The Hawaii Grahams: Summer Vacation -- Part Cinque

One of the good things about staying at Grandmama's house are all the playmates and toys around. For those of you who didn't know, my mom keeps kids in her house. I will not lie, I haven't always enjoyed it. Despite the help it provides with my kids, there were also little hellions, runny noses, early delivery of kids, etc. that really annoyed me. This summer is a different story.

With the exception of one child, I either know or are connected to all the kids who are here. Elizabeth (Boo) is the daughter of a girl I went through preschool-HS and to church with; Ella and Vivian are the daughters of a boy I went to school and a frat brother of Jasen's; I played basketball with Chandler's mom and dated a few of her dad's friends; Charleigh's dad was a frat brother of Jasen's and knows a ton of people we know; Brinley's dad was at TSU when we were and also had a crush on my friend, Emily (I think); and Boston's mom was a friend of Angie's who I have known since she was a newborn.

Grace and Ella, Case's daughter

Davis and Charleigh, Ashley and Arlen's daughter

Vivian (Case's daughter), Hailey, Chandler (Shawna and Jody's daughter)

Brinley (Reggie's daughter) and Boston (Mikah's son)

It really does make a difference to know the kids who are around. It makes me want to spend a little time with them and get to know them. Besides, they are kids whose parents know us and I like for my kids to play with kids whose parents are people who have known us forever. It's a different kind of bond than we have with most of the friends we have now.

Last week, we went with my dad to visit my uncle Brad. Actually, Brad is my dad's uncle, my great-uncle. He is the younger brother of my dad's mom, Wylene and was instrumental to us moving to S'ville.

The kids and Uncle Brad

Uncle Brad and my dad shoot the bull

Uncle Brad's longtime secretary (almost 50 yrs!!!), Joanna, allowed Grace to play on her typewriter.

Uncle Brad helps Davis stuff his pockets with penny candy. Guess where that candy ended up? In the bottom of Grandmama's washer!

Close to time when I was born, Dad decided he didn't want to raise his family in west Texas anymore. So he looked around for a job. He'd actually secured the job as the city attorney in Weatherford and I think he and Mom had either purchased a house or were in the process.

Then, Uncle Brad let Dad know that the Savings and Loan in Stephenville needed an in-house attorney. Dad said it really helped him out because, like the job in Weatherford, it gave him a built-in salary while he developed his own practice. Dad and Mom decided they liked S'ville and the rest is history. Can you imagine I was almost a Kangaroo? I can't imagine how different my life would have been had I grown up there. Wonder if I would have thought Jasen was cute when he was senior and I was in 8th grade? Too funny!

Our visit with Uncle Brad went well and later that day, I went to see my cousin, Blake, Brad's grandson, who recently relocated to the 'ville with his family and is establishing his own law practice.

That same day, the kids and I took a stroll down memory lane. We toured the house I spent most of my formative years in. It's up for sale and sitting empty so I took the bull by the horns and went to look at it. It's changed but not that much. I got to show the kids my old room(s) and have a moment in each of them. We moved into that house right after my sister, Katie, was born, before I turned 3. It had all these windows across the front and our old house was around the block. I can remember standing in the windows of my new house, gazing at my old house, asking when we were going hom. My mom thinks she and my dad bought the house for around $50K in 1979. Now it's asking price is over $200k. Isn't that nuts??

This would be the living room at 1216 Meadowlark Lane