Family Reunion - Part 1

This year’s Waller Family Reunion was in memory of my great uncle, G. B. Waller. Uncle G. B. died fairly young, in fact, very few of us even remember him as a person. However, his legacy we all know well. He didn’t have any children, but he influenced an entire generation of my family with his kindness and integrity. He was Roy Rogers and John Wayne characters personified. He was a real cowboy, who, by example, taught the boys to be men and the girls what qualities to look for in a man.

Family Reunion - Part 2

Frank, Judy, Kandi, Jarrod did a great job hosting!

There was talking, laughing, eating, & drinking....

...there was singing and dancing (quality karaoke!)...

...there was a surprising upset in the Big Daddy Texas Hold 'Em (way to go, Amy!)...

...and there the were usual things that only really make sense to us! After all, that's what makes us FAMILY!!

Happy Birthday Granny O!

Today, we went to Austin to celebrate Mark's Grandma, Rosa Lee Oehler's 9oth birthday! It was a nice afternoon. If you have ever had the chance to meet Grandma, you know she is one cool lady! She had cancer in her mouth this past year and she never even thought about not doing the radiation/chemo. Just as she predicted, her last report was good and now she can get on with her life. I hope that I can have such a great attitude and so much spunk when I am 90!

Life's a Beach!

This is my friend Jayd. We had a "super" time in Port Aransas last weekend!! (yuck, yuck!) We are so blessed to have good friends to play with!

Before and After

Our Spring project is in full swing. This not the final after, but you get the idea!

Before:

After:

Ain't God Cool?

My camera couldn't get this awesome rainbow in one shot. The rains came, but as promised so did the rainbow.

I like this one too, shot it on the way back from taking pictures at our creek. We have an excellent thistle crop this year (yuck), but they have attracted the pretty butterflies.

"How High's the Water Papa?"

Here are some pictures of the Memorial Day weekend flood:

These are the of the little creek behind the hotel.

This is Mark's workshop at the hotel. Notice the driftline.

The dry creek behind the house...also had an impressive drift line.

Can you help me?

Okay, here's what I need help with...Can any of you remember exactly when I became my parents? I'm not really sure. I was home the weekend before Mother's Day, and so I ended up mailing my Mom her gift. I found a set of cups, plates, and bowls in four different colors, matching place mats and some really cute shower curtain hooks (noticed some of hers were broken when I was there). {By the way, this was not a lame gift, because we are not real big on flowers and candy but really appreciate when someone finds the perfect gift to suit our taste or fill a need}Anyway, when she got the package, she called to ask me to please "get of my head!" She had just come from the store where she had gotten the dishes. She also had the curtain hooks in the basket, but realized she left her checkbook at home and didn't have enough cash, so she put them back.
This is not the first time we've done this we've had the same tennis shoes, microwave, outfits, earrings, etc. The clothes aren't always the same colors, but other than that they are exactly the same.
Now, my Dad. While I was still living at home, my Dad would drive me nuts with the TV. He is a remote control hog and he yells at the sports teams and argues with the newcasters. It is really annoying! The other day, I was watching the news and Mark came in from outside. He asked me who I was yelling at...oops! I didn't even realize I was doing it.
I guess that's how life is. I hope that I have picked up as many of their good things as the bad. By the way, if you would like to change the channel at my house, let me know and I'll do it for you!

Girl's Weekend '07

Every year
When March gets here
This crazy group of four,
Goes up and down
The streets of town
Walking from store to store

We look for things
Like birthstone rings
Candles, antiques, and such
It’s kind of funny
When it comes to money
We really don’t spend that much

And when the bunch
Sits down for lunch
One rule is always clear
We must eat
Some place neat
Where we didn’t eat last year

We used to chat
Of this and that
Of rumors, clothes, and guys
Now we talk
As we shop and walk
Of dear old friendship ties

Of recipes tried
Classmates who died
The best ways to invest
The kids, the spouse
Of cleaning house
We hardly stop to rest

The weekend flies
We say goodbye
I’m always kind of blue
But also glad
For the time I had
With true friends like you

Snow Day

The weatherman said, “snow and ice”
Yea! A snow day’s just what we need!
You build a fire - I’ll make a stew,
We’ll watch TV all day and read.

And so we rented movies,
I bought hot chocolate and a book.
Then we rushed home to hibernate.
The sky had a cold, grey look.

The novel was a good page turner.
Too dramatic to simply put down.
I pictured us in the leading roles:
Two lost souls that love had found.

The hero was strong and handsome.
The lady so sweet and so dear.
They pledged their love with words
That were musical to my ears.

What can I say? I’m a sap,
A hopeless romantic at heart.
I would lovingly glance at my darling
When I read the really sweet parts.

One time I looked his way.
And there my true love sat.
Clipping his toenails, drinking a beer,
And scratching the head of our cat.

It may not be quite what I’d pictured;
Certainly not a good story line.
But to tell you the truth, it’s perfect.
I love him and it suits me just fine.

The Sometimes Sunday Several

Just the thought of a Thursday Thirteen makes me shudder, and truthfully five on Friday is a stretch, too. Maybe I'm just a free spirit. We'll see how long the Sometimes Sunday Several goes - haha! Let's see...

Favorite Christmas Songs

1. Holy Night - Martina McBride's version gives me chill bumps.
2. There's A New Kid in Town - I perfer George Strait (yes, I am still talking about songs! LOL)
3. Away in a Manger - any little kids choir verson will do.

Hey, that was kind of fun. Maybe I'll try again next Sunday.

In Memory

In this year that’s nearly done.
Many saints the victory won.

Some were young and in their prime
And some had lived a long, long time.

We were sad at every loss,
And yet, assured, due to the Cross.

I’ve heard our sorrow’s a selfish thing
And to that thought, some truth does ring.

The glorious place at journey’s end,
Our earthly minds can’t comprehend.

The Bible tells of streets of gold,
But still we long for them to hold.

Our loved ones have found joy and peace,
And from life’s burdens found release.

The truth in life we may not see
The reasons why each thing must be

But, we must submit unto God’s plan,
And know in heaven we’ll understand.

A trick to life is to watch and learn;
From everything some wisdom earn.

And though I shed many tears,
This is what I learned this year:

No matter how wealthy, common, or plain,
Our life’s best lived in Jesus name.

When we answer to His call,
Our lives are great though we are small.

So remember these with a grateful heart.
For who we are they played a part.

Willie Bruton
Cora Bruton
Pat Waller
Barbara Cockerham
Doug Bruton
Robert Walker
Caron Parker
Dolly Parker
Nila McMahon
Nila Walker

Busy October

We have had a busy October! Here are some pictures to catch yall up on all the fun we've had:



Here's Kim, Karen, and me at Williams Area Mary Kay Retreat. This is my favorite Mary Kay event of the year. It's in Hunt, Texas, which only about 40 miles from our house, but it's so nice and peaceful down along the river that it seems like a million miles away!



We've been teaching Lakota new tricks! (see how much she has grown!) We also got meet Mark's brother's wife, Sharon and his little girl Kelsey. Kelsey and Lakota played ball all evening. Ah, the energy of a puppy and a two year old.



Felina & Mark got to hunt a porcupine. Felina did most of the work and I kept the quills for keepsakes.



The Harper High School Class of 1991 had their 15 Year Class reunion. This picture is with spouses and kids at the BBQ on Saturday - We had a great time!

Uncle Don Sir Paramedic was passing through town for work and Mark and I got to eat lunch/supper with him and his partner, Pat. Lubbock to Austin and back in one day is a long way - glad they had time to stop by. By the way, I've never hung out with guys whose main concern is where to park the ambulance - that was interesting.

Not everything that happened this October has been fun. Our little town has lost more than 15 citizens this year. We've been to a lot of funerals and October was no exception.

Oh, yeah - I forgot to mention a trip to the State Fair of Texas and to see Mom and Dad. Lots of studying. Working. Builing a "doggy duplex". Football Friday. (No wonder we're tired! Ha Ha) Hope everyone is enjoying fall as much as we are!

Room with a View

I realize that this may sound a little "red-neck"
but my farovite spot on our place is the deck.

It's old dog Felina's favorite spot too,
and the home of Mark's manly-man bar-b-q.

It's a good place to watch the pretty sun rise
and to sit in awe of God's stars in the skies.

Scurry Cat thinks is the best place to nap,
especially curled up in some sucker's lap.

It's a great place to laugh, and to drink, and have fun,
And handy at times to sight in your gun.

It doesn't have flowers, because sheep like to graze,
but it's a good place to tan on warm summer days.

Another great thing is the hill country view
Rolling hills, deer, and wild turkeys, too.

So if you happen to find yourself down our way-
Come sit on the deck and enjoy your stay.

The Choice

The world below
Or God above
Choose to hate
Or choose to love.

Choose to fear
With each new day,
Or choose to seek
And find the Way.

Choose to dance
Or choose to sing
Or choose to whine
About everything

Choose to give
Or choose to take.
To let life pass
Or to partake.

Be both filled
And then poured out
Of all God’s blessings
Brought about.

The choice is yours
With each new morn,
Live for the purpose
Which you were born.

Life’s not magic
No hocus pocus
The key is where
You put the focus.

How Lakota Got Her Name

This is our new friend Lakota. Her daddy belonged to our really good friends and he was shot right after she and her 9 brothers and sisters were conceived. His name was Boker. For those of you, like me, who are not up to current on your sporting goods, Boker is a brand of knife. As you know we are into collecting Indian artifacts (arrowheads, knives, etc.). Well, Lakota is the name of a tribe of Souix Indians and it is another brand name of a knife. The really cool part is the Indian word 'lakota' means friend or ally. And that's how Lakota got her name.

She is a Border Collie and I am pretty sure she is smarter than Mark and I already! She and Felina are slowly making friends. Felina went to sniff around the new pen that was built for the puppy and then looked at her as if to say "Amateur, this would NEVER have held me in" - which is true! Now the cats, that's another story all together. No love lost either way!

Cheerleaders

This week I was invited by my young friends to watch the end-of-cheer-camp pep rally. It was really cute and short and a nice way to spend an evening. I really do love cheerleaders! I loved the Kindergarten group they were cute as can be, and most of them weren't in step at all! I loved the 5-6 grade group- they were good and even did a dance! I love the high school and college cheerleaders I've known and I've always admired their ability and athleticism. However, my favorite cheerleaders of all are the ones who will never be named homecoming queen!

This week I also got a card in the mail. It was from Mom, and a note on the front corner said, "just 'cause." Those are the best cards! It means some one was thinking about you on a day that they weren't obligated to do so, like they are on your birthday. It also means they took an effort to buy a card, look up your address, find a stamp and put it in the mail. It is a BIG deal! It was a card of encouragement about a goal I have. That is my favorite kind of cheerleader. Parents, scout leaders, youth directors, little league coaches, teachers, the list goes on and on.

I like to think of myself as a cheerleader. I really get jazzed cheering someone on! When they win, it's like it's your victory, too. It is a great feeling. That is why I go to other people's kid's little league games and cheer camp pep rallies, why I type Mark's college papers, why I cry at graduations, why I love selling Mary Kay, and probably why I LOVE football! If you aren't already, try being someone's cheerleader. It will mean the world to them and you come out feeling pretty awesome, too.

Remember, in the words of the principal in the movie GREASE, "If you can't be an athelete, be an athletic supporter!" (yuck, yuck!)

Gold Star Program

Hmm... (don't freak out, but..) I've been thinking!

Did your Mom ever make a chart or something with all the things she wanted you to do? You know like brush your teeth, make your bed, take out the trash, ect. Then when you would do it you would get a gold star and then when there were "x" number of stars you would get a prize. She was trying to develop good habits for you. Growing up in church I've always heard about having stars in your crown. Turns out God and Mom kinda sorta have the same reward system! Only His gifts are way, way better. Wouldn't it be great if your J-O-B had a system like this? Maybe, call 5 customers - get a star. Or, file this huge stack of papers - get a star. Or, even solve a problem or land an account - get a star.

I've been thinking of coming up with my own star program. I've thought of some habits I need to make and some I need to break. For example: drink more water, complain less, exercise more, pick up my shoes out of the living room, etc. When I get 1000 stars I may go to San Antonio shopping, or go get a massage, or ???

My questions for discussion are these: If you had your own star program, what would you be able to earn stars for doing or not doing? And what would your reward be?

What I learned...

Well, when you spend time with family you always learn more about who you are and where you come from. Sometimes that can be scary...Seriously, though, here is what I learned this year:

We learned from James that when someone says "get a camera, the fish is big", we should listen.

We learned from Scott Mc that when you catch a fish that big, it's hard to keep from grinning.

We learned from Randall that stunt driving is not a good profession or hobby.

We learned from Sharon that "happy hour" is a happy, happy time.

We learned that Scott G was brave enough to pass the "new husband" test and we are glad to have him in the bunch.

We learned from Frank & Judy that the distance from Whitney to Dumas is just a phone call and a lot of cell minutes away.

We learned that kids really do grow and change a lot in a year's time.

We learned from Aunt Ruby that splashing in the lake is fun at any age.

We learned that Jared and Peyton are not completely sane (night time cliff jumping) and why Kelly and Kandy must develop nerves of steel.

We learned from the son-in-laws that even though it's like a thousand degress outside meat cooked on the grill is worth the sweat!

And most importantly we were reminded that as different as we all are - it's great to have family!! Love you guys!

Family

This weekend is my family reunion. We are looking forward to a fun time even though in the last 2-3 weeks one has had a major heart attack, one has had a stroke, and one was in a car wreck and has a broken neck. None of these should have survived, but by God's grace all are on the mend. We also have two new husbands to break in- uh, I mean welcome to the family. Basically, we have a whole lot to be thankful for! A little while back I wrote a poem about my Granny. She is not well enough to attend the reunion this year, so I thought I'd share it with y'all.

My Granny

My Granny has a servant’s heart
It’s the legacy she’ll leave
Many stars adorn her crown
On that you can believe.

Her life of serving started,
When she was still quiet young
Her mom was sick an in the bed
Leaving chores and little ones.

So my Granny had to grow up fast
Be strong and take the lead
Of ironing, washing, cooking
For the family she must feed

Then there came September
Of Nineteen Forty-One
When she said “I do”, she knew
Exactly what she’d done.

JW joined the Army
As the men did in that day
When he left to serve they knew
A child was on the way.

Next they moved to Dallas
To partake of city life
President of P.T.A.
Good mother, loving wife.

Life was kind of hectic
She was almost forty-one
And that is when she found out
God’s blessings were not done.

I guess things are different now
From how they were back then
But if family needed help,
Sometimes they just moved in.

And if they couldn’t come to her
Then she would go and stay,
Take care of them ‘til they were strong
And then be on her way.

After sixty years of marriage
Bad health put him to bed
My Granny held on dearly
To the vows she once had said.

So when he needed constant care
My Granny went along
The thought of living someplace else
To her, it just seemed wrong.

I know it seems that work, work, work
Was all she had to do,
But my Granny knew a secret
That I will share with you.

It’s really very simple,
You don’t have to be too smart
The secret to a happy life
Is to be a child at heart

So she’d play with you for hours
Cross-legged on the floor
Pretty dolls and plastic men
Great fun you can be sure

That’s why the kids a walking
In the from-school-to-home parade
Would often stop and have a snack
Or glass of lemonade

I know I won’t inherit
Fancy cars or diamond rings
But I’ve come to see
The best things in life aren’t things

Of all the gifts she gave to us
The best we could receive
Is a servant’s heart like Granny’s
That’s the legacy she’ll leave.