Love's Enduring Journey Continues

After Stan proposed on Tuesday, it was official, we were engaged. On Saturday we went looking for rings. We found the most beautiful rings for the both of us. I guess guys sort of loose out, because they do not have a ring to show they are engaged. We decided on a May wedding, since we would be getting married in Lawton and all of my family lives in Texas we decided on Memorial Day Weekend. My Mother and I worked hard getting ready for the big day. I found my dress at a bridal shop in Lawton, I was by my self, and I knew when I tried it on, it was the DRESS for me. It was on sale also, my veil cost more than the dress. I asked my friend from Fort Worth to be my Matron of Honor, Karen and Gary were married in September before us. Renee who has been my friend for 46 years, her and Richard married the May before we did, she was a Maid of Honor also, my younger sister Kim and Stan's sister Clarice were in the wedding. I had cousins who served and a college friend, Bethany who we still talk to each other and she still lives here in Forth Worth we have known each other since 1975. Stan had his best friends to stand up with him, Jerry,
his brothers, Steve and Robert Paul. The most rewarding part of our wedding service was Stan's Dad performed the ceremony. Stan and I kept talking during the service and Dad kept telling us to be quite. During the candle lighting and a song being sung by friends, Donnie & Janice, Mark & Elaine, Stan whispered to me "Did you take your Birth control today?" I started swaying back and forth and started laughing and Dad said very firmly and stern "OK, you two, straighten up"!!
When he finally said you can kiss the Bride, he did and then we hurried outside the church. We had to go back in so pictures could be taken and then we rode in the back of I don't remember who drove us to the reception at a Hotel. It was beautiful. All I remember is talking to a lot of people, cutting the cake and drinking some punch, and talking and hugging more people. It was finally time to leave the reception, we heard through the grapevine that another groom had been kidnapped earlier at the same hotel so our friend Terry had some handcuffs, so they decided to handcuff us together. We left the reception in our wedding clothes, we first had to take newspapers, balloons and my nephew who was 11 months old out of the backseat!! Terry followed us to Stan's parents where we were to change clothes and for Terry to remove the handcuffs. Terry could not find the key!!!! They finally had to use a pick to free us.. What a time we had.. We quickly left and headed to Fort Worth, but just as we went through the toll booth at Faxon, we were pulled over by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, at first we thought it was Stan's friend Grant, whose Dad worked for them as a patrol officer. No, he pulled us over to tell Stan he needed to clear off the back license plate, it was cover with shaving cream!! We stopped to eat in Wichita Falls, since neither one of us has eaten all day.. As we got closed to Fort Worth, we both began to feel sick to out stomachs, we had food poisoning,, what a way to start our honeymoon. We enjoyed the few days we had to relax and even went to Six Flags with Karen and Gary, friend who were in our wedding. We have just celebrated 33 years. I know you will enjoy the rest of my story......... Early marriage, children, and just wait and read.

Love's Enduring Journey--continues

In August I moved to Lawton, I was signed up to start classes at Cameron to finish my Elementary Education Degree. I also was working Part Time at the Tupperware Office, the good part about that was my Dad was my boss, so I could schedule my classes around the hours I worked. I met a lot of people at school and the funny thing a lot of them had graduated with Stan. They would ask me where I was from and the conversation always ended up with me asking if they knew Stan and the answer was always YES. After we began dating on a regular basis our usual hang outs were Sonic,
Charlie's and Wayne's. We went to the movies when we had money, but it seemed we both were always broke. Stan still lived at home and worked for Southwestern Stationary and Bank Supply, where he worked as a printer. I was very busy with working P/T and going to school full time and taking 21 hours, I had very little time for Stan. We usually tried to have lunch together at least once a week and would see each other on Wednesday night at church. I was invited over to his house often and especially for Sunday Lunch. His Mom was and still is a wonderful cook. Stan's birthday is August 19, and they planned a family vacation to Six Flags for a few days. I remember so well, we were sitting outside on his car the night before they left and Stan asked me if I would wash his socks for the rest of his life? At first I was like WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT???? He then asked in a different way, that he loved me and he wanted our relationship to become closer and he loved me. WOW! I was on cloud 9 and I could not tell anyone, neither could he, after all we had not even know each other a full month. I missed him so much while they were gone and was glad when he came back so we could continue our talk. He said for now we could just be promised, that is where we commit ourselves to one another and only each other. He told me when he asked me to marry him it would be a surprise, I would not know when it would be. At that time it was time to talk to my Dad. Dad was at the Tupperware Office, it was a Saturday, we already passed it by Mother, she said we were talking to the wrong person. We both were nervous. We told Dad we were not getting married until we could afford it and he said "I guess you will never get married" He told us just get married when we were ready. He said people who wait on money usually do not have money to wait on!! Boy, was he right about that. We went to the jewelry store, where Stan bought me a promise ring, I had until someone stole it, it hurt, but loosing it never looses it's memories the ring brought. Thanksgiving 1976, I went with his family to Abilene, Texas to his G-Ma & G-Pa's for dinner. Our plan was to take 2 cars, Stan and I were also going to Fort Worth to see my Grandparents and then on the way home we were going to Ardmore, OK. where his brother Steve and his wife, Betty were at her Daddy and Mother's. Thursday morning arrived, I had a horrible sore throat, coughing and no voice, great what a great time to "MEET THE GREGG'S" There are a lot of them. After dinner we headed to big Fort Worth, Texas where Stan met my Mother's folks. Uncle Dub and Granny. Stan got his first taste of the country, they lived on 10 acres, with horses and cactus everywhere. We ventured to the other side of the city to meet Dad's folks, Paw-Paw and Maw-Maw, we had a great time visiting with all but it was Saturday and we were to be in Ardmore Saturday night so we could go to church with the Haney's and Steve and Betty. By the time we got to Ardmore, I was running fever, no voice, sore throat. During the night Stan started throwing up, great what timing!! In the morning he was too sick to go to church so I went to church with the family. When we got back, Stan was not doing any better, we decided we better head back to Lawton. It was a three hour trip, but it took four. I had the chills and needed the heat, Stan was burning up and needed the air. I was driving and had to keep pulling over to let him you know what!! It was a miserable drive and weekend for that matter. On Monday, my family was moving into a new house. Stan's family and my family used the same doctor, so we thought very little about making us both appointments at the same time, we were not going to be in the room with each other, it just seemed sensible to us. BOY, were we wrong!!!!!! Our Mother's were furious, but oh well they got over it and life went on. Later that week Stan came to the office at lunch time he said I need to talk to you, so we went up in the front office where no would be. He first got down on his knee and asked me to become his wife. He said after the weekend he knew it was me to spend his life with, the answer I gave, did I hesitate, NO WAY!! Yes, I loved him and I would love to become Mrs. Stanley W. Gregg!!

Our date was different. When we got to Pizza Hut, the air was out, they had no clean silverware, no ice, and do you think we left to go some where else???? NOOOOOOOO, we stayed, I don't know why!! I guess it was because they only had enough money for pizza. We still had a good time and Keith and Stan kept having hand signals. Stan and I enjoyed talking to one another and getting to know each other. Their Sunday School Class was having a party the following Saturday and he asked if I would come back, I said yes without even thinking about it. The middle of the week I received a letter from him, telling me how much he enjoyed meting me and was looking forward to the weekend. At this time with out him knowing I was talking to Dad and Mom about moving to Lawton, so I could go back to school at Cameron
University. I was working on my Elementary Degree. When Stan picked me up to go to the party if was acting like he wished I was not there. They had a softball game and he hardly spoke to me, no body knew me, so I was ticked off at him, and wished I had stayed in Texas. When he took me home before he left, I told him I was moving to Lawton, so I could go back to school. This is what really is funny, he says "Just because you are moving to Lawton,don' expect me to call, I am not interested in a relationship," I told him not to worry I wanted to go back to college. August,2006 Dad, Keith helped me load up my belongings and headed to Lawton. I had to stop and get a green card before they would let me legally move into OK. I had to hurry to get my transcripts
classes, books and get settled in my new surroundings. It seemed every night at *pm the phone would ring and it was always Stan. My wonderful family finally started calling my name to answer the phone. We would always talk about an hour. We saw each other Sunday's and Wednesday's. I was beggining to think that there are some good things in OK.

Dad, Mom, Keith, & Kim went home to Lawton after the funeral. I was officially on my own living with my friend in Fort Worth and working full time as a Proof Operator in a bank. July 4, weekend I took the bus to Lawton for the first time. All of my grandparents were there so we had a great time. On Sunday I went to church and met the Minister and his wife, their children were out of town. Their oldest son Steven was married to Betty May 8,1976, so Stan, Clarice & Robert Paul went to see them. I also was at my best friend Renee's wedding who married Richard May 8, 1976. This is the first of many amazing likness in our relationship. I went back home and started planning another trip to Lawton, yes, I was homesick. I decided what weekend was best for me and called my cousin Susan to see if she wanted to go with me since this was my first road trip to Lawton. At the first of that week Keith called to see if I wanted to go on a blind date and double with him, I said yes. What had happened was Keith and Stan had become running buddies and Keith wanted to date a girl from church and she said only if it was a double date. Keith asked Stan and was told Stan had just ended a relationship, so he did not have a date. Keith then told Stan he had a sister, from there Stan had a load of questions!! " Is she pretty?", "Is she fat?'" Keith told Stan yeah it will work out!! Trust ME!! Susan and I arrived in Lawton around 4pm on Saturday and Stan was there, I really got nervous and thinking, "Why did I even come"? Our date is one I will never forget that is for sure!!! We went in Keith's pickup, with all four of us in the front seat. Keith and Stan had planned that when they put their arms around us they would use pinkie signals on how the night was going. We had no idea they were doing this. Till me again.....................

Love's Enduring Promise (Part 1)

I graduated from High School in 1974. My family was living in Joshua, Texas. My 1st year of college I went to Tarrant County Jr. College and then the fall of 1975 I ventured out to Stephen F. Austin University, where I only stayed one semester. I returned home and went to work full time at a bank in downtown Fort Worth. I really liked working in a bank and making a salary I could survive on living at home. I did not have a car payment, rent but I still had to live by the rules of the house and had a curfew, yes even at 20, I had a curfew. In the Spring of 1976, my parents told us, my younger brother and sister were still at home, that they were moving to Lawton, Ok. to take a Tupperware Distributorship. First of all, I wanted to know where this place was, and that there was probably not anything there for me, so I decided I did not want to move to Lawton. I got an apartment with a friend from church and we were settled, except Cheryl had a serious boyfriend and I had none. I now had rent, phone (no cell phones, only land lines) groceries and other items that Dad and Mom used to pay for now I had to. I had to watch my spending including gas money. Three weeks after they left my great-grandmother passed away and my family came to Fort Worth for the funeral. While they were here, my Dad has a cousin who was a Church of Christ Minister. Darrell asked Dad if they had found a church to go to yet? Darrell told Dad he knew someone who was the Minister of the 8th & Lee Church of Christ in Lawton, his name was Robert Gregg.

I am a True Blogger!!

Today my 1st born daughter, Suzanne set me up a blog, I am so excited, the title fits me perfectly. I have to follow her rules or I will be in trouble with the blog master!! She will give me something to write about 2-3 times a week, I can not use CAPS, she has told me that I use all CAPS, it is yelling to people and I have to use spell check, since her husband is an English teacher, I think I better use spell check. I am excited to get to start, to let you know what I am up to so stop by Kandi land and enjoy the game.
Thank you Suzanne, I love you!
MOM
Kandikisses

welcome to Kandi Land!

Hi this is Suzanne! I had an intervention with my mom. I decided that although she loves facebook and playing fun-slots, she needed another outlet. So... here we go! I'm going to give her something to blog about several times a week.

The rules...
1. she has to do it! ha!
2. NO CAPS :)
3. she has to write from her heart!

Get ready, it should be fun!

Love you mom!

Suzanne