~50 YEARS in REVIEW~ Super Condensed....

Where do I start... On Monday, Jan 11, 2010, I turned "50". Wow what a milestone. I feel so BLESSED to have lived this long and be in as good a health that I am.. There is not much about my real young years that I remember, but I am going to see what I can do here...

My first Real memories are after we moved to California when I was about 5, I remember living in Red Bluff and walking to School, I remember playing on the "RINGS" on the playground and falling, hitting my head on the step and having to have stitches,, I remember being scared when we had to cross the bridge after a rain and the water was almost to the bridge.
THen we moved to Redding into a little house, Pam got a new bicycle for Christmas in 65 and in Feb or Mar '66 she had it turned upside down turning the peddles, decided to grab the chain to stop the tires and ended up cutting off her finger, lost the first joint and had to have stitches, they could not get her to go to sleep, so she watched them clean and stitch it.. then we moved to the California Motel, we swam alot, we were at the pool when we got the news that my cousin had drown on James's birthday, May 18th 1966, March 1967 my dad and Uncle David were hit by a Train on their way home from work. There were not crossing arms and they did not see the train coming, Dad was in a coma for along time, Uncle David got his arm hurt real bad, both were in the hospital for a while, then after recooperation, they both went to college. Then we bought our first house out there. It was a ranch style accross the road from a golf course.
Dad went to work for Hertz at the airport and had to go to Southern CA for training. We all got to go with him and went to Marine World where we saw a REAL Elephant ski... We had some horses, one was named Cricket and she would pull us in a buggy, but when she got tired, she would lay down and would not get up until the buggy was unhooked then she would get up and walk back to the field. Silly Horse. Mom had a White Apaloosa that would eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but would not step in Water. YOu could not make him. We sold that house and rented a house on Yana, It had a tree house in the back yard, We tried to sleep in it several times, but never succeeded... THen we bought a house trailer and 26 acres just down the hill from the ranch house. This is where we lived when Tony was born. We had 9 acres of english walnuts. PIcked them up every day after school when they would fall. We had horses, cows, and pigs that we raised. One litter of pigs had a runt that we brought in the house and tried to raise it, but did not succeed.. We bought a double wide and put it in across the drive from the trailer house and moved into that. We lived there until Sept. 1972, then we moved back to Arkansas. Tony decided to potty train himself on this move. I rode mostly with mom and Tony in the car and dad drove a Uhaul and pulled his truck. We stopped at night. One night we were in Amarillo TX, the hitch broke off the Uhaul and we had to wait till morning to get it fixed. We stayed in a Campground that night, I went into the Bathroom and dad had to come get me, because there were FROGS EVERYWHERE, I am deathly afraid of them, I know they will not hurt me, but I am terrified of them, real, pictures, glad, wood,, it does not matter.. Made it to AR, Lived with Grandma Brown until mom and dad found a house and bought it. Really nice brick with a fireplace.. Daddy owned a service station.
in '73 I fell MADLY in LOve. Now, I realize I had NO IDEA what LOVE really was. We would break up and get back together, break up and get back together, should have seen a pattern here, DUMB kid... Bought my first Car in Feb. '76 a '72 Chevy Nova, with air shocks on the back.. LOVED it, Mike hated it because it was a sports car and at the time we were broke up.. see the pattern here.. Got engaged Nov. 1977, started building our home, Graduated from High School May 13, 1978 and got married June 15, 1978.. DUMB KID,,,, Moved into our house Jan. 9, 1979. My first Son was born June 17, 1979 On Fathers Day, making a new Father and 2 new Grand Fathers on Fathers Day. Our Second son was born, March 10th, 1981 on my dad's Birthday. Pam married on June 17, 1982 on Buck's 3rd Birthday, He was ring bearer and played Hot wheels on the Alter during the ceremony. Then our third son was born March 5, 1983. Had Mom and Dad a 25th Anniversary Celebration Dec 1983. Grandma McLemore passed in April '85 when the Dogwoods were in Full Bloom. Mom and dad had a wreck in Tucomcary NM on the way out there. Mom and Pam were in the hospital, Pam's father in law had to go get them in his handicap accessible van. Both recovered fully. Mike and I separated on Dec. 3, 1985 and divorced Oct. 1, 1986. James and Anne married Jan. '86. Pam had Chris July 23, 1986. I had to go to work in Sept. '86 to help support the boys, Child support was not getting it, but at least I got to stay home with them until Rocky started school. Bruce went to Daycare where he made a friendship that is still strong today (this minute they are working together)... Made my first MAJOR purchase in MY NAME (with Moms Help) in OCt. '86, A Chevy NOva, not a souped up one like the first one.
Met Larry in "87 when I was working at Fisers (local Grocery store). He came in every Friday and bought Rib eyes to cook for some friends.. I left the Grocery store in March 88 and went to work for the State of AR in April 88. Then Larry and I met up again at the Post Office one morning. We began talking just casual. He had left work with a mutual friend for me to call him. I finally did call and actually talk to him. We had our First DATE, Aug. 3, 1988,had dinner at Steak and Ale. The next day my home was sold on Public Auction. Larry called to check on me and sent me flowers. Mike bought it and that meant I had to MOVE... In Sept. mom, dad, the boys and I went to Disney world on Vacation. WHen we came back, I began packing and moving. We moved in with mom and dad.. I convinced Larry to sell me his double wide, then he was going to buy him something SMALLER,, NOT,, We moved him out and us in on Nov. 8, 1988..
James and Anne divorced in '9. February '91 I bought a POntiac Grand Am. Tony and Pam Drake married May '91, David was killed Sept. '91, Grandma Brown had just gotten out of the hospital and was staying with mom. Tony and Pam divorced Oct.'91. Dad had a wreck on Dec. 14, '91 (Tony's 21st Birthday). James and Amie married Jan 11, 1992 (my Birthday) We have a lot of different events on the same dates... James and Amie had Shawn Oct. 22, 1992, James and Amie had Austin, March 17, 1994. Tony and Vanessa got married Sept. '94. Larry and I married Dec. 27, '95. We moved into his "SMALLER" house, a 3 bedroom, 2 bath brick.. Bought a Chevy Custom Van Feb. 96. We outgrew the Grand Am when we got married. The 9 1/2 years I drove the Van, the 5 of us were only in there 1 time. I had it full alot with all the kids going to ball games, but as far as "the Family" we only used it 1 time. Sold my doublewide in OCt. 96. Tony and Vanessa had Kiefer, Feb. 13, '97. Buck and Mandy had Cember April 3, '98, James and Amie had Justin, Nov. 2, '98. Pam and Dewayne had Briauna, Jan 6, '99, Buck and Mandy got married, May 22, '99. Tony and Vanessa had Maranda, May 24, '99 (7 1/2 weeks premature),and 8 minutes after giving birth, Vanessa died. Grandma Brown went into the HOspital with Sepsis. She passed on July 10, '99. Tony went to Ohio August 18, '99, mom and dad took over raising Kiefer and Maranda. Leonard had a heart transplant Aug. 19, '99. Buck and Mandy had Gabby, Sept. 4, '99. Wow, I think that is ALOT of babies in a short time, 6 in 2 1/2 years... for 18 years all we had were boys and in 17 months we got 4 girls.. Gabby had surgery the day she was 6 weeks old, MOm and dad had gone to a Histology convention. I had Kiefer and Maranda, But we managed. I was at the hospital for her surgery and then I went and picked up Kiefer, Maranda and Cember and kept them all.
Wow, 40 down just 10 more to go. HOw am I doing??? Got to witness the turn of a new Century.. We saw 2000 come in.. Then I turned "40"...
July 3, '00 I caught mom and dad's kitchen on fire cooking chicken nuggets for Kiefer, did about 35,000 dollars in damage. Insurance came in cleaned and packed everything up, remodeled the house. MOm and dad never moved back into it, they bought one close to town. I moved them in and had most everything unpacked when they came back from a trip, the least I could do since I "BURNED their HOUSE"
Uncle Leonard passed away in Sept. 2000. Busy times with all the trips to Ohio, spent lots of time with all the little ones.. LOVED IT....
March 2001, Rocky left for a Peace Keeping mission in Bosnia.. He was there when 9/11, 01 happened.. When that happened, they cut all communication with our troops in Bosnia, I freaked out.. It delayed them coming home by 4 weeks. Their replacements were coming from New York and Virginia, the 2 states hit hardest by 9/11. He finally got home in Nov. '01. February 3, '02 Buck and Mandy's house burned to the ground. Rocky and Deanna married Sept. 28, '02
Pam and Dewayne separated and divorced in 2003. Pam was having ALOT of medical problems (most of them self inflicted). So mom and dad were doing alot of running for her along with taking care of Kiefer and Maranda. April '03 Rocky and Deanna came over to tell me that Rocky was going to be sent to IRAQ soon.. Bosnia was bad enough and that was peace time. How was I EVER going to SURVIVE IRAQ in a WAR!!!!!!! I cried for weeks... then Oct. 31, '03 Rocky left for Ft Hood TX for additional training and deployment. We made lots of weekend turnaround trips down there. all piled in the VAN... Then in Feb, he left the US for IRAQ.... He had SO MANY close calls, one time someone pulled up beside them and opened fire inside their hum v, no one was hit (who had control of that situation, NO ONE BUT OUR GREAT LORD)... He was protected more times than I can count... June 1, 04 Larry and I bought a cabin close to Lake Degray and Buck and Bruce began helping us rebuild some of it. Rocky got to come home on a 2 weeks R&R on (you got it) 9/11. We were all at the airport on pins and needles until his plane was safely on the ground..
I bought my Yukon XL on NOv. 2nd took it to Ohio for a release hearing Nov. 17 '04. TOny was released, but we had to wait for transfer paperwork to be completed before they would release him. the finally released him to the bail bondsman at noon on the 24th. I stayed on the phone for 3 days and on Wednesday, the 24th at 4 PM, we got it all done and were told we could head for AR. it took us 30 min to pack up 2 hotel rooms and head for home. We drove in mom and dad's drive way at 4 AM on THANKSGIVING morning. What a Thanksgiving that was..
We had Christmas with Rocky on the computer, we had a webcam set up and so did he with mics. so we could see and hear him and he could us.. We had sent his Christmas package to him and we all opened presents together. It was GREAT... Christmas by computer 7000 miles apart.
Tony and Rochelle married on Feb. 12,'05. Rocky came home March 20, '05. Rocky and Deanna had Kelsey, Jan 31, 06. August '07 Larry and I decided to have a new home built. Footers were dug on Oct. 1. We watched every day as it went up. I would go out every day, Larry usually just on the weekends, but I would be on the phone telling him what they had done that day. On March 24th we closed on it. On the 26th, Rocky, mom and dad helped me get us moved in, we hired movers, so it was just mainly directing traffic. MOm and dad were at the new house waiting on the new furniture to be delivered and Rocky and I were at the other house. Larry came home on his 55th Birthday to a new house where everything we NEEDED had been unpacked and put away and the boxes destroyed.. He did not have alot of unpacking to do..
August 3, '08 we purchased a Farmall Cub tractor, like his dad used to have.... Sept. we purchased a 1960 Farmall Cub (because it was made the year I was born, so I had to have it). We restored them and loved doing it. Just a couple days after purchasing the 60 model, I got a call that my Cousin Jeffrey had been killed. Another tragedy that did not have to happen, a Hunter being careless cost him his life and his family a tragic loss. In April, '09 I saw a kid riding a "wheelHorse" (baby tractor, smaller than a riding lawn mower) and I decided I had to have one of them as well. In May we went to Michigan and bought 2 of them. THen on Friday, May 22, I went with Larry for a check up... Guess WHAT!! We ended up in Baptist Hospital for a Heart Cath and By-pass surgery the next morning.. Boy did that turn my WORLD UPSIDE DOWN..... But that too we survived.. We even went to CA with mom and dad to visit and to see the Redwoods. We thoroughly enjoyed that trip and plan to make many more trips. Dec. we hired the boys to build us another Pout House to store the restored tractors in now that we currently have 9, 6 fully restored and 3 to restore.. and so here we are Jan 2010 and the BIG "50" and Life goes on!!!!!!!


OK so it is not SO CONDENSED... but I think I got most of the HIGHLIGHTS....