While we were stationed at Fort Hood, Amy went to nursery school or preschool, kindergarten, and first grade.  We paid for her to go to preschool.  The lady who lived next door was a bus driver for the school.  So Amy rode back and forth with her.  I liked her being with someone I knew.  During kindergarten and first grade, she walked to the public school behind our house.  In the first grade, she walked by herself.  Nowadays, I wouldn’t let her do that.  But it was pretty safe back then.  She liked school when she was a kid.  Lee was never very crazy about school.  We didn’t send him to preschool because we felt that he wasn’t ready.  Below are photos of Amy on her way to school.

Left photo below:  Amy's first day of preschool, August 1976.  See her Snoopy lunchbox.
Right photo:  Graduation from preschool, May 1977.

Left photo below:  Amy's first day of kindergarten, September 1977.  That's her younger brother, Lee, standing beside her.

Right photo:  As the caption says, here she is on the way to begin the first grade.

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For the LORD gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Proverbs 2:6

The second one was not making grill cheese sandwiches with Velveeta cheese.  Do you know how much Velveeta cheese cost?!  We sure couldn’t afford it very often on a sergeant’s salary.  But mostly, I didn't even think of using Velveeta cheese.  Amy had a grilled Velveeta cheese sandwich as an adult and realized what she had missed all during her childhood.

I feel so sorry for my daughter!  My heart aches for her!  Oh, the depravity; oh, the injustice!  Oh, the sorrowful memories of an inhumane childhood!

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Delight yourself also in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

Anyway, the other day, I was reading a magazine insert called "American Profile" that we get with our local newspaper.  There is a section called "Tidbits."  Here is a portion of what it said:  Bottomless Lakes State Park near Roswell (pop. 45,293) is noted for its "Pecos Diamonds," which are quartz crystals formed inside gypsum.  The soft gypsum crumbles to expose the "diamonds."  A display of the crystals is in the park's visitors' center.

Now for the good part:  Bottomless Lakes State Park is named for its lakes, which appear bottomless.  According to legend, cowboys tried without success to find the bottom with lariats tied together.  The lakes' greenish color, from algae and other aquatic plants, creates the illusion of depth.

Now aren't you glad I told you that?  And don't you want my autograph?  Ha, ha, ha!

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The eternal God is your refuge,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
Deuteronomy 33:27a

I made an appointment as soon as possible.  They took x-rays of my upper teeth.  I had a cyst that had eaten the root of one tooth and maybe three other teeth.  They couldn’t tell from the x-rays.  I had a very nice oral surgeon who explained it all to me.  I needed to have surgery to remove the cyst.  During the surgery, he could determine if any other teeth were damaged and removed them along with the one he knew he would definitely have to be removed.  I had to be put under and wasn’t too crazy about that.

The surgery went just fine; there were no problems.  One thing happened that embarrassed me later.  I blame it on just coming out of the anesthesia.  The doctor was talking to me, and I said something like, “You look cute in your scrubs.”  Oh, my!

I lost only one tooth, for which I was very thankful.  At that time, it was the policy for military family members to have bridge work done by civilian doctors; the Army would not pay.  However, because I didn’t have any fillings and they said my mouth looked so nice, they made an exception and gave me a permanent bridge—for free!

They did a great job, and I didn’t have any problems with it.  I had that bridge until the mid-90s.  The x-rays showed that the root of the tooth in front of the one that I had lost in the 70s was deteriorating.  This time I didn’t have to be put under.  Whew!  It was all done in the oral surgeon’s office.  I’m so glad that medical technology of all kinds has improved over the years.

Now I have another bridge, which is doing its job.  (When I went to a new dentist yesterday, he said that it was a good bridge.  I need work done on my teeth--old fillings fixed, two new fillings, a crown on a back tooth, and a tooth in the bottom front build up.  It will cost me around $2,000.  Why can't dental plans pay more?!)

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“For I know the plans I have for you,”
declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you
and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11

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For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised:
he also is to be feared above all gods.
1 Chronicles 16:25

I finally did get the courage to go for another hearing test when we were stationed in Frankfurt, Germany.  I think it was in 1981.  The Army corpsman tested me on a machine while I just sat there wearing headphones.  The doctor thought that the machine wasn’t working correctly and asked the corpsman to run the test again.  She finally put me a booth to test my hearing.  When I got out of the booth, she told me that I had a mild hearing loss.  I broke down and cried.  Finally, someone believed me!  She recommended that I get a hearing aid for my right ear, the one with the most hearing loss.  Read THIS ENTRY that I wrote in June 2005 to find out my reaction.

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And we know that in all things God works
for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28

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He will yet fill your mouth with laughing,
And your lips with rejoicing.  Job 8:21

Miss Pat:  Cecil Marie, tell me about Colonel Lindbergh's feat.
Cecil:  The only great feet I know about are Martha's.

The Home Ec. girls are so lazy that they put popcorn in their hotcakes so they won't have to turn them over.

Mr. Bowers:  If you subtract 25 from 49, what is the difference?
Rubie Whitworth:  That's what I say too, who cares?

Miss Pat:  What tense is, "I am beautiful"?
Bernice:  Past tense.

Miss Nicholson:  How many natural magnets are there?
Roy Dell:  Two
Miss Nicholson:  What are they?
Roy Dell:  Blondes and Brunettes.

C.W. Mo:  Doctor, will you give me something for my head?
Doctor:  No, my boy, I would not have it for a gift.

Red Taylor:  Say, Jimmy, how long do you suppose I could live without brains?
Jimmy Bissett:  Don't know, Red, time will tell.

Mrs. Felps:  Tell me something about John Milton.
Ping:  Well, he got married and wrote "Paradise Lost"; then when his wife died, he wrote "Paradise Regained."

Pep (at senior class meeting):  Order please!
John Louis (sleepily):  Cheese and pickle sandwich.

Mrs. Randolph:  Do you read Poe?
Oren:  No, I read pretty good.

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Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:
if any man hear my voice, and open the door,
I will come in to him...
Revelation 3:20

The first one was taken in December 1958; I was 12 years old.  I needed the passport in order to go to England, where my dad was stationed with the Air Force.  Don't you just love the glasses?!  My mom made the dress.  In fact, she made two--one for me and one for my twin sister.

This second photo was taken in 1963 (age 17) for a passport that I needed to go to Japan, again with my dad.  Another great pair of glasses!  I must admit that I've recently seen people wear ones that look very much like my old pair.  Me, I'd never want to wear that style again.  I still have the rocking-horse pin that you see on my dress.

This photo was also my engagement photo and was taken in 1970.  I have on a red dress, and my hair curled too much because it was a humid day in Arkansas.  I got the passport so I could travel to West Germany to marry that guy who was in the Army.  (I also wore that red dress on our first date and when we were married at the courthouse in Baumholder, West Germany.) 

This last photo is the funniest of all.  Don't I have a goofy smile?  And can't you tell that was a '70s haircut?  This photo was taken in 1979 because we were stationed in West Germany a second time.

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Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,
and a light unto my path.
Psalm 119:105

I finally took Lee to the doctor, who after feeling of the spot, said it was just scar tissue and would eventually go away.  I kept an eye on it anyway.  Eventually the wound became a bit discolored.  I think it happened when I gave Lee a bath one evening and was washing his face.  A teeny, tiny rock came out of the wound!  After that, his forehead healed quite nicely.  I still have the rock and tried to take a photo of it to include with this post, but it was just too small.

I guess I could say something about him being hard-headed or having rocks in his head even at a young age, but I won't.

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Praise the LORD, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the LORD;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Psalm 146:1-2

Painting my toenails.  I like to do that when the weather is nice enough to wear sandals.  In case you can't tell, the color of the polish is white.  White was the in thing when I was in high school, and I still like white.

Painting a ceramic bowl.  I think the blue is so pretty.

Crocheting lap robes for the local hospice.  They furnish the yarn; I furnish the labor.  It takes me approximately 17 hours to crochet a lap robe.

Crocheting a table runner for one of my sisters-in-law.  It needs to be starched and blocked.  I sure hope that she likes it.

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Hear the voice of my supplications
When I cry to You,
When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.
Psalm 28:7

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Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
Psalm 15:1-2

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The rod and rebuke give wisdom,
But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.
Proverbs 29:15

During his time in the Army, Bill could have been assigned to recruiting duty, but wasn’t.  I was always thankful for that.  Recruiters work long hours.  The family usually doesn’t live near a military installation and doesn’t have the support of other military families.  The divorce rate for couples with a husband on recruiting duty was 50 percent.  But with Bill being in retention, he wasn’t gone from home very much or very long.  Whew!

I thank God that our marriage was survived for almost 38 years.  I think it has more than survived.  It has flourished.  I thank God for such a wonderful husband.

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Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice with the wife of your youth.
As a loving deer and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
And always be enraptured with her love.
Proverbs 5:18-19

My husband has been retired for seven months today.  Now the retired couple is enjoying life.  We hope that we will be blessed with many years of retirement.

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For the word of the LORD is right,
And all His work is done in truth.
He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.
Psalm 33:4-5

It was several years before I took another college course.  Eleven years later (1990), my husband was again stationed at Fort Hood.  It was his last duty assignment.  Of course, the college was still there.  So in the spring of 1993, I decided to take Introduction to Computer Science and Programming.  Many times I wondered if it was a mistake.  I struggled immensely with some of the assignments.  I had nighmares dreamed about them in my sleep.  All those codes drove me crazy.  But would you believe it?!  I ended up with an A.  I am very proud of that A because I had to work so hard to get it.

The last course I took at the college was in the fall of 1996.  I had just been promoted to technical editor in an Army organization called Test and Experimentation Command.  I was in training for a year, part of which was to take a class called Elementary Statistics.  So back to Central Texas College I went, but this time I didn't have to pay for the class.  I also went during the workday.  I struggled with some portions of the class, but thank goodness I had help from other editors in my office who had taken the class in the past.  I could also do my homework during work.  I guess I'm a bit competitive, too.  Three of the other technical editors had gotten A's in the class, so I just had to do the same.  And I did!

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Your hands have made me and fashioned me;
Give me understanding, that I may learn Your
commandments.  Psalm 119:73

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Even the sparrow has found a home,
And the swallow a nest for herself,
Where she may lay her young--
Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
My King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;
They will still be praising You.  Selah
Psalm 84:3-4

And here is a photo that I took during our visit to family earlier this month.  It is my mom with her two great granddaughters.  I like the idea of "greats" being in the same photo.

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Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious!
Say to God, "How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name."  Selah
Psalm 66:2-4

When Lee first sat up on his own and played with toys, Amy would grab a toy out of his hands if she wanted it.  It didn’t bother him a bit.  He just found another toy to play with.  I still remember the day that she grabbed a toy from him, and he didn’t like it.  He still wanted to play with it.  The tug of war began and continued for several years after that.

Lee always liked to play by himself.  Sometimes I would check on him because he was so quiet.  I thought he was probably into something he shouldn’t be.  I’d quietly go to his bedroom door, and there he would be playing with his soldiers or other toys.  We could never punish him by sending him to his room.  He liked it too much.

Amy and Lee were never mean to each other.  (Actually, they could have been when I wasn't looking, but I don't think they were.)

Amy was what I’d call a little mother.  She always cared for the kids younger than her, and sometimes bossed them around.  Even now she likes to boss people around, but she is a lot more tactful than when she was in grade school.  When there is a project to do, she’ll jump right in there.  She doesn’t do anything half-hearted; she grabs hold of it and gives it all she has.  The project can be at work, at our granddaughters’ school, or even for social events--it doesn’t matter.  On some occasions, she has been known to boss her own mother around!

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Command those who are rich in this present age
not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches
but in the living God, who gives us richly all things
to enjoy.  1 Timothy 6:17

We lived in the duplex on Fort Hood about 5 1/2 years.  At that time, it was longest that I had ever lived in one house, and would be for a long time afterwards.  It was a good time and a busy time.  Having two children at home kept me busy.  I found that I was happiest when I did something for myself.  I took art classes at the local junior college.  Every Wednesday morning, our church had what was called Operation Friendship.  We did crafts, and there was a babysitter for the kids.

It was a happy time!

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I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice,
and to do good in their lives, and also that
every man should eat and drink and
enjoy the good of all his labor--it is the gift of God.
Ecclesiastes 3:12

Below is the reply from one of our granddaughters.  I think it is very creative.

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Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles!
Laud Him, all you peoples!
For His merciful kindness is great toward us,
And the truth of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD!
Psalm 117

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our
spirit that we are children of God.
Romans 8:16

Here is what I remember about our son (Lee X) being born and my stay in the hospital.  I had the baby in a small hospital and received a lot of personal care.  My mom came from Arkansas to stay with Amy.  On the morning of December 14, I went into the delivery room to have Lee by caesarean.  The thing that I remember the most was my arms being spread out and tied down, you know, like being crucified.  I guess that’s why when I was coming out from the anesthesia that I asked if I was in hell.  It was the first time I remember being put completely under; I didn’t like it and never have.  It took forever for me to come completely awake, or maybe it just seemed that way.  My mom and Bill also told me that I had a boy, and I had a hard time believing them.  My mom and husband were with me and Lee when we came out of surgery.  So Lee was born at 9:41 am and weighed 7 pounds and 9 1/2 ounces.

I was in the hospital for about one week.  When it came time for the nurse to take out the stitches, she said it wouldn’t hurt.  She lied.

While I was in the hospital, I was taking antibiotics and pills to dry up my milk.  Afterwards I just took the pills, but developed hives.  So Bill and I spent about 6 hours of Christmas Eve at the emergency room.  While we were waiting, Bill said that the doctor would give me benadryl.  He was right.  The doctor didn’t even completely close the door, and I was in the office less than 5 minutes.

Just before Christmas, my dad and two sisters came down to visit.  So we all had Christmas in our little house.

Below are a couple of photos of Lee, one with his mom and the other with his big sister.

I think all of our address changes have been made.  We had problems with a couple, but they were solved.  Things here at our new home are settling down, too.  I can tell because we rearranged things in the garage and are now able to park both of our vehicles inside.  There are a few more things that I want to hang, and I'm still not completely happy with the window treatments in the living room.  They need something more, but haven't quite figured out what it is.  We want to buy ceiling fans, gutters, a pool, and patio furniture, but those are things that can wait until we are in the mood.

With the other house sold and things calming down here, our phones have not been ringing near as much.  Again, what a relief!

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For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive;
And abundant in mercy to all those who that call upon You.
Psalm 86:5

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Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!
Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
Psalm 105:2-4