It’s Hard for Him to Remember October 29, 2008
Posted by Deb in Uncategorized.Tags: Childhood, family, Memories, Petting Zoo
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He wishes he could remember more about his childhood, but no matter how hard he tries, memories before his teenage years practically eluded his mind.
He can remember a few though and the first one that comes to mind is just a small snippet.
He was in kindergarden and he remembers having to climb up some stairs. At the top of those stairs was a room filled with huge blocks that looked like the blocks on some of the homes in his neighborhood. Some buddies and he began building with these blocks and he was surprised at how light they were when they looked so heavy! What to build, what to build. They began piling block upon block and before long a fort was built. How much fun they had playing in that fort!!
His first real memory was one of taking a trip. One morning Momma woke him up an told him to get dressed. He couldn’t understand why she was waking him up so early, but he loved Momma and did what she asked.
After getting dressed he went through the house and smelled something yummy..breakfast!! Sitting down and eating quickly he wondered what was going on.
After breakfast Momma told him to gather up his things and get in the car. He could feel the excitment in the air and with each mile got more and more anxious.
Daddy was driving and Momma was sitting beside him. They were talking and laughing and he just couldn’t stand it any longer..
“Momma, where are we going?”
“You’ll see..”
Sitting back in the seat he wasn’t happy about the answer he received.
After a while Daddy asked him if he could read the sign that was in front of them.
He tried really hard, but right now all he could read was little words and this was a big word.
“No. What does it say?”
“Welcome to Michigan!”
Sitting back again he thought Michigan? We live in Indiana. He’d looked at the map of the United States in his classroom and he knew that they were in a different state. This wasn’t making any sense….
After a while, Daddy started slowing down and they pulled into this place called Deer Forest.
He asked Momma what Deer Forest was and she replied again, “You’ll see.” If nothing else, he decided that he didn’t like that answer to a question. Funny thing is, years later he would do that to his own children……
After parking, they got out of the car and paid for their tickets. Momma also paid for a big, colorful key. What in the world could a key that big be used for??
They walked through a gate and he walked into a fairytale!!! He looked around with big, wide eyes and couldn’t believe what he was seeing!! He saw Humpty Dumpty and Jack and the Beanstalk. He saw Old Mother Hubbard and The Old Woman in the Shoe. Scene after scene and they all looked like they jumped out of his rhyme books!! Daddy took the key and showed him how to put it into a box in front of each scene. When you turned the key, someone inside the box would start telling the rhyme!! It was the coolest thing he’d ever seen in his young life!
After the nursery rhymes there were a few rides you could ride on. Rides like he rode on at the fair, only smaller.
He was having so much fun that he didn’t notice his tummy rumbling, but when Momma suggested they sit down and eat the picnic lunch they had brought, he didn’t object! He can’t remember what they ate, but Momma was a good cook and she’d always taken such good care of him…he knew it was good whatever it was.
After eating they began walking again. They came up on a petting zoo. He wasn’t sure what that was, but after just a moment he knew. They actually let you pet the animals!! There were goats and rabbits and llamas and deer…hey!!…maybe that was why this place was called Deer Forest. There were alot of trees and here were the deer…made sense to him.
Daddy would take a quarter every now and then and put it in a machine that looked like a gumball machine at the dime store. When he would turn the knob, corn would come out instead of bubblegum. He would give it to his son and then the little boy would hold out his hand so the deer would eat out of it!! That was scary and exciting at the same time!! He was amazed that the deer would even come so close to him, much less eat out of his hand!
All too soon the day came to an end and it was time to go home. As they piled back in the car, he laid down in the back seat. It had been a wonderful day and he would remember this forever.
And he did…..
In the Beginning October 7, 2008
Posted by Deb in In the Beginning.Tags: Children, family, the 1960's, Young love
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She was 15. Much too young to get married, but believed that she had met her Prince Charming and that life would be over if she could not be his bride.
He was 21. Tall, thin, dark, black hair and wore a crooked smile. Oh, the trouble he could get into….but he thought she was beautiful. Sure, she was only 15, but she seemed so much older than those 15 years. He wanted her to be his wife, and she wanted to say yes.
Her mom couldn’t believe what was being asked of her. Saying yes to letting her 15 year old daughter marry someone who was 21?? Someone who could be quite hot tempered and could find himself in a lot of trouble at any given time? She wouldn’t do it! NO. She would not allow her only daughter to marry this man. If anyone granted permission for this, it would be her father.
And he did.
That was March 16, 1963.
Let’s move forward. Chicago, Illinois, August 7, 1964. She woke up that morning feeling every ounce of her 9 month pregnancy weight on her small frame. So far from the hills of West Virginia and the place that had been home all of her young life.
Her husband of little more than a year was leaving for work. She kissed him goodbye and thought she might just lie down for a little while. In just a few minutes she was sound asleep. A couple of hours later she awoke to incredible pain flowing through her body. She was pretty sure this was labor, but even if it wasn’t, something had to be done. She called her husband at work then called for a taxi. He was going to meet her at the hospital. Only four and a half hours later, she cradled her first child. A girl. 8 pounds 4 ounces. They named her Deborah Lynn. Her mother liked that name and she missed her mother.
Only a state away….In Indiana lived a young, single 22 year old woman. She had met a man and things had gotten out of control. She became pregnant. Like the 15 year old, she too was feeling every ounce of her pregnancy weight. She still had 2 months to go before she gave birth, but she had so much on her mind. Determined to keep this child and raise it, she knew it would be hard. Already she loved this baby and she knew they would make it..somehow.
October 8 found her giving birth to a boy. She named him Philip Ray, after his dad…only he didn’t know that and wasn’t interested in anything about him. With a powerful determination she moved forward. She would raise this child and he would be loved. She would make sure of that. For her, there were no other options.
Time marched on. She worked and began life raising a little boy. Then..she met a man. A man, who, this time, truly loved her and loved this little boy. He asked her to marry him. She said yes. He asked to adopt her little boy. Again she said yes. They became a family.
This is how we began. Philip and Deb. This is where our story begins. Please continue to walk with us as we share our love for each other with you….
Walk With Me October 7, 2008
Posted by Deb in In the Beginning.Tags: Christianity, family, life journeys, true love
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Walk with me….let’s go back in time. More than 40 years ago. Before they were even born, before they were even thought about.
How did it begin? Where has their journey taken them and where are they going?
This is a true story about 2 people…very much in love and doing their very best to serve their Savior, raise their family, and make this journey called life the absolute best it can be.
Welcome to their life. They hope you enjoy…..
