Memories from Mom

I don't know where to begin: John wrote about our meeting and dating. He swept me off my feet on the dance floor (at the World's Most Beautiful Ballroom, The Trianon, as it was known then, in Chicago) our beginning date. Being 6 years older than me, made my present boyfriend seem like my younger brother. At the same time since I was a bit younger not ready to be serious, John said he chased me till I caught him.

When we became engaged, DEC. '49, my Mother and my Aunt thinking I was too young for marriage, manipulated me in to visiting my aunt in the south for a month. They knew I loved visiting there, and they thought the separation from John would be testing our relationship. It back fired on them, and we became more determined, since "absence makes the heart grow stronger", and we continued with our wedding plans.

Years after our marriage, and raising our seven children, before 14 years later Jason our 8th, well many times when I was very tired at the end of the day, during the years of raising our first 7 children, then we would attend a church dance. I came back late at night from the dance and I was energized like I had a good rest and was all fresh again. Dancing with John was relaxing, he was a great dance partner. We danced through life together.

Memories from Mom

Okay, this is Mom this time. In driving to and from my crossing guard job each day, I drive down Yorba Linda Blvd. and past Village Center Drive, and immediately on the right on that street to my guard job, just past Village Center Drive, on the other side of a block wall, is a neighborhood, built since 1978. In fact about 1978 or '77, I remember on that plot of ground, just previously mentioned, was undeveloped land. At one time there was a carnival there and one of the rides was an elephant ride. A real live elephant. It was my wish that John would take Jason (our little tow headed two year old) on an elephant ride. I was too chicken to board the big beast. So, as always John would please me. So, I remember that cute scene of John with his legs spread straight out on both sides to sit astride that big back of that elephant and John keeping Jason safe seated in front of him. A warm and fuzzy memory. Sometimes driving along or whatever the circumstance will bring to light a fun memory, not only of John, but whatever my mind remembers about any of my wonderful family of days gone by. Brent, or Jeff and Brad or any of the others.
On a few occasions in the early years after we moved into our new home, in the early '60's, when John came home from work after a day's work at the office of Autonetics; he would play "hide and seek" with all of the children in the back yard, in the summertime. Dale, was probably 11 or 12 years old on down to Jeff, about 2 years old, all 7 of the children had fun playing with their dad, "hide and seek". I can see John now, running real quick to hide behind the shed or whatever, and upon being found he would giggle heartily. He was a fun personality, and fun to be with. Years later, when Jason, our youngest came along, being 14 years younger than Jeff, our youngest of 7 for all those years; by then Jason was like an only child as a preschooler, the others off to school or whatever. John would play what Jason called "try to find me". How adorable that memory is. I particularly remember John hiding in the bathroom, standing in the tub with the open door hiding him from Jason, and the same thing, when Jason would discover his dad, John would giggle the same way, enjoying the game all over again, only this time, we were grandparent age, when Jason was very young toddler.