~and we both listened to God's calling~

Merry Christmas morning from Altus, Oklahoma!

It's the very early morning hours and Santa has come and gone while we all slept. The house is quiet here at my sister's place, save for the occasional rustle of someone asleep in the living room.  Mike and I came here yesterday afternoon late to spend the night and be with our family just up the road a bit from Burkburnett.  It was one more step in the beginning of establishing new traditions this year.  

Moving from the mountains of southwestern Colorado down onto the plains of northern Texas has afforded me the chance to be a whole lot closer to my older sister Sherry.  Just like me, she was a teacher for over 4 decades.  It was from her,  not from the plethora of college classes that I took over the years, that I learned the fine art of teaching.  I have emulated her classroom style throughout the course of the past 38 years.  

Sherry St. Clair has been the greatest teacher I have ever had.
You will not convince me otherwise.

It seemed kind of funny last night to take the photo shown below.  Sherry, her daughter Brandy (also a teacher here in Texas), and I sat at the counter coloring and drawing.  I had received two coloring books for Christmas from Mike (those newfangled ones that entice you to throw away your worries and color for a bit) so I brought them along with me so that we could have fun together.  

Between the 3 of us and including Brandy's sister Mandy, also a teacher living in Florida, we have well over 110 years of teaching experience.  Crazy, isn't it?  We're all so young!  How could that be?  It's always fun to talk with the others and share the stories of what it is has been like to be a part of the most honorable profession there ever was.

~teacher~

This year Brandy is teaching art to little ones.  She is very talented and crafty, something she did not get from her Aunt Peggy.  It was so nice to receive a special, homemade gift from her this year.  Mike and I will treasure it for all of the years to come.  
Renfro  Est. 2013

Oh how time has flown by us all.  Seems like just two Christmases ago, that little girl and her sister were opening up their presents at Grandma Scott's house in Kansas.  They and all the other cousins would play for hours with the toys that Santa had brought them.  Their Aunt Peggy loved them then and one thing is for sure.

She loves them still today.

May you be blessed, dear friends and family, with a sweet Christmas Day and a very blessed, prosperous, and happy New Year in 2016.  Mike and I thank each of you for your friendship and love.

Two silly school teachers who thought that retiring was the road to travel back in 2010.  We learned rather quickly that it was not.  Both of us are grateful for the blessing of being called "teacher".  There is absolutely no other profession that we would have chosen.  Thank goodness we both listened to God's calling.