Texas Trip: Part 1

It was so wonderful to visit the majority of the trip with this special, special man...my Grandpa Bishop. I just love him so much!!!!! We made a video of him telling his favorite childhood stories with us, sharing his favorite Bible verses with us and giving us an abundance of wisdom and a beautiful legacy to carry on!!!!
My Grandpa is 95 years old...going on 96 this year!!!

When Bunni was no more than 4 weeks old, Grandpa held her. She was just a little puppy. I got a picture of Grandpa holding Bunni then, and now I have a picture of him holding Bunni now when she is five years old.

This picture has always been hanging over my Grandpa's couch in the living room. My Grandma hung it there and in fact, she painted it!!!! Paul and I observed something about this painting. For one, it resembles very much where Paul grew up in West Virginia. It looks so much like the scenery where his parents live today! The next thing that was amazing we noticed...my Grandma painted this in 1974! That was the year Paul was born!!!! It was like Grandma saw a little bit in the future while she painted this...that one day (even though she didn't live to see it) I would marry such a precious Christian boy from the hills of West Virginia!!!!

This picture is of my Grandma Bishop and her sisters and mom sitting on their old Model T ford. Grandma is in the black. Her sister, Katie is in the white. Her mother is holding her other sister Dorrace. Grandpa told us a story about this picture as well.

Grandpa told us the story about when this picture was made in downtown Calvert, Texas, at the old photography shop. It was taken when they used to have those old press cameras that had the flash powder for the flash. It had a big flash and puff of smoke when they took this picture he remembers. The oldest girl in the picture is Grandpa's oldest sister, Nellie Ruth. Grandpa is the next oldest. The little brunette is Grandpa's sister, Frances. I have to pause here and tell you...my sister, Anna, used to pose like this in ALL her pictures when she was a little girl!!! When the camera would come out, she would tilt her head to one side and stand just like Great Aunt Frances in this picture! Lastly, the youngest child is Grandpa's youngest sister, Bessie. Grandpa told me that he and all his sisters are now all in their nineties!!!!

Grandpa has to use a walker now. It was so hard for me to see him this way. I cried for the first hour or so when we were there. He looked so different since the last time I saw him. However, his memory hasn't changed and his mind is still alert and sharp as ever!

Grandpa and Paul.

Grandpa with his box and toy he made as a boy.

Grandpa and me.

Grandpa told us the story about making this little wooden box when he was 14 years old. He has wonderful wood working talents!

This is Grandpa's Humble Company tag when he worked for Humble. Exxon used to be Humble back in the day.

Grandpa carved this little toy out of wood. He said he kept widdling the wood until there was a ball inside and it moves up and down.

This is the little wooden box Grandpa made when he was 14 years old. He made the hinges and everything!