I did a little hunt on old photos and I found some keepers. It's amazing how these photos aren't so far ago... but they seem so old.
When I look back on my childhood I have nothing but great memories with my siblings. Yes we were like any other siblings who fought over who should ride in the front seat of the car, or who of course started the fight (and we all know it wasn't me)
My favorite was when we were on a road trip and my younger sister Lane would always touch me with her feet while we were laying down on our sides of the van seat. "Mommy, lane is touching me with her feet!" It was as if nothing was worse in the world than that.
Now of course it seems silly. But that's parts of growing up I guess. I mean, yes she was touching me with her feet and I hated it... but now she is far away in Florida and it doesn't seem so awful. I wouldn't mind to take a road trip with her again and share the back seat and have her lay down and stretch her feet out a little.
My dad is a great man. I knew it as a young child because everyone around told me. Now as an adult I know it to be the truth. He loves and cares for so many people. We were lucky and a little unlucky to have him not only as a father but also as our pastor. I say lucky because as a young age we were given great learning on a true faith and what it meant to have a relationship with God. But we also had to share our dad with a lot of other people. I don't think people understand what it's like growing up in a church and seeing people come and go. You wouldn't think twice how that hurts the pastor's family. We get attached and then when my dad tries to explain to us at a young age why our friends aren't going to be at church anymore, it was never easy.
It has brought us closer in the end. I am proud to have Pastor Lenny Stringer as my father. I no longer share the same last name, but my maiden name is special to me.
Being homeschooled for me was amazing. I don't regret it or hold anything against my mom for it. Actually I thank her often for it. I loved the fact that I was spared from a lot of the bad things this world has in the public schools. I say a lot, but not all. I still had to deal with things that comes with growing up and learning how things work. I had bad times and learning pains. But I didn't have to see all the negativity at a young age... I had it good...well no, amazing.
I will always respect my parents for wanting to do what was right in their eyes, for me. Sometimes I didn't understand why they made the rules they made for me... but I always respected them for it.
(Why my mom stopped making matching dresses and ties, I will never know)
Growing up homeschooled and in the country was a blast. We would do our homework and then play... All daylong. We loved to dress up like pioneers going out to find new land in the back yard. We thought we were something. We had a lot of freedom to play each day and spend time together as siblings. There was no, "See you after school" ... we did school together. Each at our own level. My mom would read to us while we all set in the living room. We did love the times when we would get the hiccups and have to take break and eat some peanut butter. We would then find something to do and try to distract her from continuing on. We were like any other kids, not wanting to being doing school, but in the end she would finish.
One of my favorite memories though was when we were reading something in history and it reminded my mom of a video she saw on YouTube. We all went in to my mom's computer room where we would pile on top of her desk and pull up chairs to all see the computer screen. After we watched the video one of us then wanted to her a funny video we had watched the day before. YouTube was then of course showed you another funny video just like the one before so we then had to watch that.
We sat there for what seemed like hours all laughing together, as a family, a "class room" ... Do I remember what the history lesson was that day? No. Do you remember every history lesson in class in public school, no? But were you able to spend every time with your siblings and mom laughing and making those memories? I'm not saying if you were public schooled, you didn't have a good time with your sibling or your mom. But what I am saying is, I'm happy to have the memories I do at home.
Every night my dad would come home from work and start or continue a project on the house. If it was summer time the project would be outside, if it was winter time the project would be inside. But there was always... and I mean ALWAYS a project. I learned what it meant to be a hard and loyal worker from my dad. We dreaded that outside work, unless we were watching our old barn burn down (on purpose) or a couch being burned on the fire pit (We had a very huge fire pit) then it was worth the long night of hard labor. In the winter time we were tearing down walls and putting up dry wall. We each had a job to do for our age. Lana, me and Landon would help hold up the dry all sheet to the wall and wait as Lane (3 years old) would bring my dad the screws. If you need someone to build a wall, put up dry wall, mud a wall. put down flooring ... I know how and can help. Thanks Dad for putting us to work... It's nice to know these things now.
When we first moved to our house in the county we each were given a kitty. We got to name them. They stuck around for all of their nine lives. Lana's kitty was susie, mine was midnight, Landon's was tiger and Lane's was Oreo. Over time the kitties doubled, tripled, contripled ...ect. You know how it works with Cats. Susie was with us the longest though. She actually died in Lana's arms years later. It was a sad thing... Even though we had a ton of cats still there at the house losing her was losing a bit of the childhood.
Wendy and Peter Pan of course...
Another great memory from my childhood was my closest and dearest cousin, Betsy. Elizabeth is her "Real" name but she was and will always be my Besty. We were as close then as we are now.
In different ways of course. When we were young, we lived in the same town and saw each other often, I believe so at least (for what I remember) But when she moved away with her family I can only look back now and remember that every time we did get to see each other it was as if we were never apart.
There were months sometimes and years that we went without seeing each other. But once she was back to visit, there was nothing that would separate us. We had different up bringings and different ideas of how to handle things but in the end it worked for us and we were, and still are best friends.
My sister Lana was always there with me since I was an baby. I didn't realize how much I loved her company until she married her best friend almost 7 years ago. Those things that you don't know you will miss until it's gone happened to me, but with my sister. Growing up we were always together, because we lived together, shared the same toys and parents... but little did I know I actually enjoyed her company and her sweet ways about things.
She would read way to much while I wanted to go out and play. She could bake a mean batch of brownies (still does to this day) and I couldn't cook anything other than some taco meat (easiest thing in the world to do!) Her room would be spotless... and mine, well... I didn't know how to keep a room clean for my life. We were different in so many ways but we were sisters. And she was a great sister. She had it hard being the oldest out of us four. Having to pave the way for me and my younger siblings. I also didn't realize that until I was older and could understand.
I looked up to her a lot as my older sister and friend. When she got married I didn't get that she had a new best friend. I do now because I have that in my own husband. So I get it now, but then I was so sad, I had lost the best friend I had since I was baby.
I still look up to Lana to this day. She is crafty, I'm not. She knows how to dress cute and fashionable... and I still am clueless. She gives the nicest, cutest little gifts all through out the year to friends and family... I am lucky if I remember someones birthday! We are still so different. And even though we each have best friends who we call our husbands... she is still my sister, and will always be my friend for life. That's what sisters are. Friends for life no matter what.
We hope that maybe (not anytime soon) that we will be able to have a child around the same age. It would be fun to see the two grow up and be close cousins. But that's for the future, right Lana? :)
These memories I am to young to remember, but I can see that I'm happy. And what's better than to look back on your childhood and know you were happy. At that age I thought everyone was having a great childhood with nothing to spoil it. But I realize that's not the case then, or for a lot now. What happened to a carefree time when you are young?
Kids are exposed to so much more then I was, and maybe still am today! People frown on kids being "Sheltered" ... well I say to that, it's each to their own. Some kids are to sheltered. In a weird way (If you know what I mean)
That doesn't have to be your kids. But you can shelter them from a lot of unnecessary drama, hurt and sin in the world until they are old enough to understand it, to deal with it in the right way. When you are young you don't know how to deal with things the "right" way. You act out in sin most the time.
You can't and will never be able to spare kids from everything. But thankfully I didn't have to deal with the troubles of the world until I was old enough to actually understand it!
I love this picture, the only thing I wish is that Lane was in it!
I love my siblings and wouldn't change them for anything. We are each so different and shine in our own way... but when you put as together we make a great team :)
Mrs. Grogg
