Long ago . . .oh so far away. . .

Just got back from a two week vacation with my old (and present)sweetheart, Tom.  Here we are just after we'd first moved to Houston. We'd been married about three years with no kids yet.

This was probably in 1972 or 73. . .long ago.

We look like times were rough. . .
we were just starting out in

this big city, far from our old home in Mt. Carmel, IL. 

It was hard being so far from our folks, especially for me. 

(Mom and Dad had been here and were leaving when this picture was taken. . .you can see I wasn't a happy camper.)

I know I made it rough for Tom because I'd cry missing home and he'd have to live with my sorrow.

 I felt upset that he'd moved me way down here. . .

but it was for our good.

Last week we returned to our old home town and enjoyed seeing family and friends.   I've been out of high school for forty years now and didn't recognize many of my fellow students at our class reunion.  Forty years certainly made some changes. These people looked so much older than Tom and I. . .but they were thinking the same thing about us. Life is full of changes.  We also visited some of Tom's old classmates and enjoyed talking to them.  I was happy to find that many of the kids in our classes were married to their original spouses.  My old school friends are still a part of my life, but we all have different goals that cause us to have different focuses.

God is so good.  I am so blessed to have a husband who loves me and loves the Lord. I am blessed to have children and grand children who serve the Lord and honor his values.  I am blessed with so many friends with the same vision I have in life! I am so thankful.