I am going to tell a story about Toni she has never been able to live down. The skirt I am wearing in this picture is one Mom made me for my birthday.

We lived in Grape Creek, Illinois at the time. I loved Grape Creek, but Mom never really did. I think it had something to do with carrying water from the well, hauling in wood for the stove, and living in a two room (albeit large rooms) cabin. They had bought the house in Grape Creek to live in while they fixed up a nice house in Danville. We all liked Grape Creek so much (except Mom, of course).

Dad ended up selling the new house and we stayed in Grape Creek for about 3 years.

Mom had sort of divided one of the rooms and the "biggest half" of it was our bedroom and the other part was her and Dad's room (and Steve's after he arrived). One day I started to go into the bedroom and Mom yelled at me to stay out of there. Toni asked me if I had seen them. When I asked her "saw what" she turned to Mom and said, "It's okay, Mom, she didn't see her new skirts!" After that Toni had a reputation that 40 years has not been able to erase :-)

Although the second family picture does not show Shelley very well, for our cousins who have not met them, Shelley and Kay are the redheads in the family. Very different color redheads though!!! Kay Ellen has red hair like Aunt Bertie had - really red. Shelley has copper colored, curly red hair. I am still a blonde thanks to my friends at L'oreal :-)