadeleines and PeiWei and Cheesecake Factory and shopping and Zumba/Strength training exercise and...........


I hope every birthday is better than the last and your life continues to be an amazing example of someone who desires to be a Proverbs 31 woman.  

I love you very much,


Mom

Ramblings

First of all, if anyone can tell me how to get these highlighted links off, please tell me.  I don't know why they are on there.  I don't think I did anything to solicit them.  They are annoying me.

Now back to my blog.......I was looking for something in some of my old journals and just started reading through them.  I had been thinking that I would type them into this blog.  That way they would all be saved and easier to find when I wanted to look for a particular entry.  But.....no way.  Some of them are such personal feelings and prayers that I just cannot take them out of those books.  I began blogging so that I could share pictures and stories with family and friends, not because I think the world revolves around me and what I think.  But I really enjoy reading other blogs and feel like I get a glimpse of what that person is really like on the inside.   I know sometimes I can write what I feel better than I can speak it.  I think back on high school days and know now that I was about 3-4 years socially behind the others my age.  I just didn't have a clue how to talk and act around others.  I know what I felt inside and what I wanted to say...just was too withdrawn, very little self-esteem.   Okay, so much for self-analysis.  Maybe I should have started journaling then.  So....moving on......I just read back what I wrote and I am totally rambling.

Oh well, I did find some cute stories that I want to copy here.  One is from September 1, 2005 entry.  We had gone to Houston to visit Wendy & Doug and the kids and 6 year old Lucas was in the car with us singing along with "Jesus You're My Firm Foundation."  Only, he was singing, "Jesus, You're my fun dalmation."

Here's one about Micah, who has always had a fondness for tags.....not just any tag.  It had to feel just right.  Usually they were on a stuffed animal, but sometimes on a blanket, or pillow.   Tags have been known to heal an owie or at least make it feel a whole lot better.  This is an October 22, 2007 entry.  Micah was in Kindergarten and went on a field  trip to a farm with his class one day.  When he got home, Wendy asked him what his favorite animal was.  He said, "the bunny rabbit, cause it was soft as a tag."


April 1, 2007, was a Sunday when all the kids were here for lunch.  Gavin caught the bullfrog that had been living in the fishponds for a long time.  He was holding it and said, "This is a GREAT day!"  Anytime Gavin gets to hold a reptile or amphibian of any kind it is still a great day.

Gavin had a fondness for the hair on your arms or legs.  If he was sitting beside you, he would suck on his thumb and rub the hair on your arm.  One time Matt was standing in line at the grocery store and felt something on his leg and Gavin was squatted down with his thumb in his mouth and rubbing the hair on Matt's leg.  I found an entry from November, 2004...Gavin would have been 3....I was hanging a picure on the wall and Gavin bent down and started pushing up my pant leg.  Then he leaned over to rub his face on my leg.  I said, "What are you doing, Gavin?"  He said, "snuggle your yeg (leg)."  "Why", I asked.  "Cause, I love my dad."   ?????   I guess I should shave my legs more often if my leg reminds him of his dad's.


August 31, 2004, Lucas is in Kindergarten.  He has a computer class, but told Wendy, they can NOT spit on the computers, because it will make them not work.


February 24, 2004, Wendy and I took the kids to Grant Avenue Baptist Church to see the Watoto children sing.  On the way in we were telling them who we were going to see.  We were listening to the CD and Lucas calls them his friends from Africa.  He asked us if they were black.  We said, "yes."  He said, "I wanted to be black...but God made me white."  "But it's okay, we're dark white."  He was looking at the houses along the road and said, "Is that white? Yeah, we're dark white."  (compared to white paint, I guess.)  Wendy said that one time after watching the Cosby show, Lucas said, "I wish I had a black daddy."   ???


That reminds me of the time Paul Masih was working for Global Encounter along with some other college students during the summer and was here at the house every day.  Paul is the son of Brother Nazir Masih, who pastors Chandigarh Baptist Church in North India.  One day Wendy and Lucas had brought lunch over for us and Paul and the others were sitting at the kitchen counter talking.  Lucas was trying to get Paul's attention to tell him something and tapped on his leg and said, "Hey, brown guy....."  Good-natured Paul became know as "brown guy" that summer.


I may find more of these fun stories as I look further into these journals.  I did see that the times that I journaled most faithfully and poured my heart out in written prayers, seemed to be when we were experiencing dark, painful times.  It was hard to read those and yet was good to be reminded that the Lord is so faithful to hear us and see us through whatever hurts we are experiencing.  It also reminded me that I need to be just as faithful in thanking Him and pouring my heart out in praise when things are going well.  He is my Rock, my Strength, my Redeemer, my Comforter.  Thank you Father God!!!  I love you!!!


Donna

Spring Breaks

Well, we are nearing the end of two weeks of spring breaks.  The Bischoff kids, who live in Houston, Texas were on spring break last week and Gavin and Jadon, who attend Willard South and Willard East, are on spring break this week.  I already posted our day at the Nature Center, but we did a lot of other fun stuff and made a lot of memories that I need to put on here.

First, after Karla and I arrived in Houston on Thursday evening, March 10th, Wendy had supper fixed and after we ate we went to Micah's Little League baseball game.

The next morning, Doug and Wendy left very early for Israel with a group of students and parents from HFBC.  Karla and I took the kids to school and spent the day shopping.  That evening we had pizza for supper and watched a movie.  The kids got their bags packed to head back to Missouri with us Saturday morning.  First, we had to take Belle to the Animal Hospital for boarding for the week.

Bye, Belle.  See you in 9 days!

We arrived home Saturday night, unloaded the car and hit the beds.  Sunday morning we went to Sunday School and Church at our church, Springhill Baptist.   We had the whole family here for lunch (KFC) on Sunday.  Well, minus Doug and Wendy, that is.   They were seeing the sights in Jerusalem.

I took the kids to see Mimi, Gina and Allison Sunday afternoon.  Then Lucas and I went to the grocery store to stock up for the week.

Monday was a play at home day.  Haven, Jude and Cael joined us.

Tuesday, we went to the Mall and the kids played in the play area.  After we ate  in the Food Court, we went over to Petland where the kids found a Chocolate Lab puppy to play with.  Then, to Orange Leaf.....

Aunt Gina picked the Bischoff kids up at 4 pm and took them to her house for supper.  They got to spend time with Mimi, Tony & Gina, Allison and Nathan.

Wednesday was such a beautiful day, we went to the Springfield Nature Center.  (See previous post for pics.) 

Thursday was another play at home day.   Last day to play with the three little ones.  So they jumped on the trampoline, drove the Gator, played with the Star Wars toys....you name it.  That evening, Gavin's school was having a Sock Hop and Book Fair.  So we picked him up at school and brought him home with us to play until time for the Sock Hop.  Then we all went back for the fun.  Gavin jumped into the crowd for the "Chicken Dance."  I almost got Ruthie to do the Hokey Pokey, but she backed out at the last minute.

Ruthie did love the face painting....

 And they all liked the Cake Tasting.  They had 17 tables set up with samples of desserts, with ballots for you to vote for their sample....Rate 1-5 for taste, creativity, presentation.
It was a fundraiser, so each person paid a dollar to taste and vote.

Friday, I took Lucas and Micah to the Circus and Karla took Bailey and Ruthie to the mall.
 I had not been to the Circus in many years.  Micah had never been and Lucas went when he was five and six.  So..we enjoyed all the acts so much. This guy balanced vases on his head.

The elephants were very entertaining.

But this was their favorite of all the acts.  
 

I don't know if it quite competed with the cotton candy and lazer swords, though.

Jadon and Haven stayed all night with us Friday night and I am not really sure how much sleep they all got.  But Saturday was laundry, and packing to go home day.  Their cousins, Nathan and Allison both had birthdays that week and Aunt Gina had a birthday party for them Saturday evening and the kids were so glad to get to have one more chance to spend time with Mimi and the Green family.

Sunday morning we loaded the van and Pappy drove us this time.  We left about 7:30 am.  Lucas was a little sad that we could not attend church, so I told him he could prepare a message and we could have church in the van on the way home.  So he did....I gave announcements, Bailey prayed, we sang a couple of songs, then Lucas brought the message from Genesis 1.  He had Bailey read that chapter and he spoke about God making everything good.  "In the Beginning....we had significance.  In the Beginning, we had safety and security.  In the Beginning...we had a sense of belonging.  But sin entered the world  and changed everything.  The only solution is Christ + me = wholeness."  Then we sang another song and Lucas dismissed us in prayer.  This was just the sweetest time for Mema and Pappy.

We arrived at their house about 8 pm.  Just in time for them to get a shower and get to beds.  School tomorrow!!  They really wanted to wait up for Mom and Dad to get home, but since their plane didn't get in until 10:15 pm, they just couldn't.  

Wendy and I went to pick up Belle first thing Monday and then, since she had to teach her Zumba class at noon, I went with her and then, since her birthday is the 28th, I took her to LeMadeleine's for her birthday lunch.  Gary only took off Monday and Tuesday, so we started for home after the kids got home from school....about 3:30 pm.  

Here's daddy and his girl...(we just got home from workout and lunch)

We stopped at a Super 8 in Muskogee, just 3 hours from home, but we just couldn't make that last leg.  We got a good night's sleep and breakfast before we headed on home Tuesday.

Well, this has been a very quiet week for me.  Rambo does not know what to do without all the kids running around.  But, I have been able to catch up on work, return phone calls and emails.

Since Heather and Lindsay are off work this week, we met at Chuck E. Cheese today and ate lunch and let Jadon, Haven, Jude and Cael play...and play...and play...They had a big time!

Whew!!  I need a massage...oh wait, I have an appointment for one tomorrow...and a facial!  I intend to enjoy my spa day immensely!  Thank you to my kids for this gift!

Signing off for now....

One incredibly blessed Mema