1991 - The Protective Sister

 

 

1991 - I was blessed to work at Creative Crafts during high school and some in college.  Karen worked there once she turned 16.  Our Grandmother worked at the store, too.  Living in a small town, everyone asks who you are.  Who are your parents?  Who are your grandparents?  I became know as "Karen's sister." I'm not sure which one of us was working when this picture was taken.  We were nice enough to bring each other food.  One of my favorite things to get when working was an orangeade from Cole's.   Karen has always been protective of me.  One Christmas I fell where someone was doing construction work.  Karen marched right up to them and demanded they replace my pants and boots.  And she threatened to get our Granddaddy who worked as a magistrate at the courthouse.  I was terrified!  Karen had no fear!! And they wrote me a check.  Karen's beginning driving record was eventful...  I mean, who else could be in an car accident and come out with a prom date?

 

Psalm 1 

Blessed is the man
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
² but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.

³ He is like a tree
    planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
⁴ The wicked are not so,
    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
⁶ for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish.

Bringing in the 90s

 

1990 - Karen and I took pictures of each other one afternoon.  I had to send in a picture with a college application. I could have put a couple on here that would have embarrassed her, but I thought better of it. She might embarrass me back. She's holding her dog named Cricket.  After daddy died, all Karen wanted was a dog.  Mama rescued from the humane society for her.  For Christmas, Karen got several eggs for Christmas.  I think there was a very humorous story behind it, but I can't quite remember.....

 ^"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Eph. 2:8-10

Closing out the 80s

 

1988 - She still loves her stuffed animals.  You can't see it, but it's the fashion time of banana clips.  I don't think I ever had enough hair to wear one.  This was a year of transition for all of us.  I went to Japan for a year as an exchange student.  The house sold in GA and mama and Karen moved to Roxboro.  Mama started working full time.  One time when it snowed, Granddaddy called to see if Karen needed anything.  She said yes - Doritos and Dr. Pepper.  Karen continued voice lessons, too.

 

1989 - Do you think she has jewelry in the box?  After I came home, we celebrated Christmas again.  Karen introduced me to friends and neighbors as I started at a new school in a new state and town.  That summer, we went back to GA to visit.  We joined a church as a family, too. We celebrated Thanksgiving as family at Aunt Susan's house which was a first for us. It was the first time we all lived in the same state.  Even though we lived in the same town, we insisted on spending the night at Grandmama and Granddaddy's house for Christmas. 

 

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
²     Serve the Lord with gladness!
    Come into his presence with singing!

³ Know that the Lord, he is God!
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise!
    Give thanks to him; bless his name!

⁵ For the Lord is good;
    his steadfast love endures forever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations.

 

Milestone - Teenager

 

1986 - Karen is 12 and I'm 15.  These are probably the years where we communicated the least unless it was to fight.  We both were busy with school and friends.  We did go to Myrtle Beach again as a family.  I think this is the year Karen got saved and baptized.  She became friends with the Music Minister's daughter and spent lots of time with their family.  Karen has always loved music and now is when she started developing an interest in singing.  I remember the day she went down front to join the church.  I didn't want her to go because I wasn't ready yet. - not that I knew what that meant then.  But that's a whole different story.  I'm thankful Karen was saved at a young age. 

 

1987 - Karen turned 13 this August. Moultrie had a new yogurt shop way across town.  As we were on the way home, she was feeding me my yogurt.  My little red Toyota Celica was a straight drive, and I was never very coordinated.  After a few bites, I realized she was scooping a big spoonful, eating half, then feeding me the rest.  I thought this was the yuckiest thing ever.  She didn't see any problem with it.  We laughed and argued about our thought differences for days. And still joke about it now. That summer we went to Williamsburg with Grandmama G.  After visiting Roxboro, mama took us to the Outer Banks for the first time.  We had no reservations and drove during a terrible storm.  I've never had lightening coming at me from two directions at the same time.  And Karen has always loved a good thunderstorm.  If anything could be more opposite, that statement surely is.

 

 

"But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); ⁹ because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."  Romans 10:8-10

Firsts and Lasts - Tissue alert

 

 1984 - Granddaddy celebrated his 60th birthday with a surprise party at Aunt Susan's house. (Mama and I are in the background.) Looks like this is the year Karen started with her teeth issues of frankels, braces, and retainers.  We knew our dad was sick, and our mom had a stroke which she fully recovered.  Family was essential during this time.  Both Grandmothers came to help.  This was the first year the M family and G family traveled to our house to celebrate our dad's last Christmas.  As I look at the pictures, I'm seeing how everyone, including Daddy, focused on Karen and me.  We had a great time posing for pictures as we decorated the Christmas tree. Our Christmas crowded in the den is a precious memory.

 

1985 - I remember January being colder than normal for South GA.  We had extra time out of school for frozen pipes.  After dad died in January, Mama had surgery and they determined her stroke resulted from a birth defect.  This was the best news for us.  Family still sacrificed to take care of us as Grandmama G continued to stay with us.  We had our first vacation to Myrtle Beach.  Most all I remember mama continuing to tell us we would be ok. 

 

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

²     He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

³     He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

    for his name's sake.

⁴ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

    I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

    your rod and your staff,

    they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me

    in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

    my cup overflows.

⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

    all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

    forever.

 

The Countdown Continues...

 

1982 - Karen had a big birthday party with friends over for her 8th birthday.  She kept her monkey buddy wrapped around her.  She normally had a stuffed something with her. We enjoyed a summer vacation at Jekyll Island with the big rocks and loud ocean.  She even walked around with me and allowed to take her pictures.  I'm sure we still didn't get along.  Mama had to draw imaginary lines in the car that we were not to cross over.  I know we were told more than once not to bother her unless there was blood.  On the positive side, Karen was a cute pumpkin for her school play. 

 

1983 - This picture was taken by Uncle Jim when he took us to Tanglewood Park for a day trip.  Each summer we spent time with Grandmama and Granddaddy G. in Roxboro and some time with Grandmother M. in Winston Salem.  At home, we spent lot of time outside jumping on the trampoline with friends.  Our dad played golf every Saturday and Sunday.  During the summer, he would take several days off to play with us at the pool.  We also went out to dinner Saturday nights.  Our favorites were Mom and Dad's where the owners taught Karen to play chess and The Brown Derby where we got Shirley Temples and shrimp cocktails.  Our summer vacation was at Kiawah Island where we could walk to the beach and we took a jeep safari ride where we saw an alligator.

 

"For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."  Ex. 20:11

 

 

Bringing in the 80s as we countdown

 

 1980 - Our graceful ballerina - not....  But she is cute.  Mama required us to take piano then allowed us to try other things like ballet/tap, tennis, gymnastics. Dancing did not make our priority lists but we had fun with our friends.  This was probably about the time Karen came home from school wishing her name was Bo, Bill or Ben since it was shorter.  I never understood how she thought her five letters were hard when mine had eight!  Mom and Dad took us to Disney World.  The 80s brought in the shiny silky shirts we both wore for Christmas.

 

1981 - Most family vacations revolved around golf.  We always had nice pools and beaches, too.  This year we visited St. Augustine.  Karen loved wearing her red cowboy hat and riding on her Hot Wheels up and down the driveway at Grandmama G's house.  It's hard to see it in this picture, but Karen has gotten a nice short hair cut.  Several family members even came to GA to see us in our dance recital. That's real family love. 

 

^"4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
⁵ a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;" Eccl. 3:4-5