My Son's

Randy&Todd


Randy is the older of my two sons. Randy was a real cutie as a little boy. He loved wearing the sweater and cowboy hat that Grandma Shappard had made for him. He wore it nearly everyday till it was really worn and didn't want to take them off. Somewhere along the way he finally gave them up. Have them still today. will post picture of him wearing them. He was a blonde as a small child, don't think he looked nothing like me or his daddy but now as he is aging I can see a resemblance to his dad. Randy has really blessed with knowing how to repair and fix things/his dad is the same way' thats a gift they been given.
Randy likes things neat and tidy and when he does something he takes his time and does it right! In his line of work he deals in today this comes in real handy. He is a computer tech and that calls for alot of very precise work. As a child I remember the kids loved to go to the park, it was a big deal and I would say everyone clean your rooms and we are out of here, they took off and had it finished in no time!
Randy has one thing that stands out to me as his best virtue and thats patience!! I can go to him and he will teach or show me what I need to know, where if I were to go to dad it would not be the same. Dad has little patience with me in his old age. ha! I rely alot on Randy if I get stuck on my computer and need help. He helps both dad and I and we try to not take advantage of him too much.
Randy has something else that is unique about him. Its his mind! He has always been extremely smart! Didn't have to study for good grades. It came easy! He and his dad are alike with in that way, they both amaze me! It blows my mind to think that they have so much stored up in their brain. What a great gift!!
Randy has grown sweeter as he has aged. I like that! Both boys have had their share of ups and downs in life and now have settled down into family life.
Randy is well into the role of father and husband, and is great at both!
Tks. Randy for always being there for us /love you, mama

Todd has done alot in his lifetime that most young guys haven't gotten the chance to do. He has attended three colleges/ Itt Tech/ UCF / and Rollins. Has traveled around the world, served a mission, married and last but not least, became a daddy six months ago.
Todd has always had a soft heart. A trait that I hope will never diminish. I know in his heart he has love and compassion for others. Having served a mission for the church I know he loves the Lord. I know he has brought many to Christ and will one day see the fruits of that labor.
I know he looks to lighten others burdens . At one point in his life after getting a new car, he gave his old car away so another would have transportation. I remember he opened a door for a lady who had her hands full and she said "You have a fine son their." Just one of many wonderful traits of Todd. I also wouldn't want to leave out that he has a most forgiving heart. That too has been tested .
Growing up Todd had lots of accidents in and around the home. He was always curious which lead him to take a few tumbles.He found out the hard way that there are consequences .His baby book is full of his mishaps. The most sad moment for us was when he contracted meningitis and was rushed to the hospital. I cryed fearing the worse. Prayer and the skill of a good doctor , he recovered! A scary moment indeed ! Dad always said , he was ment to be here for a special reason!
One of my favorite memories of him was when he would run to the car when I would pick him up from kindergarden and how happy he was to see me. I even took a picture of him because I wanted to always remember that face as he came running out to greet me! He was a happy child! I would read to him every night before bedtime and he would hug my neck and say he loved me. He also had a favorite stuffed puppy who would sleep with him. I wish I could go back and protect my boys even more and do even a better job at being a parent. We do the best we know how, even with the little knowledge of what is expected of us.
Todd will now get to experience how awesome the job of being a parent can be and also feel pain when even with all we can do , it may not always be enough.
The most happy moments and most painful moments we experience in life will come through raising our children. Wow! happy to give our all because we believe that families are eternal and forever!! Family , its part of God's plan. It always has been! love, mama

Prayer

Being thankful!

Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,
Unuttered or expressed;
The motion of a hidden fire
That trembles in the breast.

Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
The falling of a tear
The upward glancing of an eye,
When none but God is near.

An Attitude of Gratitude

Heard this saying today and got to thinking how often do I have this great attribute? A ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE! When trouble fines us we tend to forget anything good that has ever come to us or happened in our life. I struggle with this everyday. I'm thinking I should be grateful. Then I wonder if I am the only one? Am I so ungrateful for all the good that I have enjoyed in my life and then when adversity hits its like WHY ME? when sickness , hardships, sadness or other things happen to me, its why me , why why? There is no answer that comes to me when sorrow or sadness overshadows my life.
Perhaps when things don't go so well it causes us to stop in our tracks, and teaches us that we are not invinciable! Just perhaps it even teaches us we really have to rely on a higher source.

I see gratitude as a attribute that is worth seeking out as I get older!

A CELL PHONE

Thanks to my son's Todd & Randy , dad and I have stepped up in the world. We now have gone to cell phones. Tks. guys! Likely wouldn't got there for awhile without your help. I love it and dad likes it as well. He has his own phone now and with his job in church its coming in real handy. Its helps him alot. Todd was so kind as to allow us to be added to his family plan with AT&T. tks. Todd. We really appreciate it . And Randy gave me a free cell phone he was no longer using. tks. Randy. Now we are all set!! I am excited and am learning the ropes as they say. Texting is the latest thing I have learned . Everyone watch out, I'm addicted!! Well maybe not yet, but what can I say, I do love it. I can call by just touching a button , but texting is kind of nice when you don't want to stay on the phone forever, and can even take pictures, its great. So great this new technology.
You say, what brought this on? well I had been going over to keep Todd & Heathers little one and left when it was dark outside and Dad and Todd thought I should have something incase the car broke down. Car never broke down yet but glad they were concerned cause it pushed us up in todays world. ha! YIPPEE!!
Watch out everyone, Dotty just may be calling or texting you next!! ha!

Our Country

We are being told over and over that this great
land of ours "America" is falling apart. I seem to see this quote everywhere.

"All it takes for evil to triumph
is for good men to do nothing."

I love this country, lets pray that we remain forever free. I recall a song that says,

2 Chronicles 7:14

Viewing the 1769 King James Version.

If my people who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Three Coins in the Fountain

" Three coins in the Fountain."
This was just one of the movies I enjoyed as a young girl. Back in the old days as they say, like many young girls I'm sure, I enjoyed going to the movies. Getting to take in a afternoon matinee was something really special back in my day. Saturday morning matinee's were also lots of fun. we would save bottle caps and bread wrappers and all kinds of stuff to get in free at the movies. Anyway this was a romance kind of movie and like most young girls I just loved this kind of movie. As a teenager I was in love with all the actors that were young and handsome. It was like waiting for our prince charming to come and carry us off into the sunset to live happy ever after! So this was among one of the many movies I enjoyed and here is how it went.
These three girls go to Rome seeking love and adventure. While in Rome they each throw a coin in the fountain and make a wish. Their wish is to meet and fall in love with the man of their dreams while in Rome. So the story takes off from there. Of course as the movie go, they each got their wish in the end. In real life its not that easy but hey, this is the movies. Yes , movies were a special place where you could get lost from the real world . Thank goodness for the movies! I went every chance i could get and well , here are just a few of the romantic ones that I really enjoyed.
SHOWBOAT,
PILLOW TALK
THE KING AND I
TAMMY AND THE BACHELOR
AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER
GIANT
WRITTEN ON THE WIND
LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING
GIDGET

The Big 50th

Where has the time gone? Next month dad and I will have been married fifty yrs.
Thats almost three forths my life! These are the winding down yrs. of our life together now. The second half will be different from the first for we aren't getting any younger. We can only forcus on being positive and hope for the best as the older yrs. set in.
So here we are, I at the young age of nineteen and dad twenty . Wow,time went fast. now days not too many marriages make it this far . Its easy to look around and to see people our age into their second marriage and even their third. Just last yr. my neighbor up and divorced and she was in her fifties. Now she is engaged to be married again. So what have we learned from watching our neighbors and friends with good and failing marriages ? Well, marriage takes work!! First we have to realize we are individuals, different in the lots of ways and think different, we have to except those differences. Sure , its not always easy and can even be a challenge at times but you know each other well and that is a plus. To start over I think would be even harder.
This is my key to a lasting marriage: To keep it going you have to recall those early days when it was just [you and me against the world ]then remember, and remember again,
all that was shared that was good. thats it!
I look back and for the most part, it was good. Sure, a few problems we couldn't see eye to eye on at times but for the most part we worked through it together trying to make things right.
I think we both tried to make the other one feel good about what they did in the day to day routine of running a home and family. Dad helped with chores, babies , everyday routine stuff.
I was a stay at home mom which wasn't a strange thing back then. I spent my days caring for the kids so when dad came home it was a welcome sight.
I remember hanging out with moms in the neighborhood who were doing the same things I was doing, = cleaning , washing, cooking and strolling babies and most of us didn't even give it a thought to be working outside the home.
Now that has all changed ,today it takes mom and dad both working to make ends meet.
I have to say here that having a best friend was also part of what made those days flow by easily. That friend for me was Betty Stackhouse. During our early years in the navy, Betty and I were not only neighbors but best friends. Lucky enough to live a block from each other we found ourselves spending near everyday together hanging out with our two babies, Valerie and Ricky . We had fun together , we laughed while learning to cook together and all the new stuff a young bride goes through with having a home and a baby to care for. Betty and I became best friends, even lifetime friends! perhaps our days would have been more routine, hum drum even if we hadn't had one another. but no , we had such great fun just passing the day together! Where have the yrs. gone?? Well, they were spent living , loving, raising children , and oh yes, making memories! mama

Angie

Angie at maybe five here. [will find out later] She always had a bright warm smile! Here she had one of the many matching outfits I had got her. When I found them on sale I would buy maybe three or four in different colors and that would allow me to interchange them . Angie often has said " I always looked so raggedy and dirty in lots of my pictures when I was young". Well not so here Angie. Yes, mama did start her children out in the morning in clean neat clothes, but for sure it never lasted long. ha! Our children back then spent a great deal of time playing outdoors unlike children of today. Here mama had you all ready to start your day!