The End of My Journey - the Beginning of Another

  Putting the photos away and the scrapbooks back in their boxes, I conclude my recording of my youth with Mommy Piggy Tales.  The most prevailing theme throughout, which is also the truth today...My God is with me through everything.  I am so grateful to so many people as I look back.  First, to my Godly parents;  second, to the leadership at church; third, to the teachers who believed in me in through out my education; fourth, to my precious friends, whom without them I would not be who I am today;  lastly, to my Knight in Shining Armor!

As fall of 1979 arrived I  found myself attending the University of Texas as a Physical Education major, with dance specialty and a Business Minor.  I loved being on the University of Texas campus.  I attended football games as a student!  Football players were in my ballet class, under the instruction of a man who studied under George Balanchine.  Fall was thrilling, but it got better!

December 1, 1979 - My dream would come true and "my beloved" would propose to me!  After a long day at the UT and A&M game he drove us to the church, where it had all began.  We had already had a custom-designed ring made, so I knew it was coming one day!  He said, before he asked me anything, "I need you to know that "divorce" will  never be an option".  I accepted and we were married in that same church on June 14, 1980!

The same photographer who did all my drill team pictures did our wedding!

The rest is history!  That is right HIS-STORY, because with out Him we would not have made it to our 30th Anniversary, nor parented six wonderful children.  My Bravo, Bravo God post tells about renewing those vows in the same church 30 years later.

He still brings me flowers! My wedding picture in the background!

So I close the door on Mommy Piggy Tale posts and say, "thank-you" I enjoyed the journey!  I hope you were encouraged to tell your tales!!

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.

Elvis Dies and Permanent Boyfriend

With boot money in our hands (from my grandfather), my mother, sister and I headed for the popular shoe store for the newest season’s style. There was another reason to visit this store; my future husband was one of the salespeople.  He and his Longhorn band member friend worked together making sure the city women had right-fitting shoes.  As we approached the shoe department, he met me with, “Have you heard?”  The store radio was playing Elvis music, but I was unaware that the music selection was for a special reason.  “Elvis is dead!” was his shocking news.  Since I was born on Elvis’ birthday with his voice serenading every birthday morning radio show, I was in shock. After talking through our astonishment, he would help assist my sister and I to select the newest boot fashion for our coming year of high school.  So, my junior year, 1977-1978, began with a moment locked into history.

My Co-Captain "Kathy" would be a friend for years!!

The fall of my junior year, I would continue as Captain of the Steppers after try-outs the year before.  The summer of 1977 would prepare us through summer camp at the University of Texas.  My muscles would hurt so severely from the high kicks that my calves wouldn’t allow me to walk up and down the stairs.  The whole team moaned and groaned as we crawled up or hopped up and down the stairs to our daily work-outs.  Our determination was awarded with camp metals and a successful new season.  Our new formal outfits would highlight our half-time shows. Each year, we would be able to add additions to our uniforms and props.

My" future husband" would be in and out of my life as I continued to see him at church.  I longed for a boyfriend.  I felt all the other girls had one, and he would hear my “girl drama” about not being asked out. During this time he was dating a UT cheerleader, whom our pastor thought he should marry!  I would talk him into buying a car with bucket seats (to keep her further away from him).  Their relationship came to an end...I have heard since that I was usually the main reason for their arguments.

On New Years Eve, he stopped by our house to wish my family and I a Happy New Year.  As we stood outside in the yard discussing our New Year’s resolution I, again mentioned I soooooo wanted a boyfriend, and his reply was, “well, maybe this year.”

January 14, 1978 our relationship changed from big brother, little sister, to boyfriend and girlfriend.  He decided to kiss me on the lips, instead of the forehead, and I KISSED BACK!!!   I would run to my room after the kiss in tears pleading before God to allow this relationship.  God had the answer "yes" and  I appealed to my parents to date this "man" nearly seven years older than me. I would recieve their total blessing.  So even though I was sure it would be a struggle and total shock to everyone…well, I was the only one who was shocked by the change of relationship.  My friends would call him the "man" and ask if a "man" can kiss?  They saw him mainly in three piece suits, while school friends saw him in jeans! This major shift from friend to permanent boyfriend highlighted the rest of my life.

So many precious people I don't have pictures of...I love them all and so grateful for their part in my life!

Youth group would change with the release of our youth leader and my older friends graduating.  My future husband would lead the choir...I didn't attend much.  I would continue to be involved with youth activities throughout high school, bringing friends from school and drill team to different events.  Of course, when I started dating my "permanent boyfriend," I also attended church with him.
Fashion at this age consisted of  HIGH HEELS!!!  My father laughed that I would break my neck in those shoes, after countlessly falls down the stairs of our home.  I loved them!!!

Music would remain a source of enjoyment...as my "man" boyfriend would take me to concerts through the next year and half of high school.  We would attend Beach Boys, Bee Gees, Linda Rondstand, Billy Joel, Barry Manilow and Christian concerts, Imperials and Cruse Family. He would spoil me!

Vacation and Drill Team would fill the summer before my Senior Year!
I am coming to the end of posting my youth in 15 post with Mommy Piggy Tales!  I hope it has inspired you to tell you tales....and I hope you have also been able to laugh with me along the journey!

Drama and Maturity

School Mascots and Marching Team

Brace-free, while smiling with straight teeth, thinking I was "too big for my britches", as my father would say, I entered High School. This would be the mixing of old and new. My High School moved into a new building, but it was the city's namesake founded in 1881. So, the "River Rats" joined the old establishment, mixing the old with the new. I would be part of the first graduating class from the NEW Stephen F. Austin High School.

DRAMA
Looking back, I can say this was the year in which my peers became the most influential in my life. I wanted to be busy with friends all the time. I had a great advantage to get to know the high school boys from my church youth group when my Dad decided to coach the church basketball team. I was allowed to attend games, even if the rule was no dating until age 16, because my Dad would take me. This new team would draw boys to our church. My best friend would meet her "husband to be" this year (they just celebrated 30 years) and my future husband would play on the men's basketball team. Attending every church event revolved around my friends and the guys. The guys still talk about how they knew that if they touched me, my dad would come after them with a gun.  The other advantage of his being a coach was the guys would come to our house and my mom would fill them up with homemade donuts. So even in my naïve innocence, God had placed a protective boundary around me. I would be given the nickname "JC" at church, which is still used by these friends. Since I ran around with older youth, they all drove and my adventures went through the roof.

• Sunday afternoons were spent dreamy-eyed, watching the guys play football and then listening to them compare how big their strawberries (bruises) were
• Everyone would gather at the burger or pizza joint after church on Sunday night
• Spending the night with friends would bring opportunities for group gatherings….like stuffing ourselves in a phone booth and playing on a local swing set at the school
• Eating ice cream at the Baskin Robbins Ice Cream Shop...non-alcoholic daiquiri ice  made me think I was doing something risky
• Bras that fastened in the front….wow, was I "sexy"…only in my head!
• Movies – A Star is Born/ Jaws/ Rocky
• Music – Chicago/ Eagles/ BeeGees/ Barry Manilow
• Shop on Saturdays with my girlfriend and, because of babysitting, I would buy my first totally retail store outfit... I didn't have to sew it!!!

I would express myself in drama this year when the answer was "no" to all of my requests to be with the "group". I guess I wore my parents down because by the end of the year I was allowed to double date…by then, the boy I really liked wasn't interested. He had been my "boyfriend" for two long months, but this meant being together in a group and over the phone. I just thought I would die before I could date…wise parents with a too-big-for-her-britches daughter. I would express my "hormonal-induced" drama in my diary…oh my…my mother did survive. Maturity

School would bring the first-born leader characteristics into view. Since my neighborhood was supposed to go to another high school known for its state championship drill team, I was more than upset to enter a school with the original marching girls group still in knee-length skirts. I had watched from the bus stop for years when the drill team members left their homes in their uniforms for school. My best friend from church had just danced for her school drill team. With unwavering confidence, I decided to petition the principal with signatures, asking for a drill team to be established. I would speak directly to our principal with all the reasons for allowing the drill team to be formed. She agreed, with the understanding that there wouldn't be any school funding and I would have to find a sponsor. I found a sponsor and organized the first tryouts for the drill team by the end of the year with outside judges from other schools officiating. I tried out with a dance to "Sweet Gypsy Rose". So the "new" was bringing in their influence and the "old" wasn't sure how they felt. I would tryout for officer and became the first Captain for the Austin High Steppers. This would become my life at school….I would be very quiet in class with classmates, but would shine in my element. The summer would be spent preparing for the drill team's preliminary year. Choreographing dances and designing our uniforms, which I did, with the seamstress talent of my mom.

I would continue with youth choir and we would perform the musical "Alleluia" where my future husband would sing his first solo...which I don't remember!!

Our Nation would celebrate its 200^th Birthday and our youth group would travel to Dallas, Texas for a youth rally celebrating our Nation. I would meet my husband to be on this trip. Later I would write in my diary, "I met the greatest guy in the world." He and my mother would become counselors to for our youth trip to Glorietta. Even though there was almost seven years difference in our age, the youth leader, along with my mother, predicted that we would marry one day. Because of our age difference, he had to let me grow up…I thought of him as an older brother. I never remember life without him from then on.

Playing Cards with My Future Husband...Who Knew? 

Oh, even when I was allowed to double-date, I only had one offer. I would never get asked out from anyone at school or receive any invitations to parties…it was known that I didn't drink and I was in a drinking school. I would lead the drill team, but all social activities would revolve around church. Again, God in His mercy kept His hand on me and protected me against myself.


Thus was my school year of 1975 to 1976.


I am coming to the end of recording my youth with Mommy Piggy Tales. I hope this has inspired you to record your own memories!


(I am the one in the photo not looking at the camera)

Pecking Order Changes

Today, I continue down memory lane with Mommy Piggy Tales to record my youth from birth to age 18...I am almost finished, thanks for joining me on this journey.


Summer between seventh and eighth grades was the summer that the pecking orders, popular group, clique or whatever terms you would call it, changed. I guess the saying, "out of sight, out of mind" can be said and my summer was busy with family and church. So returning from summer break to my junior high brought short term excitement. Early in the year, my group had changed and I was ousted out, and somewhere along this time another group decided they were after me. I don't remember exactly what happened, somewhere between my posters (an office I was running for) and those posters being ripped off the wall…well, I found myself locked in a bathroom waiting for my mom to rescue me from the group that was going to BEAT ME UP!

My wonderful mother came and removed my sister and I from that junior high, transferring us to another junior high that would be funneled into the high school we would attend. So, in October, I became the "new" girl in a very different environment. This junior high was an old established school, one in which the girls' mothers, aunts and grandmothers had attended. I would receive the name "River Rat" which would stay with me through high school. Our city is divided North and South by the Colorado River and since the bus carried us across the river from South Austin, we were "River Rats".

Over all, the girls were kind, but you knew you didn't measure up. They came from well-to-do households. I was 5'6" and they all seem to be no taller than 5'3"…it was like being in a school of clones. They dressed with matching outfits from head to toe….I mean purses (this was the years of monogram clutches with exchangeable covers) and shoes to match each designer outfit with very few outfits being worn twice. The dress code was announced through the popular girls…we could only wear jeans on Friday and dresses a couple of times per week. I, however, had all my clothes sewn (mainly by me) or bought from factory outlets. I had no clue the shops or labels they wore. It was not until I was in high school that I owned a complete outfit from a retail store.  I seemed to have a feeling of "oh well" and just tried to get along...not striving for total acceptance but learning what intimidation means and how to overcome it.

I would enjoy the pep squad again and cheer my lungs out!! Later in the year, I was invited to one of the highest social events in the city. I went with a new dress and rose wrist corsage from my parents.

My circle of  close friends (except for a few neighborhood girls who still claimed me) were from church. All night bowling parties, youth rallies, Wednesday night services, choir, revivals and another summer trip would continue to increase my spiritual life and friendships. The summer's mission trip (after 8^th grade) was to Tucson, Arizona. We would stay on the floor in church buildings or church member's homes. This trip would establish the group of people I would walk with through high school. There was also camp at the local Baptist Encampment. I can say my confidence and resolve at this age come from the relationship I was building with Christ…still a teen dealing with drama and emotions, but solidly grounded in Him.  I still dealt with sin, but I also understood who my Savior was.

Family life was still cherished with trips to my grandparents, family reunions and summer vacations. My father would buy us a camper and we were off for adventures. Colorado and sites in Texas extended my summers. Our new home was the gathering place for relatives during the holidays. Our orange, shag-carpeted den would hold aunts, uncles and cousins from wall to wall. Everyone's lives at this point were still slow enough to visit. My mother would expand her generous nature to join a group called "Friendship". This was to minister to spouses of college students from foreign countries. For years, our house would enjoy women and babies from across the entire world. My geography would be learned through the experiences of these different cultures and precious people.  In the summer after eighth grade, our family would foster a girl who was 17.  She would later come to live with us for her senior year of high school.