A Look Through The Glass: Wal-Mart + Dallas = Madeline

Well here we go! I figure the best way to start is at the very beginning of the Dallas and Sarah Saga, with cliff notes! After graduating and going to college to study (party) for a couple of semesters, I quit school and moved home. Yes, I know, thrilling so far!! Since I was no longer in school, I had to go out in the "real world" and get a job, yeah. Wal-Mart became my lucky employer. And that, my soon to be friends, is where I met Dallas, the hunky electronic guru! It took me awhile to get in good with the Wally world crew, but once in I met a lot of good friends which I am still in contact with to this very day. Once Dallas and I became friends, our relationship took off from there, with a little arm twisting on my part. See, Dallas was convinced that dating someone whom he worked with was a bad idea, of course, as I explained to him, Wal-Mart wasn't a life long goal of mine, but he most defiantly was!! It didn't take long for me to totally fall in the deep end over him! We dated for awhile, created our sacred "den of sin", and in 99 were married. Who knew you could find love in aisle 4 at Wal-Mart?

Grandpa Joe and Grannie

Memaw and Papaw

After a few years of marriage, and a failing job market, we decided to move to Kansas City to have a fresh start. After getting jobs and settling in, the harsh reality of moving away from our hometown hit us both hard. The first year there we, lost a friend, my grandma and Dallas's grandpa soon after. The loss of my grandma and his grandpa was/is a huge tragedy. Memaw meant the world to me, and for me to move away from her and not see her those last precious days of her, will haunt me forever. She knew that I loved her though, and I know she loved me and wanted me to be happy and live my life, and so I did. My mom couldn't though, she spent most of her days by my grandma's grave. You see, my mom is the strongest person you will ever meet. She took care of my grandma till her last breath. And although the last year of Memaw's life was filled with a lot of pain and suffering, my mom cherished that time with her and will never forget it. Alice, my mom, was heartbroken after grandma passed, and it became very clear to me that she wasn't getting any better, that's when Memaw stepped in. One day at work, a feeling like, oh shit, I haven't started my period, came over me, prompting me to beg the boss man to let me off early. I went to the drug store and bought the prego test. Dallas worked nights, so I calmly woke him up and explained to him, oh so gently, that I skipped a period, and bought a test that I would be taking that night. After he left for work, I went in to the bathroom, took the test and there it sat for awhile, till I found the strength look at it. My brother, at that same time, called me. He and I have always had that "intuition" when the other needed someone. So with phone in hand, I went to the bathroom and saw the + sign. I was speechless as was he!! Even though it wasn't a planned thing, it felt like it was the right thing at the right time. Telling Dallas was an event in itself, but once he met his daughter he was putty in her hands. Mom started living for the future, spending less time at grandma's grave and more time baby clothes shopping. Yet we moved on, in mom's and my heart, we both knew that grandma did some pleading with God about the sex of the baby, and won! Enter Madeline Claire and another new beginning!