Family Time and History

Melissa was here for a weeks visit and we had such a fun time. The whole family (minus James, Melissa's husband who could not get off from work) got together nearly every night of her time here. It seems we are getting to be quite the big family, growing each year by a little bit.

Its a marvelous feeling to be so surrounded by love. To have grown children that enjoy spending time together just the same as you do and now we have all these little ones around us to hug our necks and dance around with so much energy and joy.

I am blessed and ever so thankful for what I have.

Today is work day around the place. Emery is putting in two kitchen windows for me and I have been mowing. Our goal is to have our outside work done before noon time. Its just too hot to be working in the sun.

When our house was built in the turn of the century buy an early Seventh Day Adventist family settling in this new area, where a school was being established. This home was a simple home, built by god fearing people that had a goal to live simply and humbly before God. Batten and Board, was all this house had to keep it up and keep out the elements. Not a 2X4 to be found in any of the walls. It was a bit like Little House on The Prairie. Whenever the thermometer dips to into the teens, I wonder how in the world they stayed warm with no insulation and just one inch thick wood to hold back the cold north winds. At least its Texas and not a colder part of the country ! The original house had three rooms with an outhouse out back. The living room, a bedroom and a kitchen, all in a row.

Each room is about 14' X14'. In the 1950's two bedrooms were added on and I don't know when the house got indoor plumbing. There were no closets in the original house and even now there are only three small closets, big enough to remind us we don't need much !

This house was the first house on the south side of the schools property. I can just imagine the first owners out back planting some fruit trees and putting in a big garden. Perhaps sitting outside in the heat of the summer, catching a bit of a breeze before heading to bed.

When Emery was taking down the kitchen cabinets that seem to have been here for a very long time, layer after layer of wallpaper was exposed. He carefully removed them for me to see and photograph. History....and more importantly to me, history of our home. What kind of woman chose this or that paper and then imagining her with apron on, cooking for her family in the very same room I do it day after day. I feel more connected to this house with every new discovery we make.

One time we were digging in the garden and came upon several different medicine bottles. One still with a bit of the original contents. Lid screwed tight on the top. We have found little boy toys buried in the ground in the same spot my boys were playing with their little toys. Connecting us to the past in a very special way.

I would love nothing more than to restore this house to look like the original and we talk and plan about it. Doing batten and board siding and in the kitchen doing bat and board walls. Maintaining ties to this homes wonderful beginning.