BST's Blog

Yaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwnnnnnnn!

Whew! Mornin, everyone! Actually, I've been up since 6, but I still am clearing the sleep from my eyes. We had a great trip to Arkansas. Being there is like a forced detox. There aren't any malls or movie theaters to speak of. (the local shopping attraction is the Super Walmart) There aren't big restaurants to spend time or money in. There's no amusement park or go cart track. It is simple living at its finest. Sheryl's folks live on the lake in Cherokee Village. It's beautiful! It was so nice to be with them and talk about family and play cards at night. Sheryl's mom makes the best pecan pie ever. They are wonderful people. (had to throw in that food reference there for ya)

We took our time coming home yesterday. We stopped in Jonesboro to see Sheryl's sister and her family and let the kids nap. Maddie and Ella love playing with Canaan and Sierra. It was so funny to watch Maddie. For whatever reason, Sierra and Canaan (5&4) were taken with Ella. Everything she did was hilarious to them. At one point they were sitting on the floor surrounding her just watching her perform--and she can work a crowd. Maddie just stood looking perplexed. It was sweet and sad and funny all at the same time. She had this look like, what is the deal here???? Eventually, when it was clear that she could not win the attention of the crowd, she went to the playroom to do her own thing. These are interesting times. Ella was enjoying being the object of attention for once.

We enjoyed getting to see one of my best buds and college rommates on the way through Memphis. Craig and Beth Ann Fisher were there to celebrate his grandmother's 80th birthday so we got to meet for dinner. Riley and Maddie had a great time. Ella enjoyed poking her finger in baby Owen's nose. It was great seeing them.

Here's where most of my blog readers may want to sign off. I wanted to write down a few things I heard this week from Sheryl's dad. Since I am saving these blog entries, I wanted to write these things down for Maddie and Ella to read one day. My mom is a proponent of writing your spiritual autobiography. She's written a book about it and travels teaching retreats and seminars about how to do this--and WHY we should do this. Anyway--this isn't really in the format she suggests, but I wanted to get it written down somewhere so I could come back to the information before I forgot it all. The rest of this is really for us--important things to remember.

As we played cards (a new game called "13" sort of like Phase 10, a family favorite), we talked some about Sheryl's family. I can't even remember what brought it up. Sheryl's biological mom died when she was 4 of cancer. Ernestine has been the only mom she has really ever known. Here are some things we talked about that I thought were just too cool and needed to be written down for you, Maddie and Ella, to read one day. (I'm going to write as though I were talking to my kids)

Your great grandparents (PaPaw's mom and dad) put PaPaw and uncle Duane on a church bus when they were in elementary school. The bus carried them to the local Baptist church. His mom and dad would give them money to [put in the collection plate each Sunday, but PaPaw and uncle Duane would skip out early and head to the local drug store and spend the money on candy! As a young man, PaPaw (Bob Rathbun) trained horses and did all kinds of neat things. He loved the outdoors. Eventually, he and his brother Duane were baptized at the Lake Orion (Michigan) Church of Christ.

Cathy Carrier had lived a hard life, growing up with an alcoholic father. She and her brothers managed to survive with their wits and souls in tact. She had already had Chuck and Beth Ann before meeting PaPaw. He met Cathy at church and she enjoyed water skiing and outdoor things like he did. They married and went to church at Sylvan Lake CofC.

Your PaPaw took a preacher's class there with 3 other men. He said it was one of the most exciting times--full of learning and insight. He preached one Sunday morning, while the other preacher was away, about how our salvation was secure and about how the Holy Spirit lived in us and guided us--the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. At the end of his sermon, one of the "self-appointed elders" got up and said, "That will be the last time Bob Rathbun ever speaks here again." It was hurtful. They were a part of that church and were treated very badly.

Eventually, aunt Gail and Mommy came along. They were born in the early 70's. When Mommy was 4, her mommy, Cathy, went for a routine check-up and discovered that she had cancer. It was everywhere--spleen, organs, the bone, blood--everywhere. She only lived until December (1976). Mommy still remembers the day she died. She was at home with her grandparents who had made them tomato soup. That night she remembers laying in bed with Gail and PaPaw while he sang "No Tears In Heaven" to them. She remembers going to the funeral and what her mommy was wearing.

About a year later, PaPaw married MeMaw. MeMaw had lost her husband a year or so earlier from a heart attack. She already had 4 kids of her own--mostly grown. What a wonderful woman MeMaw was! (is!) She took to Mommy and her brother and sisters immediately. She had also been their Sunday School teacher at church. Mommy still remembers the warmth of crawling up in her lap. She was just what they needed.

Over the course of Mommy's growing up, they moved several times. As they came back from Houston in the 80's, the church at Lake Orion was planning to build a new building. PaPaw got all the wood and things from the old building and built the coolest house for his family there in Lake Orion. How amazing that a church building that had meant so much to him could now serve as the lumber to house his family.

PaPaw and MeMaw did a wonderful job raising their 8 kids. (Mommy is the youngest!) They have many dear friends and people whose lives have been impacted by their example. When PaPaw worked at Michigan Christian (now Rochester College), he loved being around the college kids. And they loved him!

The same year Mommy and Daddy were married, 1998, MeMaw and PaPaw retired and moved to Arkansas. PaPaw's knowledge of carpentry and his skill really benefited them in the building and selling of their home. They moved to a farm in Ash Flat. Again, PaPaw built their home. He was convinced he wanted to have cows and farm in retirement. Soon, it was clear that it was going to be too much to handle. He wanted something different for retirement and his heart wasn't in great shape. PaPaw sold their house and they moved to a vacation/retirement community on the lake called Cherokee Village. PaPaw built a beautiful house--right on the lake! It was complete with an upstairs deck that extended the length of the house and a pontoon boat for fishing and relaxing!

At this writing, PaPaw and MeMaw have been married 27 years. They just sold their lake house and are downsizing so they can travel and do some things they want to do. PaPaw still leads worship sometimes at the Ash Flat Church. He still speaks his mind. People still adore them. MeMaw has a contagious laugh and a very great sense of humor. (so does PaPaw) She likes to quote her mom by saying things like... "If you do that I'm gonna slap your face off!" She's close to 80 years old--almost 10 years older than PaPaw, but you'd never know it! She's active and full of spunk and energy. She cooks up a storm and plays with her grandchildren as often as she can. She loves being with you and often laughs at the things you'll do or say. She volunteers at a local charity that provides clothing and always has funny stories to tell about things that happen there.

Your MeMaw and PaPaw have always been, and still are, full of life. They never stop. They are funny too. PaPaw always has a new joke for us. They love stories and enjoy talking about family. MeMaw and PaPaw love singing and have pretty good voices--even now! One of the highlights of this trip was listening to them sing "The Lord Is My Shepherd" with you, Maddie. You've been saying that at night for a while and have gotten to where you now prefer the song over the spoken verse. We all loved hearing you trying to reach those high notes. MeMaw especially loved hearing you sing that. PaPaw is always humming something. It's something we'll always think about when we think of him. He truly has a song in his heart!

As you girls think about your grandparents on Mommy's side, you should always remember that they were firmly planted in their faith in God. They had openness in the way they approached him. Your PaPaw was way ahead of his time in his view of things. They loved their children and grandchildren and have given most of their lives in sacrifice for them. They are passing down a rich heritage to you. There have been many times when things looked dark for them over the years, but they never, ever gave up and managed to keep their senses of humor too! You are blessed that their story is also your story. More on Daddy's parents later.