LIFE IN OUR LITTLE HOUSE

YES, THERE WERE MANY REPAIRS NEEDED IN OUR LITTLE HOUSE, BUT WE WERE CERTAINLY HAPPY THERE. WE HAD SISSY, BABY BOBBIE JO, THE DOG SUZY AND EACH OTHER. MARTIN HAD FINALLY BEEN EMPLOYED AT THE POST OFFICE, AND WE HAD SOME SECURITY. THE SUMMER WAS HOT, BUT THE HOUSE WAS SHADED BY A LARGE PECAN TREE. A WINDOW FAN HELPED STIR THE AIR, AND AT NIGHT IT GOT ALMOST COOL. WE LIVED VERY CLOSE TO A LARGE FARMER'S MARKET. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE VENDORS WOULD TOSS OUT BUSHELS OF VEGETABLES THAT ONLY HAD A FEW BAD ITEMS. I WOULD GO AND PICK THROUGH THE BUSHELS AND TAKE HOME WONDERFUL PRODUCE FOR FREE. THEN, I GOT THE IDEA TO START TO CAN THE VEGETABLES AND FRUITS. I HAD WAY MORE THAN I COULD USE, SO I TOLD THE LADIES AT CHURCH ABOUT THE FREE PRODUCE. WE STARTED CANNING PRODUCE TOGETHER, AND HAD A REALLY NICE TIME DOING IT. WE TAUGHT EACH OTHER DIFFERENT WAYS TO USE THE PRODUCE, AGAIN ALL OF IT WAS FREE, AND SOON WE WERE SAVING LOTS OF GROCERY MONEY. I SPEND MORNINGS SITTING ON THE FRONT PORCH PEELING CARROTS TO PUT INTO JARS. APPLES MADE APPLESAUCE, JELLY AND FRUIT LEATHER. I LEARNED TO MAKE STEW VEGETABLES, AND WHEN I OPENED THE JARS, I ONLY HAD TO ADD MEAT TO HAVE A STEW OR SOUP! THE GIRLS SAT ON THE PORCH WITH ME AND I WOULD SING TO THEM OR TELL THEM STORIES. WE REALLY LOVED THAT TIME TOGETHER. THEN, I DECIDED THAT I WOULD LEARN TO CAN MEAT. I GOT A BOOK, AND TAUGHT MYSELF TO CAN BEEF, CHICKEN, TURKEY AND OTHER TYPES OF MEAT. I WAS SO EXCITED AND LOVED FEELING LIKE A "MOTHER EARTH" TYPE. AFTER THAT, I TAUGHT MYSELF TO MAKE SOAP. TO THIS DAY, I STILL REMEMBER THE SATISFACTION OF USING MY HOMEMADE SOAP TO WASH AND CLEAN WITH. YOU WOULD THINK THAT HOMEMADE SOAP WOULD BE HARSH, BUT MINE WAS NOT, AND I EVEN BATHED THE GIRLS WITH IT. THE SCENT WAS SO FRESH AND CLEAN. IN JULY OF THAT YEAR, THE FARMERS MARKET HAD "VEGETABLE DAY". THIS WAS A TRADITION EACH YEAR. THE VENDORS WOULD HAVE A CONTEST OF THE BEST VEGETABLES, PRIZES WERE AWARDED AND THEN BASKETS OF PRODUCE WOULD BE GIVEN TO EACH FAMILY. WATERMELONS WERE ICED DOWN, SLICED AND GIVEN TO THE CROWD, AND SUGAR CANE WAS CUT AND PIECES GIVEN TO THE CHILDREN. OH, HOW WE LOVED VEGETABLE DAY! EVERY YEAR AFTER THAT, WE LOOKED FORWARD TO THIS CELEBRATION, AND HAVE LOVELY MEMORIES. THE REST OF THE YEAR PASSED UNEVENTFULLY, THE LITTLE GIRLS GROWING AND OUR FAMILY LOVING EACH OTHER. CHRISTMAS CAME AND MARTIN DECIDED THAT HE WAS GOING TO GET OUR CHRISTMAS TREE FROM THE WOODS. WHAT FUN! (I THOUGHT). HE PACKED UP THE FAMILY, AND OFF WE WENT TO FIND OUR TREE. I WAITED IN THE CAR WITH BOBBIE JO WHILE DAD AND SISSY WENT TO FIND THE PERFECT TREE. AFTER A WHILE, I NOTICED SOMETHING MOVING IN THE WOODS, AND SURE ENOUGH, MARTIN WAS DRAGGING BACK A MONSTER OF A PINE TREE. "UH, SWEETIE, WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO PUT THAT THING, AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET IT HOME?" I ASKED. "TRUST ME" HE SAID. AGAIN, UH-OH. WE PUT IT ON TOP OF THE LITTLE STATION WAGON AND DROVE HOME WITH THE TOP OF THE TREE DROPPING INTO THE WINDSHIELD-AND DRIVING ABOUT 5 MILES AN HOUR, AS WE COULD NOT SEE TOO WELL WHERE WE WERE GOING. BUT, I CAN'T GRIPE, IT WAS A FREE TREE. (I AM NOT SURE WHOSE LAND WE CUT IT FROM, BUT WE DIDN'T GET CAUGHT, AND IT DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME UNTIL LATER THAT THEM MIGHT HAVE OBJECTED OUR SNATCHING A TREE). MARTIN MADE ME WAIT OUTSIDE UNTIL HE HAD THE TREE PUT UP, AND THEN TOLDME TO CLOSE MY EYES. HE LED ME INTO THE TINY LIVING ROOM, AND THEN--SURPRISE!-- THE WHOLE LIVING ROOM WAS NOTHING BUT PINE TREE. YOU COULDN'T SEE THE FURNITURE, LAMPS OR ANYTHING, THAT TREE WAS SO BIG. I DIDN'T WANT TO BURST HIS BUBBLE OF EXCITEMENT, SO I TRIED TO BE ENTHUSIASTIC. HE TOLD ME NOT TO WORRY, HE WOULD SEND SISSY UNDER THE BOTTOM FOR THE PRESENTS WHEN WE HAD WRAPPED THEM. (I THOUGHT I MIGHT NEVER SEE HER AGAIN IF SHE DID THAT, BUT WE WOULD SEE). WE COULD ONLY DECORATE THE VERY FRONT, AS WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH LIGHTS OR ORNAMENTS TO DO THE WHOLE THING. SURE ENOUGH, WE KEPT THE TREE, JUST AS IT WAS, AND ON CHRISTMAS MORNING, WE SENT SISSY UNDER THE BOTTOM TO RETREVE THE GIFTS. WE HAD A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS THAT YEAR, NOTHING EXTRAVEGANT, BUT SO WONDERFUL. THEN, ONE MORNING, IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT IT WAS TIME FOR ANOTHER CHILD IN THE FAMILY. IMAGINE, BOBBIE JO WAS NOT EVEN A YEAR OLD YET, AND I FELT THE URGINGS FOR ANOTHER CHILD. I MENTIONED IT TO MARTIN, AND HE LOOKED AT ME LIKE I HAD GROWN ANOTHER HEAD. HMMM, BETTER KEEP THIS IDEA TO MYSELF FOR AWHILE! THEN, ONE NIGHT IN JANUARY, AS WE WERE SAYING OUR PRAYERS, MARTIN SAID, "LORD, THY WILL BE DONE TO SEND US ANOTHER CHILD". AFTER THE PRAYER HE SAID, "I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT CAME FROM, IT JUST POPPED OUT OF MY MOUTH!" THAT NIGHT, WE BOTH HAD THE SAME DREAM. WE DREMPT OF A LITTLE BABY BOY WITH BLUE EYES AND WHITE BLONDE HAIR. IN BOTH OUR DREAMS, WE WERE EACH HOLDING HIM AND FEELING SUCH JOY. WHEN I WOKE THE NEXT MORNING, I TOLD MARTIN OF MY DREAM AND HE GOT SUCH A FUNNY LOOK AS HE TOLD ME HE HAD DREAMED THE SAME THING. WE KNEW THEN, THAT HEAVENLY FATHER WAS LETTING US KNOW IT WAS TIME TO THINK ABOUT HAVING OUR NEXT CHILD. IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME THAT I COULD NOT DO IT, TAKE CARE OF THREE CHILDREN, I JUST FIGURED THAT IF I COULD TAKE CARE OF TWO, I GUESS ANOTHER ONE WOULD NOT BE ANYMORE TROUBLE. SO, WE BEGAN TO TRY FOR NUMBER THREE, KNOWING THAT AFTER THE TROUBLE HAVING BOBBIE JO, IT COULD TAKE AWHILE BEFORE I WAS PREGNANT. BY THE END OF FEBRUARY, I WAS ALREADY HAVING SYMPTOMS! BY MARCH, WE KNEW FOR SURE THAT OUR NEW BABY WAS ON THE WAY. REMEMBER MY TELLING YOU THAT I NEVER GOT VERY BIG WITH OUR CHILDREN? THIS TIME BY APRIL, I WAS SHOWING AND VERY OBVIOUSLY PREGNANT. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT MARTIN AND I DECIDED TO GO TO THE TEMPLE TO BE SEALED AS A FAMILY. FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT I MEAN, A TEMPLE SEALING MEANS THAT THE FAMILY WILL NEVER BE SEPARATED IN THIS LIFE OR THE NEXT, AND WILL FOR ETERNITY BE A FAMILY TOGETHER. WHEN CHURCH MEMBERS ARE MARRIED, THE SEALING TAKES PLACE THEN IN A TEMPLE WEDDING, HOWEVER THOSE WHO WERE BAPTIZED AFTER MARRIAGE, AND WHO HAD CHILDREN, WOULD GO TO THE TEMPLE AND SEAL THE PRESENT CHILDREN AND THEMSELVES AS A FAMILY, AND THEREAFTER ANY OTHER CHILDREN WOULD BE BORN, "UNDER THE COVENANT". SO, WE WANTED TO GO TO THE TEMPLE TO BE SEALED. WE HAD TWO CHOICES, MESA ARIZONA, OR SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH AS THOSE WERE THE TWO CLOSEST TEMPLES. TODAY, WE HAVE ONE IN HOUSTON, AND IT IS MUCH EASIER TO GO. SINCE OF COURSE MONEY WAS TIGHT, I DECIDED TO SEE WHAT I COULD DO TO HELP WITH THE TRAVEL EXPENSES. DEAR FRIENDS TOLD US THAT THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS IN UTAH WOULD ALLOW US TO STAY WITH THEM, SO ALL WE HAD TO DO WAS TO HAVE TRAVELING EXPENSES. SINCE I HAD LEARNED TO CAN PRODUCE, I GOT THE BIG IDEA TO MAKE HOMEMADE JELLY FROM THE WILD BLACKBERRIES THAT ARE ABUNDANT IN THE SOUTHEASTERN PART OF TEXAS. I GATHERED UP THE GIRLS, AND WE WENT AND FOUND "DEWBERRIES" OR WILD BLACKBERRIES. THE LORD MUST HAVE HELPED US, BECAUSE WE PICKED BUCKET AFTER BUCKET AND SOON HAD GALLONS OF BLACKBERRY JUICE TO MAKE JELLY WITH. PEOPLE GAVE ME MASON JARS, AND I BOUGHT THE SUGAR IN BULK. MY TUMMY WAS GETTING HUGE, BUT I DIDN'T LET THAT GET IN THE WAY- WE JUST PICKED AND PICKED. THEN, I MADE DOZENS AND DOZENS OF JARS OF WILD DEWBERRY JELLY. TO MY GREAT JOY, WHEN THE MEMBERS FOUND OUT WHAT I WAS DOING AND WHY, THEY ALL WANTED TO BUY MY JELLY! I SOLD IT FOR 1.25 A JAR, (QUITE A HIGH PRICE BACK THEN) AND ENDED UP EARNING 150.00 OR MORE. IT WAS MY CONTRIBUTION TO THE MOST WONDERFUL TRIP WE EVER HAD. AND TOMORROW, I WILL TELL YOU MORE ABOUT IT! LOVE, NANASEE