Thursday, May 28

Punky's Graduation

My neice, Tiffany Brianna Ruppe, aka Punky, graduated from high school at Calvary Baptist School in Kingston tonight.
The graduating class preparing to receive their diplomas.
Punky waiting to receive her diploma.
Pastor Pallotta who brought the commencement message, the graduating class, Brandi Guge, Goldie Mack, Grace Anna Phillips, Micah Plemmons & Tiffany Ruppe; Pastor Plemmons (at the podium), Pastor Ray Bearden and Bro. Tapp. Michael & Stephanie Jones, Wendel, Debbie, Mikiah & Tiffany Ruppe
Sisters-Kiah & Punky
Punky & her fiance, Aaron Crabtree
Debbie & Wendell
Congratulations, Punky!! We love you and are so proud of you!

Some Scenery Pictures from Cades Cove

Cades Cove

This past weekend, Memorial Weekend, we went to Cades Cove and spent the day. We being Malachi, Misty, Mackeinzie, Charlie, Seth, Pamela (Seth's girlfriend) and I. We had a really good time, although Charlie didn't do much walking since he hurt his knee the Thursday before. He was stepping up into the storage building and heard something pop in his knee. We then spent 2 1/2 hours in the emergency room. They took xrays and immobilized it and told him to see an orthopedic specialist. He went to see Dr. Poseman yesterday. He said that he believed it was probably a torn miniscus and they did an MRI. He will get the results on the 8th, but he no longer has to wear the brace. I think he was pleased to see it go.
Anyway, we spent Saturday at Cades Cove. We saw six bear, 2 dear and 3 snakes.
Sorry, no pictures of the snakes. I don't do snake pictures!
You can't take this bunch anywhere, they're always wrestling around.
This is something you won't see often. Malachi turning loose of money so Keinzie could buy a stuffed bear. Keinzie and her stuffed bear.
Charlie, Seth & Pamela
Malachi's favorite part, the wild boar trap.
Seth & Pamela in the mill.
We had a picnic lunch at the halfway point, after checking out the gift shop and all the buildings.
Seth & Pamela
Malachi, Misty & Mackeinzie
Even though there are no pictures of me, I really did go on the trip. I was just always the one making the pictures. After spending the day at Cades Cove, we stopped by Lazy Daze campground to visit with Debbie & Kim who were camping there with some other friends. Karen took this picture of me, Debbie & Kim.

Monday, May 18

Who Does Abby Look Like?

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Me ~ Abby
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Rachel ~ Abby
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Wyatt~Abby
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Do you see any family resemblance?

Friday, May 15

Blessed

Today I was blessed.
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I took a vacation day today to go with my Dad to Morristown to visit with my great aunt & uncle and my cousin. My aunt Hassie will be 90 years old on September 18 of this year. My Uncle Clarence just turned 85 and my cousin Everett is 71. My aunt Hassie is my Papaw Buckeye's little sister.
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My earliest memories of them were when we lived up in the holler in Jett Valley and attended Child's Memorial Baptist Church. Clarence used to lead the singing at Child's Memorial. They lived down a little ways and across the road from us up in the holler. One of my favorite memories is from the time when I was about 6. Hass and Clarence were the first ones in our family to get a color tv set. Back when I was growing up (yeah, I know, back in the stone age) cartoons only came on on Saturday mornings. So, on Saturday mornings, me and Debbie would walk down to their house and watch cartoons. In color! They would always give us Cokes (in the little glass bottles), Fritos and cakes. We loved it! Uncle Clarence asked me today if I remembered the time he aggravated Debbie about giving her a cake. He offered it to her and then wouldn't let her have it. When he decided to give it to her, she refused to take it, said she didn't want his old cake. I could tell he enjoyed the memory. When my baby sister Kim was born, Debbie and I were so proud of her! We couldn't wait to go tell Aunt Hass about our little sister. I remember I drew a picture of Kim wrapped up in her blanket laying in the bassinet. To my seven year old eyes that drawing looked exactly like Kim! I have no idea what it actually looked like. I was so excited about it. When we went to Hassie's, I couldn't wait to show her my picture. I remember she exclaimed over it and told me how beautiful my baby sister was. Forty one years later, it's a memory I've never forgotten. Just a few weeks after Kim was born, we packed everything up and moved to California where we spent the next 8 years. I remember when we came home to visit, Aunt Hass always had a hug and kiss for us. Then she'd laugh and wipe her lipstick off our cheeks. By the time we moved back to Tennessee, Hassie and Clarence had moved to Morristown. We didn't get to see them as much, but we always enjoyed their visits. No matter what, Hass always had a hug and a kiss and a kind word. She used to chase my younguns around the porch at Granny's to give them a hug. She had to know about each one of them today, and Charlie. After Charlie & I got married, we discovered that Hassie and Charlie's grandmother Estie, had been girlhood friends and played together up in the holler.
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There was a lot of talk of memories today. She shared some with me that I never knew. Her daddy died when she was 2. My Papaw Buckeye was six, their brother Jack was 4 and her mother, who we called Maw (see post "Remembering Maw"), was six months pregnant with their little sister, Ann. She told me that from that day Lus (Papaw Buckeye) became like a daddy to them, always watching out for them. Such a huge role for a 6 year old! Maw used to have to walk to work. She said that one evening, Jack had went to meet Maw and Papaw was sitting on a stool in the kitchen holding Ann. Hass was sitting in the floor. She said that Papaw had thought he heard something outside and had got the gun. She said while they were sitting there, the gun went off and the bullet almost hit her and went in the wall above her head!
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Not only was there alot of talk about memories, but there was also a lot of talk about church and the Lord. Hassie's health is not very good. She had a heart attack a while back, had double pneumonia and had to be on life support for a while, and has just recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, which she told me is also in her bones. She's not able to go to church much anymore. She talked about how good the Lord was, and how she didn't know how people made it without him. Uncle Clarence told us about when he got saved 56 years ago. He left the room once and was whistling and singing "Amazing Grace" as he went through the house. Dad and Clarence went to get lunch at Captain D's. While they were gone, Hassie told me what good care Clarence took of her and Everett. Next month, they will have been married 61 years! She also told me that she was just waiting on the Lord to call her home. She said that sometimes she hurts so bad that she wishes He'd take her on home, but she knows she'll go when her time is right. She said "He's always there to hold your hand if you'll just reach up and take it".
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I went to Morristown today hoping I'd be a blessing to them by visiting. But instead,
I WAS THE ONE BLESSED.
I saw God's grace, and mercy, and His love in their lives.
I was humbled by the beauty of it all.
And I'm thankful, so thankful, I went.
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Before we left, I had Dad take this picture of me and Hassie with my cell phone. It's a little blurry, but, oh well, it's hard to see through the tears anyway.

Sunday, May 10

Mother's Day

This Mother's Day has been different.
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A first.
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The first Mother's Day after Mom went home to be with Jesus.
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I sat on the porch swing this evening, listening to the quiet and the birds singing, and thought how different it was. I would always go to Mom's on Sunday evening between church services to wish her a Happy Mother's Day and take her a gift. I couldn't do that today. But as I was sitting there thinking about it, I also thought that this Mother's Day was a first for Mom too.
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This Mother's day, for the first time in 24 years, Mom could be spending it with her Mom.
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I know that today wasn't an easy day for my two sisters, either. We met yesterday and had lunch and then went to the cemetery to take flowers for Mom's grave. It was the first time since Mom's funeral that the three of us had been together. I truly enjoyed spending time with them. You know, of all the things my mother ever gave me, the thing I am most thankful for is my sisters, Debbie and Kim. I love you both, and hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day. I was hunting for this picture, one of the last made that we could find of our family, and came across this one. I just had to end this post with it. It made me smile and cry, all at the same time.

I Love You, MOM!

Friday, May 8

Congratulations, Debbie!

To any reader who went to my neice Stephanie's blog and from there voted for Debbie in the Mother's Day of a Lifetime contest, I say THANK YOU! The winner was announced on the radio this morning and it was Debbie! They also talked to her by phone on the radio. If you know Debbie, you know that speaking is not as easy for her as it used to be before the surgery. She sounded great! If you haven't yet read her story, you should. Just go to www.therewillbegrace.blogspot.com
CONGRATULATIONS, DEBBIE!!

Thursday, May 7

Birthdays

Today is Charlie's birthday. He's 56 years young! He's spent the last 29 birthday's with me.

Happy Birthday, Charlie!! I love you!

Today is also my son-in-law Chris' birthday. He's not 56 years young!

Happy Birthday, Chris!

Tomorrow is my baby sister, Kim's, birthday. I won't tell you how old she is!

Happy Birthday, Kim!

I love you all!

Sunday, May 3

Revival Meeting

We will be having revival services this week at Fellowship Baptist Church in Wartburg, TN. Services will begin at 7 p.m. nightly. The evangelist will be Pastor Allen Johnson of Calvary Baptist Tabernacle in Knoxville, Tennessee.

We would love to have you come and be in the services with us!