photos! :)

We had a great time in Indiana ... always wish we could stay just a bit longer since the time goes by so very quickly. Been missing everyone in my family this week and thinking about my childhood. Thought I'd share a few photos and reminisce a bit. :) :) Yes, I may be a bit young to do much reminiscing ... but I really should write some things down before I forget it all (from losing brain cells --lol)!!! Above is my mother and I ... she took off her glasses so I could see if we looked alike. Hmm ... I still think I mostly look like Dad. I think it's my nose.
Below is my sister and I ... when we were younger, people always got us mixed up and sometimes even thought we were twins (even though we were 4 1/2 yrs apart). Now that we're older, we don't look as much alike (???). I still think we have the same kind of nose though. [I know this sounds funny]

While we were visiting old sites of interest in Plymouth, Indiana, we stopped to let the kids play at the park. The old equipment I remember playing on was no longer there and most everything was new. Well, this old slide [in photo] was still there--I do remember this slide. :) :) I was hoping the old "Witch's Hat" would be there at the park, but it was gone (too bad --- probably a child got smashed so they got rid of it). I LOVED riding on the Witch's Hat when I was a girl! It was so much fun! The hat shaped contraption whirled round & round as well as back and forth as it bounced off the middle pole (w rubber tires) which held it in place. It was much more fun than the merry-go-round. My kids will never get to experience the thrill for themselves. Oh well ....

Scroll down to see a photo of the church we attended when I was a child. We attended there until the mid-80's when the congregation moved to a different location further out into the country. Many, many good memories on Pearl street in Plymouth. This is the place where I flipped over & over the railing and played along the sidewalks/side of church with my friends. Since my parents were leaders in the church, we would often arrive early, which explains why I'd play before church started. No, this building is no longer a church-- now it's someones residence. I really would have liked to have gone inside ....

If I remember correctly (when it was still a church), there was a nursery for nursing and/or sleeping babies on the left hand side as you walked in, and a place to hang coats on the right. I used to play with the coat hangers. This was also the area where mom would take me for spankings during church. I remember it vividly!!! lol! :) :) Believe it or not, I was a restless little girl and remember being taken to the coat area quite frequently. A story my mom has shared with me is that I moved around so much during service, the pastor finally asked my parents to change seats because I was distracting him during his preaching. lol! :) :) Mom says that even when I was sitting, I'd move a foot or leg back and forth ... I was never quite still.

Ok ... back to the inside of the old church .... once you walked thru the coat area/nursery, you came to the sanctuary, and at the back of the sanctuary were steps that went down to the basement. Sunday school classrooms were in the basement, and I recall running all over the place downstairs (remember, we were often at church before service began... and then often stayed past service time as well. Lots of opportunity to run around in the basement). :) :)

One Sunday school teacher had a very large tin container of crayons. I still remember that overwhelming Crayola smell before class started.... and the coloring pages I'd color ... :)

There was a room in the basement where the youth met, and once when I was --maybe 8??-- not quite old enough for the youth group, a friend and I eavesdropped near the open door. The youth leader asked my older sister a Bible Trivia question, and I knew the answer to it. While my sister hesitated, I shouted out the answer, and then ran away from the door, giggling with my friend [I'm not certain what my friend & I were doing down there]. :)

Alright ... taking you back upstairs to the sanctuary, the windows were stained glass, the pews were hard wood, and I was too young to sit with my older siblings during song service while Dad led the singing and Mom played the organ. Mom sat me in a little Sunday school chair -- right beside her organ. When I began leaning over to wave at the audience, mom moved me to the other side of the organ where I could not see anyone. Now that I'm a mother myself, I'm amazed that I stayed in that little chair the whole time!! wow!! Mom continued to do this, until I was old enough to sit with my brother and sister without getting into any mischief. :)

I think I was around 3 or 4 years of age when I finally sat with my siblings during song service.

I also recall singing with my mom while sitting with her on the organ bench. Several years ago, my grandma Pletcher told me that it had tickled her to see me, at age two, singing special songs right along with my mom. I believe my older sister would have been singing with us too. Mom started us both singing so early, I cannot remember when we even "began" singing together.

I remember the singing and music more than the preaching ... I hope it wasn't because I was busy writing notes and drawing pictures to my parents (and a boy I liked) during church. I was in about 3rd or 4th grade when the congregation moved away from this building, by the way.
I began following along in my own Bible and taking notes, around 4th grade. God changed my heart and gave me a desire to follow him, somewhere around 4th grade.

Oh the memories .... :) :) :) I'm also thankful for God's hand on my life ... only He could have transformed my heart. :) :)

And ... last but not least .... above is the house I lived in from age 18 mos. to 6 years. Wonderful memories!! I had two neighborhood friends ... a boy and a girl. The neighbor boy always said he was going to marry me someday. lol! Funny how things are when you're kids. :) :)

Well, I think this has been enough of my memories for one blog post. :)

My next post will be in the present day here and now .... some decisions we've made as a family and how we plan to cope with it all. lol! :) Stay tuned!