Once Upon a Time... Happily Ever After

We lived here.

What?  You don't see a house?  Don't worry, it's not your eyes.  Maybe I'll post pix at a later date... of what was.  About 8 months after we moved here, it was torn down.  I can't imagine why.

I mean, did your back porch {the main entrance} sag each time you stepped onto it?  Did your kitchen slope so much that you had to wrap your legs around the table legs to keep your rolling chairs from escaping?  Did any of your plugs get so hot from an outlet that you could mold them?  
{Can you spell d-a-n-g-e-r?}

So many memories.
After taking our girls to the American Girl store, we gave them a tour of our old stompin' grounds.

Our first house belonged to the college campus where DK was taking classes.  {The house served as our denomination's main office in Texas at one time in history.}  We lived there rent free because it came with the night security job DK worked.  Some people called them 'night nerds'.  {Not me, honey!}   He later worked in computer services on campus.  I kept children at home until I started working on campus as well.  That way, I could see DK during the odd hours he had 'off' between work, classes and volunteering at church.  Sometimes, I accompanied him during his night rounds on campus.

I'll never forget moving to our new home.   Honestly, I think I could have happily set up home in a camper.   It was our first home.  Ours.  The place was a complete mess, but I saw potential.  Years later, Granny told me that she wanted to cry for me. ;)

We were there two months, still sleeping on our mattress in the living room because campus employees were renovating the front porch into our bedroom.  {Don't think Extreme Makeover Home Edition here. Nothing fancy.}  The time came to set up our bedroom set.  We were so excited.  DK went to work at midnight, while I cozied myself in for the night.  It began to rain cats and dogs!

With eyes still closed, I awoke in the morning to feel a large puddle in the bed.  I thought... surely I didn't.  I slowly opened my tired eyes.  I was relieved to discover the culprit to the pool in my bed, yet immediately filled with adrenaline!  Within minutes, I had every bowl a new bride could possibly own in our bedroom, collecting rain... while it continued to downpour outside as well. 

I remember our first Christmas.  Our tree was nothing more than a 2 foot artificial that my mom mailed to us.  DK bought me turtles.  Not the pet... The chocolate, pecan, caramel kind.  Mmmm.  Still love 'em.

I remember hosting a house full of people from church where we served on staff.  Granny came and helped make a huge gumbo for everyone.  I think I barely knew how to turn the stove on at that time.  We were having a great time.  So what was the issue, you ask?  Well, see... the house belonged to the campus, right?  So, anytime they sprayed for bugs, they sprayed our home as well... like they did earlier that day.   I think it just angered countless cockroaches.  Let's just say that some sort of plague must have hit our house that night.  "Embarrassed" is an understatement. 

I also remember wearing our jackets {and gloves on occasion} inside the house to stay warm during the winter.  It all started because the campus accidentally busted our gas line in the front yard.  I was tending to children at home when I heard a loud knock at the door {from my sagging porch} and was told to quickly gather the children and evacuate to the campus' cafeteria.  Did I mention that I didn't dress up for this job? ;)  Our gas line was never the same after that.  We kept warm, using space heaters and an open oven.

Our girls stood where the wedded bliss all started over 17 years ago... Once Upon a Time.

When we were asked to find a new home {so that the house could be replaced by a parking lot}, we moved into the right side of this duplex.  This is the driveway that iced one frigid morning and caused me to slide back down the slope toward our parked car while taking out the trash... on my bottom.  Of course our street was dense with cars preparing for work...  I gave them a story to tell once they reached their destination.  Twas not pretty.

After all this excitement, we took the girls to the nearby park.

 

Gracie often tells me how things would operate in 'her' world.  She says, "When I grow up, I'm going to marry my Prince Charming and live happily ever after."   I try to gently remind her that "happily ever after" includes scrubbing toilets, doing dishes and cleaning the floors... to name a few.

With a glare in her eye and serious tone in her voice she responds,

"Not in MY happily ever after."

She has quite a laundry list of things that would happen in 'her' world, but she has informed me that I am not to share all of them.  It's a shame, really... because she has great ideas.  For instance, when you are born, you would know everything and not have to go to school.  Just sayin'. ;)

 

Yeah... I think I will be saving my once upon a time memories especially for her.

Of course, we couldn't end the road trip without stopping at...

If you are ever in Texas and happen to drive by Buc-ee's, it's a must-stop!

Among a host of other things,

they sell some of the yummiest glazed pecans!

We're still writing our happily ever after,

but glazed pecans should be in everyone's... at least once.