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Let Me Tell You About My Grandchildren~Part 3

4 Feb

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

 

 

 

KATIE – Part 3

Another note about our granddaughter, Katie.

She and her brother, Forrest, both studied Spanish for several years in high school. I’m not sure whether or not she ever really had a reason to use it, or how fluent she was with it, but I do know of one instance where she did.

Every Christmas, we usually have one of our daughters and their families with us for the holiday. Upon occasion, both of our daughters come down for the holiday. While we have three bedrooms, we actually only have one guest room. It can get a little sticky with all those people here, but we love the challenge.

In previous years, one of our church families that lives nearby, usually went home to Grandma’s house, so Karen and her family would “house sit” their house and take care of their cats. However, the last time we had both daughters and families here, that family decided to stay home.

Just in passing, in a conversation with Jan (Janet) and Gene Eckles (Jan is another blogger with Old Things R New), they invited Karen’s family to stay with them! And so they did.

What is neat about all this, is that Jan and her family are from Bolivia, and she and her parents speak Spanish. Katie had an occasion to converse with Jan’s parents – in Spanish! I think it was a joy to all parties involved in the conversation! It certainly touched my heart to hear about it! Jan says that her parents still talk about that conversation with Katie. She made quite an impression on them!

Our Katie is a girl of many facets. She is fun-loving,

 

and she is serious.

 

 

She has been on several mission trips: to New Mexico,

 

 

and to Guatemala.

 

 

She loves her job as a stage manager – and she loves to study the Bible.

 

 

She is a serious student of the Bible and is in love with her Lord.

 

 

She is a joy to all who know her.

I hope you have enjoyed getting to know our girl just a little bit. She is a joy to us, too.

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Let Me Tell You About My Grandchildren~ Katie Part 2

28 Jan

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills 

 

 

I mentioned last time that we have two sets of grandchildren – one set (boy and girl) from our oldest daughter, and one set (boy and girl – twins) from our youngest daughter.

I also mentioned that our oldest granddaughter, Katie, has complained that I have written about all the grandchildren except her! So I wrote that post for Katie. And so is this one. I’ve remembered some things about her that I would like to share.

I mentioned that Katie has recently graduated with a degree in Theatre Design and Management. Her specialty is stage management. And she’s very good at it! When she was here back in September of 2017, Fred and I took her to see La Nouba at the Cirque du Soleil at Disney Springs. Fred and I have seen it several times, but Katie had never seen it. While I knew she would enjoy the show – it is very much like a three-ring circus at times!! – I also knew she would be keeping an eye on all the production end of the performance. That’s just her nature now. She did just that, all the while enjoying that magnificent performance. We are sorry to see it ending in 2017. We hope they will bring another type of performance like La Nouba to this venue.

Katie, Karen and Brian came down for a visit January 1st this year for a few days. The weather was not the best, and so we thought to do some things indoors. One of the things we did was to take them to Disney. Well, we parked the car at the Polynesian Resort at Magic Kingdom, hopped aboard the Monorail, and got off at all the resorts along the Monorail track. We saw all the Christmas decorations still up in the Grand Floridian Resort, and Polynesian Resort, and the Contemporary Resort. It’s a fun thing to do, and free. And Disney really does it up right!

 


Credit Google Search – Grand Floridian Resort

Here’s a picture of her in front of the Gingerbread house in the Grand Floridian Resort.

 

 

While at the Contemporary Resort, we came upon a “Gingerbread” stand – there was a small gingerbread house, with a booth where one could purchase a cookie and cider.

 

Credit Google Search – Contemporary Resort

As we were ogling the display, we noticed a remote-controlled BB-8 rolling around. It rolled toward Katie, and stopped and “looked up” at her. Katie was enthralled!! It is a memory to keep, for sure! (P.S. – in case you don’t know who BB-8 is – it is a robot from the Star Wars series)

 

 

Karen told me once that Katie had asked her why Grandpa (Fred) called everyone “Jack?” Well, you see, when Fred gets upset with other drivers, he says things like, “where did YOU learn to drive, Jack??” And other goodies. Just a name he pulled out of the hat to call other drivers.

I know there are other funny and adorable things about Katie that I will remember in future times, but at the moment, these are for my readers to enjoy. I have most certainly enjoyed remembering them and putting them to paper.

Katie – I love you! Granny

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Let Me Tell You About My Grandchildren

21 Jan

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

 

 KATIE

 

Fred and I have two sets of grandchildren – one set (boy and girl) from our oldest daughter, and one set (boy and girl – twins) from our youngest daughter. There is a wide age difference between the two sets – about 12 years in fact. So while they know each other, and probably like each other, they don’t really see each other that often.

Our oldest granddaughter, Katie, has complained that I have written about all the grandchildren except her! So this one is for Katie. As I think of or remember other things that have happened in her life, I will share them.

Since we moved to Florida when Katie was just a little thing, most of the time that family has come to visit during the Christmas holidays. Therefore, Katie has seen our house almost exclusively decorated for Christmas. It’s really funny to have her visit now – at a non-Christmas time and as she looks around the house and exclaim that “this is just wrong!” We have to rearrange the furniture in the living room to accommodate the Christmas tree that is placed in the center of the front windows. I guess she feels it should always be there – because that’s the way she remembers it.

They arrived one year for Christmas and I had made a different arrangement on the kitchen bar. The minute she walked in, she said, “that’s wrong! Where is the candle you usually have here?” So she got out that candle and replaced it with what I had done already. She’s a hoot!

Katie was a good student in school, and has recently graduated with a degree in Theatre Design and Management. Her specialty is stage management. And she’s very good at it! We were visiting with them last November, and were able to see a stage play that she had managed. She did the lighting and the sound, all by herself – in addition to being the stage manager! She has managed about 10 shows in the Chicago area. Five or six of them were in college, with some being the assistant stage manager, but she has managed four professionally, and is currently working two shows at the same time.

While in high school and college, she actually performed in some plays. Perhaps that’s where she felt the itch to manage. Here she is in a play. Her character was “Sadness.”

On another note, when our daughters surprised me for a late 75th birthday in Virginia last year (see my post  Surprise!)

 

 

Karen asked Katie if she was prepared to be idolized for the weekend. When Katie asked her what she meant, Karen said that her cousin, Hannah, would probably hang on Katie’s every word that weekend! And she did! It was so fun to watch.

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Memories From My Childhood

14 Jan

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

 

 

When I sit myself down and try to think of something that might be of interest to someone else, I find myself going through my pictures. I have scanned quite a few into the computer, and looking through them gives me pleasure and fond memories.

I just happened to hit upon those taken of myself – and family and friends – in 1952.

I was 11 years old that year (do the math – I’m now 76!). My brother, Bill Lites (another blogger) was 14 years old. He’s about 3½ years older than I am. We used to fight like cats and dogs – until he became aware of GIRLS!!

In any case, here are some pictures of that time of my life:

 

Bill and me

 

A few years before she died, mother asked if I had the “chalk pictures” of Bill and myself. I did not – nor did I ever find them. All I have are these pictures of them, and the memories. Here are the pictures mother took of Bill and his chalk picture,

 

and then of myself and my chalk picture.

 

 

They were done by a friend of mothers, and always hung on our living room wall. Mine was when I was probably a toddler, while Bill’s was when he was probably four years old. They were quite unique pictures, and I wish I still had them. This is the only picture I have of them in color – I’m sorry it isn’t any better quality.

 

 

 

We had a great deal of fun together as a family. We would sit/stand around the piano and sing together.

 

 

We made jokes with each other.

 

I always knew that my mother and father loved each other fiercely. Daddy traveled quite a bit around the state of New Mexico with the Baptist Convention, but we always enjoyed having him home with us.

 

 

Here are a couple of pictures of us clowning around – making daddy the “man of the house” for sure! Waiting on him “hand and foot” so to speak.

 

 

After my grandmother (Granny) and her daughter (Aunt Jessie) moved to Albuquerque, they played an important part of my life. We were quite often over at their house, or they were at ours. I’ve always been grateful they were so close. I’ve always missed our daughters and their families, but that’s what military (and retired military) people – they usually don’t live close to their children and grandchildren. But that doesn’t stop the love flowing back and forth among us all.

 

Granny, Bill and me

Aunt Jessie, Bill and Me

Aunt Jessie and me

God has been so good to us. He allowed me to have the kind of growing-up time with my family that is so precious to me. I just hope I’ve passed some of that love to our daughters – even though we moved around quite a bit in their growing-up time.

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Christmas is About Your Eternity

7 Jan

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

 

Every day, Fred and I receive an e-mail message from Rick Warren, pastor of the Saddleback Church in California.

He brings to mind thoughts that help us through our daily lives. He brings Jesus to the forefront of our lives. But on December 24, 2017 – just a few short weeks ago, he sent a message that touched my heart. He titled it Christmas is About Your Eternity.

Here is a link to that website, so you can read it in its entirety. I wouldn’t want you to miss a word of it.

Pastor Rick really has a gift of words, and oh! how he uses them. Of course, that may be a product of his being a preacher/pastor!

But one of the most profound things he says in this message is:

God wants to share eternity with you. [emphasis mine]

From his article:

God wants to spend eternity with you, so he made the way to him simple: You believe, and you receive. You believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins, and you receive him into your life. God sent his Son to Earth 2017 years ago to die for you. That’s God’s very first Christmas gift, sent to you thousands of years before you were even born.

That is such a profound thought to me. Not only did God create me…He created me to live throughout all eternity with Him! And included in that time without time, will be my Mother, my Father, my brother, my brother’s wife, my husband, my children and their children…and all my ancestors that have believed in God as Lord and Saviour!! What a fantastic time that will be!! I am eager to see them all – and meet all those ancestors that I have only heard about!

But the best thing will be meeting my God, face to face, and knowing that He loved me so much that he sent his one and only Son to this earth to die on that cross for my sins. He took all my punishment on Himself that day. I can’t even begin to express my gratitude to Him for that. The freedom that gives me. The love that just wraps me up in its arms, is something that is beyond my comprehension!

And, as Pastor Rick says, that is a Christmas gift that is immeasurable!

My Pastor Rick Steele, Associate Pastor/Minister of Music at our church, presented a scripture to me many years ago – when I was in the midst of my cancer, and I would like to quote it here. It has meant so much to me through the years. It is a prayer of King David:

David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,

“Praise be to you, Lord,
    the God of our father Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting.
  Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
    and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
    for everything in heaven and earth is yours.”

1 Chronicles 29:10-11 (NIV)

To God be the Glory!!

 

 

 

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Tips for Christmas

31 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

 

 

(1st Corinthians 13 A Christmas Version)

I must admit – I enjoy spending time on Facebook. Okay…I spend too MUCH time on fb! But I have found some good recipes along the way, as well as some profound thoughts and ideas.

I know that Christmas for 2017 is passed, but this “newspaper” clipping was presented on fb recently, and I thought it might be something you – and I – might like to cut out, paste on the refrigerator door, and apply to Christmas 2018.

See what you think:

 

 

 

 

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Christmas is Coming!!~Part 4

24 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

 

 

More Christmas memories.

 

I have so many fond memories of my time growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

 

 

Of course, it’s all I knew – we didn’t move around, once we landed in Albuquerque. But that’s why Albuquerque is so precious to me. It is home – even though I’ve not lived there since Fred and I married – 56½ years ago! Of course, home now is wherever Fred is. And that suits me just fine.

I had a memory “flash” through my brain recently, and thought I might share it with you who read my posts.

I had a great time with my maternal grandmother.

 

 

She was “Granny” to me, not Grandmother, or Grandma, or any other of those names for Grandmother that have come about. And because I loved her so much, when our grandchildren started coming up, I said I would like to be “Granny” to them as well. My Granny lived just 10 minutes away from our house. Unfortunately, all our grandchildren are least 12 HOURS away from us. It’s a little difficult being the favorite grandmother long distance!

In any case, I remember one Christmas in particular that the gift I received from Granny was so special to me, that I’ve never forgotten it. You see, Granny was a secret smoker. I guess, back in those days (1950’s), it really wasn’t a nice thing for women to do, so she would leave the house and go smoke in the back yard behind the garage – whether ours or hers. But when she came in, she was always chewing Doublemint gum.

 

Credit Google Search

 

I’m sure she thought it covered her smokers breath. She never said she was a smoker, and we never mentioned it to her.

All that to say that, on that particular Christmas morning, when I unwrapped my Christmas gift from Granny – it was a whole BOX of Doublemint gum….just for me!!

 

Credit Google Search

She knew I loved that gum, and that present, while not all that expensive, was one from her heart to mine. She knew I would enjoy that gum so much – and she was right! I thought of her every time I took a stick of that gum and chewed it. I was sorry to get to the end of that box of gum.

Such a small memory, but a delicious one for me. One I’ve forgotten occasionally, but sometimes it just pops back into my head.

Tomorrow is Christmas Day 2017. May God’s blessings be upon all of you. May you know the JOY of being God’s child, and having the comfort and direction of the Holy Spirit living within you each and every day. May He guide your footsteps, and direct your paths to His righteousness. May you spend eternity nestled in the bosom of the one and only, loving, forever…..God Almighty! Hallelujah and Amen!!

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

 

 

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Christmas is Coming~Part 3

17 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES
Judy Wills

 

 

 

More Christmas memories.

I have always enjoyed music. I’m not a terrific pianist, but I get by. Unfortunately, I usually have to have the music sheet in front of me in order to play anything. I don’t have the gift of “playing by ear.” I wish I did, but God didn’t give me that talent.

 

 

I have always loved to sing. As I mentioned in another post, my first memory of singing was my first grade class’s Christmas program. I think I did a solo to Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. I’ve been in choirs of some sort all my life, especially the church choirs. But I was also in school choirs, as well. (Please see my post of October 16, 2016, titled Music to my Ears)

I have one Christmas musical memory that is precious to me. We were stationed at Tyndall AFB, Florida (Panama City, Florida), and I had joined the Officer Wives Club singing group. We performed for quite a few venues throughout the Christmas season, doing our Christmas music.

 

Photo credit WJHG.com
 Credit Google search

 

This one particular time, we were performing our Christmas program for anyone on Tyndall who would like to come to a concert. We did the performance in the Chapel, since it held a large number of people.

 

 

I had told Fred to bring the girls, to enjoy the concert. As I recall, they sat near the front of the Chapel. We sang quite a few songs, then I was to do a solo…I Wonder as I Wander. Since I had always done a bit of public speaking, it was my habit to look at the “audience” as I was speaking – or in this case, singing. As I looked out at the audience, I happened to look at my family. While Fred and Karen were invested in my song, when I looked at Janet (she was about five years old at this time), I nearly stopped singing for joy! Her little mouth was open to an “O” and her eyes were saucers! She was completely swept up in Mommy singing!

Perhaps she had never heard me singing before. I’m not sure. I’m only sure that she was entranced with her mother singing. The look on her face was one I’ve never forgotten. It is so precious a memory for me.

That’s one sweet Christmas memory I won’t forget.

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued through Christmas~~~~~~~~~~

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Christmas is Coming!! Part 2

10 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

 

 

More Christmas memories – but these are recent.

 

Since living in Florida, and purchasing annual passes for Disney World, one of our favorite things to do at Christmas time is to go to EPCOT and see the Candlelight Processional. We’ve done it for quite a number of years now, and have heard many and varied speakers. All of them have been inspiring to us.

 

 

If you aren’t familiar with the Candlelight Processional, it is something that Walt Disney himself envisioned (we learned this just this week during the performance), and instituted back in Disneyland in California, many, many years ago.

It is the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, narrated by a “guest” speaker – usually a known celebrity. We’ve heard such as Steven Curtis Chapman, Jim Caviezel, Brad Garrett, Trace Adkins, Gary Sinise, and others. This week we heard Jodi Benson read the story. While Brad Garrett, with his deep voice, was a delight to hear, and he did mention that it was peculiar that he was reading this story, since he is Jewish, it was still meaningful. However, to hear the story of the birth of Christ, read by someone who is a Christian, or proclaimed believer, that put an entirely different light on the story. Jodi testified that she is a believer, and she believes every word of that story and animatedly demonstrated it. She also was singing along with many of the songs. It was wonderful!!

The music the choir sings, is the same each year, but we’ve come to love each and every song they do. While many of the songs are familiar to us – some Christmas carols, some traditional Christmas songs – it is a delight to hear each one repeated each year.

This week, we had the privilege of sitting next to a gentleman who was there with his daughter. She was in the choir. Did I mention that it is a 400 voice choir? Most of those voices are made up of high school students, mostly from high schools around Florida, but some from other states. There are about 40 voices from the Walt Disney World Cast Choir, and eight from the Voices of Liberty, in addition to the high school students and a 50-piece orchestra. It is a truly magnificent performance!

 

Credit Google Search – this shows only half the choir and orchestra

In any case, this gentleman we were sitting with was on the lookout for his daughter. He told us he had told her he was going to set fire to a napkin and wave it around, so she would know where he was sitting! “No Dad!! Don’t embarrass me like that!!” Of course he was kidding. When he saw her, we saw her looking around, finally saw him and smiled. And she looked for him during the recessional – another smile. He had never seen the Candlelight Processional before, and was amazed at the performance. It was nice to see.

All these things go to make up our Christmas. It’s not just whether we get our house decorated…or the Christmas cards out in time…or who does or doesn’t come for the holiday. It’s everything taken together.

And the best part of all – is that we have the love of God in our hearts, and celebrate HIS birth for the salvation of this wretched world. We thank God He has enabled us to be His children.

 

Crosscards.com

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued through Christmas~~~~~~~~~~

 

You Tube has the complete 2016 Candlelight Processional with Jodi Benson if you would like to experience it this magnificent story.

 

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Christmas is Coming!

3 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

 

 

Now that December is upon us, it’s time for more of those Christmas memories.

In the 1970’s, when we lived in Panama City, Florida (Tyndall AFB).

Photo credit WJHG.com

 

We had a habit – for Christmas – of taking at least one week off (probably two weekends and the week in between) and driving down to Titusville, for several days with my brother, Bill (Lites – another blogger), and his family. We always had a great time with them, and the cousins were able to renew friendship with each other. Karen and Renie (Charlene), being the oldest in the families, seemed to latch onto each other, while

Janet and Billy did the same. After some days there, we would drive across the peninsula to Clearwater to spend a few Christmas days with Fred’s parents in their “retirement” condominium. They hadn’t actually retired yet, but kept the condo for vacation purposes.

Credit Google search

 

I remember one Christmas especially. It was in 1976. We were planning on our annual Christmas trip to Titusville and Clearwater – when Janet (five years old at the time) came down with a fairly light case of chickenpox! She and I must have been exposed at the same time, because I came down with a VERY light case of shingles on my back at the same time. When Fred was a child and had the chickenpox, he apparently scratched a couple of the blisters on his face, resulting in a couple of “holes” or scars – one on each cheek. When Janet’s blisters erupted on her face, I held her up to her daddy and said, “see those scars on daddy’s face? (She nodded her head yes) If you don’t want those scars on your face – DON’T SCRATCH THEM!” Fortunately, she followed instructions quite well, and never had any scars on her face. Other parts of her body? Not sure!

I called Bill and DiVoran, and asked if everyone in their family had already had the chickenpox. DiVoran’s question was: “why? Are you bringing it down to us?” When I explained about Janet and myself, they both assured us that they were immune to that particular disease. So we made our trip, and all was well.

 

 

As just a side note about chickenpox – Karen never came down with the chickenpox at that time. She seemed to be exposed and exposed through the years, but it wasn’t until she was 14 years old that she actually caught the disease – much to her distress!

I’ll post other Christmas memories in future musings.

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued through Christmas~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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