Since we started going to the Spanish Speaking Longview 4th Branch almost 3 years ago, James has loved playing with his favorite girl friend, Náthali. She celebrated her 4th Birthday Party on New Years Day and James and Jade had a lot of fun!
James & Náthali
Jaime Rivas (Náthali's Dad) & TJ
A lot of LDS moms in the area (from multiple wards and stakes) get together for our playgroup every Thursday morning. We try to go to a park in the area as long as teh weather is cooperative. It was my month to pick and I chose one of my old favorites -
Teague Park. We had a great time playing with friends and there is so much to do there, including an old metal slide and play equipment that I miss.
I didn't get pictures of this part, but the kids and I went to the pond to wander around after our friends left. They've really improved the pond with a t-dock that goes out into the water near the fountain (added about 10 years ago) and a long railing where the path is right next to the water (added within the last year). From a distance I saw a beautiful musical mural on the amplitheater. I think I'll go up and get a closer look at it next time. The most impressive thing at the pond is the ducks and luckily I had some old bread and chips to feed them. We were particularly lucky to not only see the normal ducks of the pond, but also 2 large flocks of Canadian Geese. The kids loved feeding them and watching all their behaviors. It's such a great place to go to see and do so much. There's a pond clean-up next month so I look forward to helping keep it beautiful.
Some of my favorite memories at Teague Park:
- Grubbs family picture taken in late 1980s of all children and grandchildren of my maternal grandparents, Joy & William Grubbs (minus Hannah only because she wasn't born yet)
- Easter egg hunts on the hill by the old cemetary and amplitheater
- Clogging practice during Spring, Summer & Fall with our little Mom and girls group, The Quicksilver Cloggers
- Grade school performances at the amplitheater
- In middle school a group of my friends and I went there to mess around. We all had water guns and I ducked behind the huge concrete water fountain to dodge a shot from my friend and chipped my left front tooth. I went to the dentist to have it repaired and the "filling" lasted until just last year when it just chipped. I'm impressed it lasted 15 years or more.
- We must have had a few Young Men / Young Women activities there because I remember watching Joseph Karns, Chris Rogers & TJ playing around a lot. I remember TJ hanging upside down from one of the poles. It's hard to explain, but he would grab the pole close to the bottom and then throw himself in the air
- TJ and I had our engagement photos done there by my "best" friend, Kimberly.
Yes, we were definitely skinnier then, but we're still so in love :)
- Walking our dogs to the park and watching them go crazy about the ducks. My cousins, Hannah and Jordan walked with me one time when they came to stay a night.
Now, I get to enjoy this wonderful park with my kids.
Jade loves sliding! She just recently started trying it out wants to do it all by herself, of course.
James is showing his friend, Jackson, all about his phone. No, we do not have him on our cell phone plan. My dad gave him one of his old Alltel phones a couple years ago and we took the battery out for him to play with.
We look forward to many more memories to make at this beautiful place.
Side Note
Sadly, two strip clubs have opened up the hill from the park within the past 5 years. Pardon my frankness, but they don't deserve the honor of "gentlemen" for any reason. They are what they are. The park has enough "lingerers" to wonder what adults without children are doing hanging around in a park in the middle of the day. However, the new businsses up the hill doesn't make it anymore inviting for young mothers to bring their children. I remember when the only strip joints were outside of town, but obviously some people have no shame anymore. I've known some women and probably plenty of men (whom never mention to me they frequent such a place) who work or take their business to strip clubs. I know people make choices in life for many reasons, good or bad. However, I know that having a strip club so close to a park where children play is obscene at the least. I appreciate my friends who were willing to go there anyway. I understand most of them would never go alone, but I feel we brightened a place that needed it. I know it's not much, but I feel we can improve our communities more and more if we but take little efforts together to make them better. I don't think that park gets a lot of playgroup activity so I hope it gets to be a better place - rejuvinated by people going there doing good things. The Savior said, "Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me" (Matthew 18:1-5). And the prophet, Thomas S. Monson spoke one time in conference saying, "Children then and children now bless our lives, kindle our love, and prompt good deeds." I know and feel this is all true. I have seen that the more people are around children, the kinder and more humble they are. What better way to have effect on adults making bad choices than to see children playing and laughing together? Evil cannot abide in such a place. I obviously don't believe in taking my children into dangerous circumstances. Their safety is of utmost concern to me always. Yet, we can, in small groups, go to places that need the sunshine of children.
