1994 - Traditions

Karen transferred from Appalachian to ECU after her first year of college.  She decided pursue teaching.  Karen's favorite niece picked this picture.  She said Aunt Karen likes to sleep and she snores.  (I'm not supposed to tell because that would be embarrassing.)  I'm sure this is a well deserved nap after an excellent Christmas Dinner.  We've loved the family tradition of Christmas Eve dinner at Grandmama and Granddaddy G's house.  Then we dressed up for the Christmas Eve Candlelight service at church. We were up early on Christmas morning and in the living room with the "kids" sitting on the floor together.  When we were younger, we were allowed to open one present on Christmas Eve.  Karen continued to ask even as we got older...

  ^"To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter."  2 Thess. 2:14-15

1993 - A Year of Celebrations

Karen looked very pretty for her Senior Prom.  She graduated from high school and started college at Appalachian.  We had three weddings in our family.  Susan and Joel got married in May.  Mama and Bo got married in July.  Newman and I got married in December.  We had to make several trips to Hillsborough for the bridemaids' dresses.  (A friend's aunt made them.)  Once we met at a Walmart to do measurements or something.  Karen didn't mind taking care of all this in the Walmart bathroom.  I would have died of embarrassment if any stranger had seen an inch of my skin.  Mama couldn't believe it.  Didn't she make a beautiful maid of honor?  Karen sang "My Father's Eyes" in honor of our dad. In the picture, she's enjoying the yummy food she worked very hard in preparing for our reception.  I'll never know how much work so many people put into our wedding.   This Christmas, we exchanged names for stockings at mama's house.  We decided we liked her doing them all better. 


 ^"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. ¹⁰ For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!" Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

1992 - Family

 

Family picture time at church.  Who ever likes getting dressed up for these and taking the time to go?  It was a pain then, and I'm sure we both complained that we had better things to be doing.  But I'm so thankful now we have these pictures. 

For the rest of the post, we have a guest contributor:

My Alabama baby came out feet first and hasn't slowed down yet and don't think she will.  And yes, I made the mistake of telling Jennifer that WE were having a baby; because I had friends who told me that adjustment to a "new" baby in the house was sometimes hard on the other sibling.  Jennifer had to give up her baby bed, so I let her pick out new sheets, clothes and toys for our new baby.  The problem came when the new baby Karen cried or fussed, I had to stop whatever I was doing and to see about her or Jennifer cried too.  Thank goodness Jennifer did outgrow this and so did Karen.

I know with all my heart that her Daddy, Jerry, is looking down from heaven with much pride also.  Her birth was difficult and I watched him pace the room and cry; the doctors weren't encouraging.  He would not let me call North Carolina and tell the family she had been born until she was about 8 hours old; because he told me he did not want to make two phone calls (one good and the next bad.)

It has been a pleasure and a source of pride to watch the young lady Karen has become.  She eventually made wise choices for her life.....education, God, Scott, and motherhood.  (I'm not going to elaborate on the not so wise choices since they are really her story to tell so you'll have to ask her.)

Let your father and mother be glad;
    let her who bore you rejoice. Ps. 23:25

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