“Enjoying each stage that life brings.” Six-Word Memoir 2016

1st stage Memoir: “Fulfilling dreams --marriage, education, and career

Graduated from Baylor University with a B. S Graduated from Baylor University with a B.S. in Secondary Education (Drama and English as teaching fields) Married college sweetheart (37 years ago) Began teaching English in a junior high school in Texas Moved to New York and worked in clerical work while husband earned Master’s Degree

2nd stage memoir: “The pig sat in the mud.”

This sentence sums up the next 13 years of my life, as I home-schooled all five of my children. This sentence was the first sentence each of them learned to read. Each time that sentence was learned, we had a celebration. Later, when I attended each graduation ceremony, I tearfully repeated that sentence, so moved by how far they had come since that first reading experience.

3rd stage memoir: “The roller coaster of teenage years.”

During my children’s teenage years, I went back into public school teaching. Four of my five children attended and graduated from Deltona High School during the 12 years I have taught here. Throughout their high school years, I was a parent of a student in baseball, band, drama productions, medical academy, JROTC, Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, TV/video, AP classes, dual enrollment, journalism, talent show, ITS district and state competitions, office aid, club officer positions, AVID, school mascot/cheerleading and probably more that I can’t remember

4th stage memoir: “Always a mother, now a friend.”

Now that my children have moved on to adulthood, I am enjoying our new relationship. After graduating with a degree in Worship from Trinity College, John is now working part time for his church and part time for the church district in developing websites and marketing strategies. He and his brother have just launched out into their own business of Marketing Solutions After graduating with her degree in Elementary Education from Baptist College of Florida, Joy is teaching first grade at Orange City Elementary After graduating from Valencia College Film School, Jeremy is working with his brother in their new Marketing business After graduating from UCF, Jamie is now a pediatric nurse at Florida Hospital South Jordan is still pursuing his bachelor’s degree online while working part-time at ChikFilet and part-time as Student Pastor Intern at Four Towns Community Church.

My newest stage: Grandmother! John and his wife have three children: Aria (age 4), Liam (age 2) , and Peter (3 months) and live in Tampa, FL Joy and her husband have one child: Eva (age 18 months) and live in Deland Jeremy and his wife have one child: Reuben (3 months) and live in Tampa Jamie is single Jordan is engaged to be married next summer

“Grandkids are the reward of life”

“The end or just the beginning?”