An Introduction

I am new at this blogging thing, but I've been reading so many blogs lately and have found them to be a source of encouragement, laughter, tears, and strength. I hope that by doing this blog, I will record some memories for my family, leave bits of my heart for others, and share the blessing it has been to me to be a part of a large family.

I have two wonderful parents who I've come to love and appreciate more and more throughout my adult years. They have been married since October 1956. Almost 52 years! That's a testimony in itself. By now you know that throughout those years they created 11, count them 11, children! I can rattle their names off in long or short form in a matter of seconds...

Cathy
Jim
Sue
Val
Dennis
Jacquie
Darren
Robert
Sharon
Kevin
Kristin

(Cath, Jim, Sue, Val, Den, Jacq, Dar, Rob, Shar, Kev, Kris)


I am the middle kid ... five older than me, five younger than me. I used to try to use that to make my Mom feel bad about whatever ailed me at the time... "It's cuz I'm the middle kid," I'd say. And she'd reply that just about all of us were "the middle kid" at one time or another and that was not the reason I wasn't getting my way about whatever it was.

My parents were both born in Canada and moved the same summer during their teen years to California where they met. My Dad and Mom both have pretty large families. Dad has six siblings and Mom has five. When Mom was largely pregnant with me, they moved to Placentia, California, where I was born. I lived in the same house for 13 years, until my Dad made the decision to move all of us to Arkansas - to the Ozark Mountains! They are still living in their house on the hill ... it's just the two of them now in the big house, but there's plenty of room for our family get-togethers.


I married in 1982 and my husband, David, and I have two sons. Kale is our oldest and Tyler, our youngest. They bring us so much joy and we look forward to all the blessings they will bring in our future.