2015 Christmas Greetings

Who would have believed that at 85 we would be sitting high in the mountains of Scottsdale, Arizona watching the sun come up over Joy & Dan's beautiful "Davis Oasis"?  It is their escape from the harsh weather in Oklahoma City and they are very generous to share it.  We have been here a week and the family is coming today for Thanksgiving.  What a lot we have to be thankful for.

Our children are all healthy - well almost.  Joy just finished radiation for breast cancer but she didn't let it slow her down.  She was an inspiration to all of us.  Through it all she ran their law firm with Dan in the beautiful historical church that they restored and turned into offices.

Andrew, our 6'10" super star is now at the University of Arizona Law School on full scholarship.  Our God has ingenious plans - if we could only learn to trust him.  Sweet Emily is a senior in Nursing at OU and what a nurse she will be - is - she has already worked at a hospital during vacation.  Sam is our creative genius.  Between serving on Student Council and working two jobs, he finds time to create web pages for charities, makes videos advertising school functions using drones and share his swan pool float with Grandma.

After four years of searching, Sandy & David finally found their dream home in August on five wooded acres outside of Knoxville, Tennessee.  It is walking distance from the Tennessee River and they have deer in their backyard.  We thought the house was too big for the two of them, but they had a full house for Thanksgiving.  They send us pictures of them on their tractor and Sandy has a beautiful sun-filled quilting workshop in the basement.  She is thrilled to have someplace to continue her hobby and may turn it into a business.  David is able to work from home and manages to still find time to tackle a long list of projects. 

Danielle flew to TN from Lawrence, Kansas for Thanksgiving where her career in Real Estate Management continues to provide new challenges.  This summer she took on the responsibility of managing the HOA for all the properties.  It is a family-owned business and they depend on her to hire, fire and train all their employees, in addition to handling their books.  We loved seeing her last Christmas.  We had lunch together at the Dallas Museum of Art where Smitty and I tried out some "chairs" that would spin while you sat in them.  The girls made a video of us.

Suzie is a very busy lady.  She is constantly on the go with decorating clients from New York State, Florida, South Texas and the West Coast, where she is doing food styling for Thermador in California.  She loves what she does and so far doesn't mind the traveling.  She was very proud to be invited to join the Society of Les Dames d'Escoffier - a select group of women in the food industry.  It's hard to believe that she has grandchildren!

Tim and Alison had a precious little redheaded daughter this year (St. Catherine to us).  That makes 2 boys and a girl - the happiest little family.  Thank goodness for Facebook and Email.  Trish and Steve have 2 almost teens, Jenna and Christian.  We tried to all get together for Catherine's Christening but it didn't work out this time.

Since the sale of our house fell through when the buyer didn't qualify, we moved the office and Master bedroom downstairs.  We are really enjoying being on one floor.  It's nice because we are able to entertain a visiting pastor when he is in town and he can have the whole upstairs.  We turned Smitty's office into a library and it is a cozy place to sneak off to read and do my Bible study.

For my birthday this year, the girls took me to a Sur la table Cooking Class.  We had a lot of fun making french pastries and enjoying spending time in the kitchen together.

God has been so good to us.  He has given us remarkable good health for our age and best of all - each other.  We cherish each day and look forward to what exciting things He has in store for us.  Our latest assignment is to prepare hot meals twice a month for 50-60 Seniors at our church (First Baptist Lindale).  It is a very active group and we were pleased when the Minister of Adults asked us to do it.  We've done two so far and it has been fun and well received.  Our committee works like a well-oiled machine.  The women cook and the guys host, serve beverages and wash dishes.  It is by far the nicest, best-equipped kitchen I have ever had the privilege to serve from.  Our good friend is the Director of Sky Ranch which is close by.  We have been privileged to have volunteered there this Summer with the young people.

  

Smitty is back doing the yard work and is my handy man.  It is amazing how he bounced back after the difficult hip replacement surgery.  Our two cats are still keeping us company.  Blackie's favorite spot is on Smitty's lap.

We are trying to learn to pace ourselves but when he gets started on a project, I have trouble getting him to stop.  I made slipcovers for the lake room and the deck furniture this summer.  We had fun playing with the nautical, lake house theme.

As we celebrate this Holy Holiday, let us all remember that God sent his precious Son to save us from our sins.  Happy Birthday Jesus!

Happy Holidays From The Smith Family!

As 2014 comes to an end, we find ourselves closing a chapter of our lives.  Our sweet friend and  neighbor of 29 years joined her husband in heaven on December 6th.  Since we were the only close “family” she had we have been her sole caregiver for the last 10 years, the last 2 which were spent in a local nursing home. We had a Celebration of Her Life last Saturday and all of the kids were able to come.  It was a beautiful service where Smitty gave a nice tribute along with several others and we had a nice lunch after at the club. 

It has been a good year.  We are well and very happy.  Smitty has improved steadily from the setback he had after the hip replacement and is back doing all of his little “honey dos” around the house. Since we decided to stay at Hideaway Lake we moved his office downstairs and my craft room right off the entry.  However it was nice having all of the bedrooms when the kids came.  Smitty has been busy keeping up with all of Doris’ medical bills, visiting every day and taking her to the doctor if needed while I kept her clothes washed and ironed.  Now we are looking forward to God’s next assignment for us.

We enjoy singing in a 60 voice HAWL choir and did 2 productions last year.  We attend a weekly bible study group and play cards with a couple every Friday night. I still cook every chance I get.  Once a month I help my friend cook at the local Catholic Soup Kitchen and we really put out some good food.  We enjoy helping feed the youth at church once a month.  A friend honored me with a lovely lunch in her home for my birthday and as a surprise the girls were invited.  What a treat.  They come as often as they can but everyone is so busy that it is special when we can get together.

SUZIE (eldest) has been very busy traveling around the country decorating model homes.  She has done 5 in Tyler and I got to be her assistant for them.  I love it and learn so much.   Her children live in Florida.

Trish and Steve are in Orlando where Trish teaches.  Jenna is in Middle School where she is in the Jr. National Honor Society, loves animals and is the pitcher on her softball team.  Christian just turned 9 and loves sports.  Alison and Tim are in West Palm Beach where Tim is a Sr. Systems Architect.  They have 2 precious boys that keep Alison very busy and are expecting a little girl around my birthday.




SANDY (middle child) continues to run her own business doing bookkeeping and administrative services for individuals and small businesses.  She says it’s the best job she’s ever had.  She and David are still living in Dallas.  Danielle is in Lawrence, Kansas and runs the office for a property management company.


JOY (the youngest) and Dan have a law firm in downtown Oklahoma City.  They remodeled an old historic church in Deep Deuce for their offices.  Andrew graduates this year and will start Law School in the fall.  Emily is in Nursing School at OU and Sam is a Sophomore and active in Student Council.

We are all hoping to get together again this spring on the beach in Florida to meet our new great grand-daughter.  Last month all of the northern clan met for Thanksgiving at the Davis Oasis on Desert Mt. Arizona.  Smitty and I go early and stay after everyone leaves and have a dream vacation.  To make this year very special, the 2 darling boys from Kenya that they are supporting were with us.

Thanksgiving 2014

We have so many blessings.  We just pray that God will lead us to do what ever he has in store for us and that he will give us the strength and energy to do it well.

2013 Holiday Greetings

As the year 2013 fades away we are surrounded by our many blessings and are so thankful for our friends and loved ones.  We also greave for those special ones - Tom LeClere and Mark Hollis who have preceded us to Heaven.  It makes us especially grateful for our good health and our doctors who help us stay that way.

The year began on a very special note when Joy and Dan opened their home in Desert Mt., Scottsdale for us and four of our friends.  We sat around the fire pit each morning and watched the sun come up and watched it go down over the beautiful mountains in the evening.  What a privilege.  It is a beautiful home.  Their law practice has grown so that it is a welcome escape that they use often. 

In June the whole family gathered at Deerfield Beach, Florida at the same hotel where 
we stayed 5 years ago for Timmy and Alison’s wedding.  This time we were celebrating the christening of their second son, Ryan.  We set up camp on the beach thanks to Trish who supplied canopy, beach chairs and coolers.  Smitty and I sat like royalty watching all of the children in the surf.  The christening was the most meaningful we have ever attended and now we have 2 little red headed Timmys.  Tim and Alison entertained us all in their lovely home.  We are so proud of all of our little brood.

Suzie is traveling all over the country decorating homes from a multi million dollar one in Dallas to manufactured homes and apartments.  I got to be a “go for” recently when she did 4 in Lindale and  it was such fun seeing her in action.  She is very busy  and loves her work and her loft above her warehouse in Dallas.

Being a Girl Friday for a busy Dallas entrepreneur is perfect for Sandy.  She keeps him organized and can take time off to visit Dani an the University of Kansas, travel with David and come see us occasionally.

We just spent a fun time with Joy and Dan and the children. They held an open house for their new office recently finished.  It is right downtown in Ok City in the old black area called Deep Deuce.  It is a beautiful old church built in 1921, was the center of the sit ins, hosted a national NAACP convention and Martin Luther King preached there.
Ii was badly in need of repair but most of the magnificent stained glass windows were in tact.  The offices are in the balcony and below but the sanctuary was kept for the community to use for functions.

Our year has been a bit of a roller coaster.  We put the house on the market (again) intending to move near Joy.  Doris (our 99 year old next door neighbor who has become a part of our family) planned to go with us .  She is in a nearby assisted living and would transfer to one near Joy.  She loves Sam (now 15 and driving).  We got a contract on the house and went to Ok, wrote a contract on one there and came back to find our buyer apparently didn’t qualify.  We were so disappointed that we took it off the market and have decided for now to stay where we are.  We have moved downstairs and are hiring more and more help.  In August Smitty’s hip began bothering him (at least he mentioned it ) and we decided it was time to have it taken care of.  He was scheduled to have it replaced 2 years ago but  insisted that I have my knee done instead.  The surgery went well but he had a reaction to the medication, lost 15 pounds and has been taking a long time to get back to normal.  However, he is doing well and is looking forward to getting back on the golf course in the spring.  He is very faithful to visit Doris every day and takes care of all of her needs.

We leave on the 17th for 10 days on Desert Mt. with Joy’s family for Christmas.

I still volunteer at the Bethesda Health Clinic, cook at the Catholic Soup Kitchen, work in my flower gardens and dabble in my crafts.  Life is so good and we are so blessed.

We send our love to our friends far and wide.  Have a blessed 2014.

December, 2012

Our house is on the market!  I have been ready for a long time but it has been hard for Smitty to leave our lovely home where we have had so many happy times with the girls and their families.  It's time for a new chapter in our lives and we are looking forward to it.  Since this is a slow time for lake property, it may take a while but we will keep you posted.

We just returned from a dream vacation at Joy and Dan's get-a-way in Desert Mountain, Scottsdale, Az.  Everyone was able to come but Suzie, who has several model homes that are ready to install.  She is in Louisiana today.  ( it is with her help and patience that I am able figure out this blog)  Our girls are all superb cooks and we enjoyed much good food.  Sandy is the organizer and came early, did the shopping and had all the assignments ready.  She is the expert pie baker and always had her daddy's favorite - mincemeat for him.  Everyone left Sunday morning so we had 2 days of beautiful sunshine and gorgeous sunsets all alone.  What a treat.

For some time Joy and Dan have been supporting the Maisha International Orphanage in Kenya, Africa.   This summer, she and Andrew and Sam went over and volunteered.  It was quite an experience.  We are very proud of them.

We came home ready to jump back into the busy routine.  Today was BINGO at the Assisted Living where our neighbor, Doris lives.  Every Wednesday is BINGO and it is the highlight of their week, they tell us.  Our friends are very generous about donating prizes and we usually make sure each one wins!  Since their needs are small, we set up our "Bingo Boutique" and let them select gifts for their friends and families.  Smitty keeps them laughing and we all have fun.

Over a year ago, after Doris fell, she finally agreed to move to a lovely new facility here in Lindale.  It is privately owned and has only 20 apartments, each opening out to a large common living room.  She has attached herself to Smitty and because her nephew in Dallas isn't able to come very often, he is her caregiver.  He visits her almost every day and we have both become part of that large extended family.  We love them all.

My passion is still cooking and I have been spending a lot of time in the kitchens at Bethesda Health Clinic and our church.  I have great committees and we do Board dinners and lovely luncheons for groups interested in learning about the Clinic.  Once a month I cook for the Soup Kitchen at the Catholic Church with my friend, Carolyn.  We have fun and produce some really good food.


Our church was struck by lightening this year and we have been in the process of rebuilding. We work together with one of Smitty's former competitors who owns a box company here in Tyler and his wife.  We cook dinner for the youth once a month and helped them open a coffee shop on Sunday mornings to raise money for summer camp.  They named it "Holy Grounds".  We get cookies donated and it has been a big success.

Our plan is to move to Edmund, Ok. where Joy and Dan live and to take Doris with us.  Epworth Village is nearby and it is a lovely facility.  She says she doesn't care where we go as long as she can go.  She has visited there with us and loves our 14 year old Sam and talks about him a lot.  She is 98, has macular degeneration, has lost a lot of her short term memory, doesn't hear well, takes NO medicine and really gets around very well on her walker.  We should all do so well.

We are well and feel so blessed.  While we were with the girls last week, we got the call that our dear friend, Ernie Warlick (former Buffalo Bill) died and we weren't able to get back for the service.  Smitty's close friend and college roomy also died this year and we miss him.  We wish you all health and much happiness this coming year.

                        smithawl@suddenlink.net                                              903-882-4729

Welcome to the Smith Family Journal!

Can you believe we have our own blog? I shared with my kids that our lives have gotten so busy that we just can't seem to keep up with everyone as much as we'd like to and they surprised us with this very techy way to share our activities. Now that Smitty has a great new laptop that will help us keep in touch when we are on the road, we are hoping we'll be able to share more of our stories about what the kids and grandkids are doing as well as our disaster relief adventures.

Please be patient - this is very new to us but we are really excited about keeping up with all of you!

Catching Up

It's hard to believe that it has been almost 27 years since Smitty's retirement. They have been wonderful action packed years and we are trying to keep it that way. It is interesting that many of our activities are now involving "old" folks. Doris, our almost 98 year old next door neighbor sort of attached herself to us years ago when the grandchildren were little and came often. As she got older, she depended more and more on us so we have become the caregivers. She was able to manage next door by herself until last June. I had a total knee replacement and while I was in the hospital Doris fell and had to be hospitalized. Poor Smitty had two women to look after! She went to a nursing home and then to a new assisted living facility here in Lindale. She has a 3 room apartment with a screened porch and is very happy. Since she prefers men and especially my man, we have compromised by me continuing my volunteer work and Doris is Smitty's volunteer work. He visits her every day and sees to all of her needs.

On Wednesday afternoons, we sponsor a hot bingo game. There are 19 residents and we try to make sure that each one gets a bingo. (so far they don't seem to notice) Smitty is such a kidder and has a nick name for everyone. It gets pretty loud and funny because there is one sweet lady that can't hardly hear a thing. Getting prizes is also a bit of a challenge but our friends are helping out and we have some very nice ones. We call it our "Bingo Boutique" and encourage them to use the prizes for gifts. We love these dear folks and several have said that Wednesday is there favorite day.

I seem to spend most of my time in the kitchen.  One of the fellows has dubbed me "The Queen of Cuisine".  I have designed and help build 3 commercial kitchens. Smitty finally decided I could do one for myself and ours is a beauty. He even let me have stainless steel work surfaces as well as the granite counters. We have had cooking classes here and do a lot of prep work for functions at the church or the clinic. I was the founding president of the Women's Alliance of the Bethesda Health Clinic. ( I am now the kitchen coordinator) We have about 250 medical personal who donate their time to treat the working uninsured. We take no government aid and function on donations and grants. It is a beautiful clinic and some have said one of the nicest in the country - there are very few. One of our popular outreaches is to entertain church groups etc. for a delicious lunch and then give them a private tour. Our ladies have donated lovely dishes, linens and silver and a group of us have fun decorating, preparing and serving. I am also asked by the church to do about 2 dinners a year when we serve about 200. Cooking is my passion and I love to entertain.

We live in a gated community of about 1500 homes with 3 lakes and 27 holes of golf. We bought our house in 1985 and have added on 3 times to accommodate all of the kids and their friends. But we no longer need 5 bedrooms, an office and all of this living area. Two years ago we put it on the market and then Doris fell so we have moved downstairs (we have a master suite up & down) and Smitty doesn't want to budge. It is a lot of work but it is on the lake and we have a ski boat that we enjoy taking our guests out on for a cruise.

Last year for my 80th birthday, the girls took me on a mystery trip. It turned out to be to Joy and Dan's new vacation home in Desert Mountain, Arizona. What a treat. All of the girls were there plus my sister, Julie and Tom, her son. We spent Thanksgiving with the family there and recently came back from a few days R & R with some friends. Dan's business is growing and they just bought The Calvary Baptist Church in downtown Ok. City. It is a landmark where Martin L. King preached when he was in town. They have great ideas for retaining the beauty while turning it into offices. Sandy is "Girl Friday" for a Dallas entrepreneur and does everything from lining up a helicopter to doing his books. David is a rep for a Boston Medical lab. Danielle is working toward her doctorate in psychology at the University of Kansas. Suzie is very busy decorating models in several states and giving speeches. She has websites under Lifestylist.com. Her Trish has 2 beautiful children and Tim just had little Matthew.

Our church is a community church right up the street. It is a very friendly conservative church with an attendance of 350 to 400 a Sunday. We sang in the choir until we started Bingo and now are too tired to practice Wed. night but we sing in a community choir of about 60. Our next "performance" is at 6:30 Easter morning for a community sunrise service sponsored by our church on a friend's nearby ranch. The church is really the heart of HideAway and we are quite involved. Sadly 2 weeks ago the sanctuary was struck by lightening and burned to the ground. They were able to save the Fellowship Hall so we will be meeting there until we rebuild. We have a wonderful new minister and after the initial shock, everyone is excited about the future. Last Sunday we met in the park and it was very inspirational. We have magnificent azaleas in all shades of pinks in front and by the back deck so I took a big bouquet and even the bees liked it. They asked me to take something this week so I am doing white azaleas and some special lavender curly iris and purple clematis.

I still steal a little time for my crafts. I just put away my beads. I have quite a collection of beads from Hawaii and all over and since beading was so in, I made necklaces for gifts and must have made over 100 bracelets. I made some on elastic for all of the ladies at the nursing home and the assisted living. Now I'm making greeting cards. Smitty is still busy doing all of the handy chores. He is amazing. But I have to watch him or he gets up on the roof to blow off all of the pine needles.

We are blessed with good health and are very thankful. Smitty still has the clot in his leg but after several years, the doctors say it is drying up and he takes his blood thinner so it hasn't slowed him down much. Now if we could just get new ears!