A trip down memory lane

It's the time of year that a lot of people know as "decoration" time. We never missed these weekends when we were growing up. Now so many of those that we went with or to visit are gone and it is left up to my generation to keep the tradition going. Detra, Isaiah, Isaac, Whitney and I took decoration flowers to put on Daddy's family graves at New Bethel Cemetery just outside of Plainview.

We drove on into Plainview and visited Granny Norman's house. So many childhood memories there. We drove around several places in Plainview including GrannyNorman's Methodist Church and even tried to find the old scary bridge on Sunlight Bay but the road was flooded so we turned around!

We made our way to Briggsville to New Zion Cemetery where Uncle Charlie Castleberry is buried. The boys put flowers on his grave.

Then we headed to Aunt Edith's house where Ma Sims and Dad Sims used to live in Steve, Arkansas.

After a nice lunch with her and with the boys being so very well-behaved, she took time to talk about our family genealogy with us and showed us her books that she has worked countless hours on. The family history in this old house, the old front porch, and just the grounds surrounding were almost overwhelming with melancholy sentimental feelings. Although it was another lifetime ago,  it seems the time that we spent here as children made such an impression on each of our lives. I can remember dreading going to ma & dad sims' because I had rather be with my friends not a bunch of family. How thankful I am that Mother and Daddy made us go ...to meet these people, to know this home and for us to realize it's all a part of who we are. Hopefully soon, we can take our families to meet Aunt Edith and to see Ma and Dad Sims' homestead in Steve Arkansas! For it is who they are as well!

Spring pics, decoration and Mothers's Day

We have end of school field trips, group pictures....

 First grade programs....

  second grade end of school awards

" Hey I'm cool"

 Speeches

 first grade end of school awards.

 Detra, Whitney, me and the two little boys went to my great aunts for "decoration". I am supposing you know what that is. Happy boys when we started.

 discovering an old shed

 worn out boys on our way home. They played hard and we all had a very good time visiting with my aunt.

On Mother's Day we had the first water fun of the season thanks to Aunt Jessica

potty training chart (doing so good)

new puppies

and lastly cookies and milk after school. Fun times, busy times.

Here we go!

It is finally becoming a reality. Something I wasn't quite sure would really ever happen.