Senior Year, Hope Chest and His Wisdom

The summer prior to my senior year my mother took us on my last family vacation.  She  hooked-up our pop-up camper and drove across country with four children.  We traveled from Texas to California in three weeks.  I enjoyed the trip, but my moodiness about leaving my "permanent boyfriend" behind would get on my mother's nerves.  She swore she would never take me again....and she didn't.  Dad stayed home to work on his business.

Summer  also brought Drill Team camps.  We trained at Strutter camp in San Marcos, Texas, as well as an additional camp at the University of Texas.  I performed a duet with my Co-Captain Kathy, tuxedos and canes were our props in "New York, New York" and we came in second.  My "permanent boyfriend" was now a full time representative for a leading printing company. He would schedule his travel around my camps to come and enjoy lunch with me on the river in San Marcos.  Our team  came home with countless ribbons and trophies preparing us for my final year as Captain of the Steppers.

 Strutting onto the practice field  adorned in hot curlers, (which would be traded out with pick sponge for dancing), leotard, white tennis shoes, and whistle hanging around my neck by 7:30 am, I would take charge of the Steppers.  I could be heard through the halls of our high school counting 8's on the practice field and then enter class as quite as a mouse. High kicks, props, jazz hands, ripples, new dances, stand routines, and getting us all in time, would take hours of my week. My Senior Year would be exhilarating!!! This year brought two performances on the football field of the University of Texas.  We  performed in the Battle of the Bands and finished up the football season on the same field. I stuffed all the Steppers in the family orange Honda and drive them around the parking lot...we looked like the circus clowns.
Stepper obligations ended with red roses and the girls made two posters, one of my "permanent boyfriend", whom they all knew, and one of me from the dance "New York, New York". ( I still have them both and we now laugh over how young we looked)  These girls will always hold a special place in my heart!

FOOTBALL - My high school won District...I have heard it hasn't won since.  Friday night was high school football and Saturday I would attend with my "permanent boyfriend" the University of Texas football games, we had season tickets.  By Sunday I never had a voice from all the cheering through both football games.

SAT test was taken...then we didn't prep for the test, we just showed up on a Saturday and took it.  My application was sent into the University of Texas and my acceptance letter came by the first of the year.

Spring held half day classes, a job at Hickory Farms, performances at basketball games and anticipation of graduation.

I made my dress!! Also pictures from my grandmothers.

In my "maturity"  girlish mind I wanted an engagement ring.  In my "permanent boyfriend's" maturity, there was no way!  I thought having an engagement ring for my senior year would just be TOO COOL!
Instead, he would travel with me to my grandmother's house for Christmas and buy an appropriate Christmas gift. He was accepted by my whole extended family.  My grandmother would pull him aside and say, "Now there are all my granddaughters and if it doesn't work out with Janette than you can have your pick.  I want you in the family."  She loved him to the day God took her home and he honored her love by speaking and singing at her funeral.

I graduated in May 1979,  with a class of over 300 students.   I looked forward to my freshman year at the University of Texas and harrassed my "permanent boyfriend" about an engagement ring.
He suggested that I date around during college so that there would never be any regrets...I SAID "NO WAY!"
My graduation gift was a walnut, cedar-lined hope chest...can you tell where my thoughts were?  My neighbor gave me my first item, a wooden rolling pin.  It started getting filled up!

My journey is almost complete...next week will tell what happened next....no more posts after that.  Thanks for joining me on this journey......it has been more than I could have imagined.
Linking and completing my post with Mommy Piggy Tales.