Graduation!!!!!

One week ago today, our first-born graduated from Harding University with a BBA degree in Finance. It has been a long, hard road for him and it would be a huge understatement to say that I am proud of him. He has been sidetracked with knee surgery, a job, changing his major, and various other distractions, but he stuck it out all the way to the finish line. He even had a job lined up before he graduated, and in today's economy that is an admirable accomplishment! The night before the graduation ceremony, we honored him with a dinner with family and a few close friends.
Way to go, Taylor!! We can hardly wait to see your next achievement, and we love you very much.

Best April Fool Ever!

April 1 will never be the same for me again. Let's go back to the year before last on March 31. Do you remember what you were doing? I do. It had been almost four months since my daughter's wedding and I was nearly over the shock of that. Then we heard that our new son-in-law (The Marine) was going to be deployed to Iraq later that year for seven months. My husband was out of town on a business trip and so I was sitting in my living room, all alone, working on some project when my phone rang at 11:30 pm. People don't typically call me at 11:30 pm with good news. It was my precious daughter, sounding slightly panicked. She quickly asked me for confirmation that those home pregnancy tests can be wrong. Gulp. Welllllll (I stretched the word out as 467 million thoughts ran through my head) I think that if they show negative they can be wrong, but if they show positive they are usually correct - why do you ask????? She asked because she had tested herself twice since her friend thought her symptoms sounded like she was pregnant and my daughter was going to prove her friend wrong. As I was talking over the speaker with Mr. and Mrs. Newlywed Marine, I took the opportunity to be the first to congratulate them. And I may have strongly reminded them that we were closing in on April Fool's Day and this was NOT a good idea for a joke. Little did we know what an exciting surprise God was preparing for them and us in their beautiful baby girl!

Bangs

Why did I want bangs? Because they look so cute on other people. So I got them. Now I remember why I grew them out the last time. I'm hoping that if I put this in writing, the next time I forget how much I hate having bangs, it will serve as a reminder to NOT do it!

Elbert and Roxie Mae

Elbert and Roxie Mae Tubbs' 50th Wedding Anniversary Photo taken in 1961

The names on this headstone are those of my father's parents, Elbert Marion Tubbs and Roxie Mae Parsons Tubbs. Roxie Mae married Elbert when she was very young. Elbert already had three children by his first wife, Josie Ann Ensley Tubbs. Elbert and Josie were married on Christmas Day, 1901 and Josie died in 1909. Roxie Mae married Elbert in 1911, and became "mother" to 14 children, including her 11 biological children with Elbert, and I have heard many times how she loved Josie's children as if they were her own.

Roxie Mae died the day after I was born, and I often wondered how stressful all of that must have been for my family. Imagine my surprise when one of my sisters told me her memories, and how having a new baby in the house (me) was the one bright spot during that dark time! Elbert died when I was a teenager, so I am thankful for the memories of him that I carry in my heart. He was a good, gentle man and he could tell really long stories.


My Aunt Bethel recently told me about the nicknames Elbert would use for his children: Virgil's nickname was "Pete" and Bethel's nickname was "Wildcat". It is beyond my understanding why anyone with 14 children to name would also come up with nicknames for them!

At a family reunion a few years ago, I was chatting with a distant relative from an older generation. She told me how much fun they had at the reunions long ago, back when "Uncle Ebb and Aunt Mae were here". That really touched me! It sounds like I missed some good times. I think I need to get busy creating memories that my loved ones can hold onto after I'm gone!

Time Marches On...

It's March already? How did that happen? It felt good to walk the pathway that circles Rice University this morning. First time in a while. We didn't make it all the way around, instead we stayed close to where we parked in case the clouds decided to unload on us.

Last Thursday I woke up to sad news. I had been regularly checking on a dear family friend, Don Vinzant, since I got the word that he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma last month. My dad was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2001, so I am familiar with this devastating disease. It usually causes intense pain and suffering to patients fighting it and it is a diagnosis you never want to hear. Don passed away peacefully March 10, 2011. I am thankful that his suffering was not extended, and at the same time I feel the ache in my heart for his family and friends who will miss him so much. He devoted his life to serving God and leading others to God through Christ. It was a blessing to have known him and to have him perform our wedding in 1983. Don and his precious wife, Carol, have touched many lives and I know Carol will continue without him, but I don't know how. It is my prayer that each person whose life was touched by Don will step up and emulate what he made look so effortless.

The next day, Friday, before I turned on the news I received a call from my sister. The first thing she told me was that my daughter in Japan was OK. That's always good to know, but I wanted to know why she felt the need to call me to say this. (Well - I think I actually yelled at her to tell me what was going on, but I did call her back later to apologize.) Then she told me about the earthquake in Japan, and that when I saw the pictures on the news it would scare me. She was right. I asked her to call mom and warn her not to worry about our family when she turned on her TV. When we hung up, I turned on my TV to the horrible scenes of the earthquake and tsunami. And prayed. And tried to call my daughter. Over and over. And wrote on her FaceBook wall how thankful I was that they were OK. And how I couldn't get a phone call through to her. And then I got an email from my daughter, telling me to turn on Skype. Oh yeah. So I signed on, and as her image appeared on my computer screen I was finally able to breathe again.

I am not going to ask, "what next?" My son took off by himself this morning from Arkansas, driving almost to our border with Canada to pick up a trailer and deliver it to Houston. He assures me he will be fine...

Video of my trip to Japan

The Hills Head to Japan!

During the last half of September, my daughter's family came to spent a couple of weeks with us before going back home to NC to pack up and leave for Japan. We tried to get in as many family visits as we could, and I think we did a pretty good job! This is my mom and sister getting ready for a farewell dinner that they put together.
When my daughter's family flew out of Houston to go home, I went with them. Hey, somebody had to watch the little one so they could focus on getting packed. We stayed so busy and had a ton of fun. A few days before they left for Japan, the rest of the grandparents came to bid them farewell.
After a super long trip they finally arrived in Japan and seem to be settling in. I just got an email from her saying that the first shipment of their belongings should arrive tomorrow morning. Since they left, they have been living out of whatever they could bring in their suitcases. The last shipment, which has their furniture and remaining items, should arrive in the next few weeks.

I know I'm bragging, but I have the best husband ever! He told me that for my Christmas gift this year, he would give me a trip to Japan that I could use whenever I want!!! After talking it over, it was decided that I will leave Houston on November 30, arriving in Hiroshima December 1 and stay until December 9. That way I can be there to celebrate a very special first birthday on December 2, babysit for a very important second wedding anniversary date and also when their final shipment arrives, and celebrate whatever else we can think of. I am really looking forward to my trip, although at the same time a little anxious!