CELEBRATING OUR 43RD!

OUR 43RD ANNIVERSARY-JULY 31

KIMMIE IS 42! HAPPY BIRTHDAY

and while he was playing college basketball for the Razorbacks. . . . .

she was supporting her college team, the Little Rock University Trojans.

while he was playing high school basketball. . . . . .

at North Little Rock High School,

she was supporting her Mabelvale Lions basketball team, following them to every game and loving every minute of watching them play.

and while he was attending McRae Elementary in North Little Rock. . . . . . .

This is the Safety Patrol at McRae Elementary. Larry is the

second from the right on the back row.

__________________________________________________________________

She was attending elementary school at Pratt Elementary in Malvern, AR, Paron Elementary in Paron, AR, and David O. Dodd Elementary in Little Rock, AR.

Why did Mother cut my bangs every year the day of picture taking? LOL


And she always got one side higher than the other and would then have to even them up which made them much shorter than I normally wore them. Of course it didn't help any that she was using sewing scissors.

Note the beads!

Oh, those precious beads! I can't believe it--didn't get my bangs cut!

and while he was going to Olan Mills to have his picture taken. . . . . .

she was going to Olan Mills to have her picture taken. . . . . .

to be continued. . . . . .

and while he was being a big brother to Mike. . . . .

she was being a little sister to Johnny.

to be continued. . . . . .

ONCE UPON A TIME IN 1942 A LITTLE BABY BOY WAS BORN. . . . .

was born to Gene and Owen Hogue in North Little Rock AR.

Two years later in 1944, a daughter was born to Boyd and Glenna Faye McDaniel in Malvern, AR. Here I am--Elizabeth Dianne--this is the only baby picture I have. My father was in faraway India when I was born as you can see from the letter below.

the second paragraph says, "I'm so excited tonite. I finally got a letter telling about the birth of Elizabeth Dianne." I was born on September 10 and this letter is dated September 30. Hard to believe how communication was back then.

CUNNINGHAM REUNION!

Hugh Cunningham, my great grandfather is second from the left. He was born about 1870, about 138 years ago. It's hard to believe I remember people who would be that old. I think the other adults on the front row are his parents--not sure though. But the rest of the people are his children, Sam, Albert, Ethel, Edie, and Verna. Verna is my maternal grandmother. She is on the far right in this picture and on the far left in the one below. How is that she gets cut off almost in both pictures?! The young lady second from the left on the back row is Phil and Freddie Wright's grandmother, Ethel. I think she is quite beautiful in this picture. Aunt Edie, next to my grandmother, looks so sad and dejected. I wonder if she was especially close to the sister who died, the one in the framed picture.

My grandfather, Hugh, is the one with the cane and my grandmother is on the back row far left.

Hey grandkids of mine, this guy is your great, great, great grandfather and Verna is your great, great grandmother.

Today was the Cunningham reunion in Malvern, AR. I didn't get to go this year but went two years ago. It is a bi-annual event. There are many, many descendants and I haven't even met most of them.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL!

Due to an overwhelming response from people in the picture above, here goes a somewhat feeble attempt to identify them:

1st Row-unidentified person, Sharon Skates, Patsy Jennings, Delores Kuykendall, Rose Carole Williams, Annette Salyer? (til my dying day I will swear this is Owen Hogue, Larry's mom), Joann Russell, Harriet Holloway, Linda Petross.

2nd Row-Larry Hogue, unidentified person, Edwin Ray?, Lenora Briley, Mary Jane Elledge, Marianne Bailey.

3rd Row-Mrs. Adrian, unidentified person, Lela Fisher, Mary Joyce Paladino, Bob Gullett, unidentified person, Gary Greenwood, unidentified person, Mrs. Merritt, Freddy Wright, unidentified person.

Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it. Psalm 22:6

This week is vacation Bible school for Immanuel Baptist Church so when I found this little booklet from the Bible School at Baring Cross Baptist Church in North Little Rock in 1951, I just had to post it. Notice that his savings for bait is larger than his church offering. LOL
Marianne and Carole, see if you recognize anyone from this picture or maybe you guys are in it. Click on it to make it bigger. Oh, my gosh, I think I just see both of you guys. I am guessing that this must be about 4th or 5th grade. I know, I know, Larry seems too tall for that but don't forget that he was taller than his 2nd grade teacher. Now I am really sorry to say that his penchant for saving did not carry over in to married life.

This is a precious version of "Jesus Loves the Little Children of the World." Didn't we all sing that in VBS?!

WONDER HOW MANY MEALS I HAVE SHARED WITH THESE TWO?!

My baby sister, Mary Jane, about 52 years ago.

My best friend growing up, Marilyn. I spent many, many weekends at her house. Hamburgers for breakfast--yum! That was the first time I ever knew you could eat something besides the regular breakfast foods at 7 A.M.

Marilyn hamming it up for the photo booth camera!

These are two of the three people I had lunch with today. The other was Rebecca, the baby sister of Marilyn. One Sunday afternoon we were supposed to be babysitting these little babes while Marilyn's parents, the pastors of our church, went to the hospital to make a visit--you know regular preacher stuff. Anyway, a car load full of our friends came by, including of course the ones that we had huge crushes on, and we just took off and left these babies. Boy, were we in trouble. These babies were probably about 7 years old and we thought they could take care of themselves. Boy, did we get in big trouble! Rebecca lives in Paris now and she and Marilyn are taking off for Paris and Sweden

Rebecca, I brought my camera today but forgot to take a picture and I am sick cause I don't have a picture of you. One of the people I have known for 52 years and the other, 57 years, well, almost 57 cause she is my sister and she has a birthday in September--! Well, you all three know how I feel about you so I won't go on and on about that in my blog. You girls are beautiful!!

MY CALLIGRAPHY FRIEND, TERESA!

This is Teresa in her art studio. Charles' examples are in the background. To see the most gorgeous calligraphy you've ever seen in your life, go to charlespearce.com. He is incredible!

This is Frankie! You're a celebrity, Frankie!

You know you are because there are so many people who read my blog! LOL

Teresa has bookshelves to the left and and a long storage cabinet with a sink

on the right. It is a wonderful art studio.

This is my precious calligraphy friend, Teresa. Teresa is president of the Calligraphy Guild of Arkansas and is one of the sweetest and most humble people I've ever met. Not only do we share the love of calligraphy and art in general, but she is crazy about Jesus and we spend much of our time talking about Him.

Thank you, Teresa, for sharing your lovely home with me and lunch at Cheers! What a special, special time.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, KIM AND LANCE!

A picture I took of Kim on her wedding day in front of

Boston Avenue United Methodist Church.

A precious thank you card from Kim.

Kim is one of my very best friends. Even though there is a huge age difference between us, we almost instantly bonded when we started teaching together in 1996. Our friendship grew and when she married in 2003, she included me in her wedding just as if I were her mom or sister. Thank you, Kim, you made me feel so special.

Instead of music as she walked down the aisle, Kim had me read a poem that I wrote for Lance and her. She now has it framed in her home.

July is Kim and Lance's anniversary month and I just wanted to wish my awesome friend many, many more years of wedded bliss. You are precious to me!

I'VE JUST SEEN JESUS!

If you never read or listen to another thing that I put on this blog, please take a few minutes to listen to this song. It is what I imagine I will be thinking, feeling, and singing at the top of my lungs, right after I step from this life to eternal life. Actually, Jesus said that when we have accepted him we have already passed from death into life--maybe that is why I love this song so much. Listen to this when the spouse and family are gone, turn it up loud, and act like a religious fanatic. It is okay to praise God at the top of your voice! In fact, if you are uncomfortable with hearing your own self, you better bring your ear buds to Heaven with you. People from every tribe, language, etc. under the sun will be praising HIM!

If you come to my funeral and you do not hear this song, you will KNOW that none of my family read my blog. LOL

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAY!

Today is my nephew Jay's birthday. This is him with his precious wife, Valera and their two sons, Turner and Peyton. I've been thinking about you for a week, Jay, and still haven't gotten your card in the mail. But many wonderful wishes for a great birthday. You are dear to us!

CHRISTMAS IN JULY!

Have you ever celebrated Christmas in July? Well, I am feeling rather nostalgic today and was going through some old stuff that I want to scan and save before it becomes forever lost. In the midst of that, I found this Erma Bombeck article that I absolutely love and wanted to share it with you. Please click on the article to make it bigger and easier to read.

Most of my family are "Christmas nuts" but I have one son in particular, Chris, who makes his family PROMISE (somewhat tongue in cheek) that they won't listen to any Christmas music or watch any Christmas movies before May. In April of this year, they were here and while Chris wasn't around, his wife sneaked around and put one in the DVD player. LOL

I have a friend who lost her 16 year old son to cancer some years ago. The loss was devastating, as you can imagine, but she told me her first Christmas when she took the homemade decorations down from the attic and tenderly opened them one by one, was one of the hardest times she ever experienced. His precious little Jesus Sunday School ornaments opened a hole in her heart that had only slightly healed over. Are you enjoying your family today? Take this time to love them especially hard--Christmas in July!!

THE PRODIGAL SON

This is the art piece I just finished. I am hoping it will show in the Fellowship Art Show this fall. I will find out July 28th if it got accepted. The theme for the show is THE PRODIGAL SON. I can't wait to see how all the artists will depict this in their work. It will be wonderful!

KENDALL AND KAILEY WORKING HARD!

We went out to lunch with David, Marianne, Carole, and Bob and then went to the hospital for my sister's knee surgery. She did well and is home and not even using crutches. Unbelievable! We then went to Kendall's national AAU tournament game. He lost but the team played really hard and Kendall did well. A team from North Carolina beat them.

After the game we went with Kim and Jeff, Kailey and Kendall to eat dinner and then they came over to the house. Michael showed up and we got to hear about their recent mission trip to the Smoky Mountains and their trip to New Orleans for the national AAU 5th grade girls tournament. They had a great time and came in second.

Kailey has a great eye for photography and is going to concentrate on this for her college major. She will be attending Union University in Jackson, TN come fall. She worked on Photoshop editing one of her pictures that she took in Africa a few weeks ago--a picture that she plans to enter in the Fellowship Bible Church Art Show coming up soon.

Kendall watched the YouTube video that I found for him a few days ago and he is working hard to learn to play The Scientist by Coldplay. He did really well.

Thank you, Lord, for family, for fun unplanned evenings. What a joy!