Mark Memories...

So many memories.... where to start?... Perhaps it's best to start at the beginning:
Quite some time ago, I found myself in life living in a 3 bedroom apartment in Sandy Springs with 3 boys, one female toddler, a job as a secretary with Dillard Paper and a paycheck that didn't quite cover all the bills. I was driving an old wreck of a Toyota that looked as though it would give up and die in the middle of the road just any moment. There was this sweet older man in the warehouse that would bring his tools and his ducktape and patch it back together on a regular basis and refused to let me pay him a dime. He would shake his head and tell me that the Lord provides for women trying to raise their children alone. He told me to worry about taking care of "them babies" and the Lord would take care of me. Then he'd give ol' Betsy a pat and amble off toward the warehouse smiling all the way. Somehow that car kept together until after I married Mark before it finally gave up the ghost and died in a Krystal parking lot.

I remember looking at my check each week, wondering how I'd pay my mortgage, car insurance, gas, food, lights, etc. out of such a tiny bit. Time after time I would pray about the things that we needed and they would miraculously come into our lives. Sometimes thru a friend or neighbor, but sometimes thru complete strangers. I remember feeling closer to my Heavenly Father during that time than any other time of my life. Everytime I would begin to feel frightened or lonely, I could talk to Him and feel his arms around me, comforting and loving me until I felt strong again.
My oldest, Andy, had gone to live with his Dad (a long story for another time) and Jay (about 12) and Nick (about 9) had to be latchkey kids and "keep" themselves until I got off work (around 5pm), picked up Sarah (2) and drove thru traffic to get home. Some of the things they got into..... oh golly, I could tell you stories! .... (* Just a word to the wise: When your kids get grown, don't ever get them started by asking "by the way, what REALLY happened that time when..." be cause, once they get started, you'll get story after story. All the things that they did that you had no idea that happened.... and you'll wish you were blissfully ignorant again!! WAY more than you EVER wanted to know!!!!) Arrrrrrgggghhhh! Some things I would've been happier NOT knowing! lol .....