Latest / Just Us Sisters / Episode 4: Childhood Family Memories
Transcript
- speaker-0: Okay. speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-2: Welcome to the... speaker-0: Just think of helping with the banning. So... ⁓ speaker-2: We made a podcast. speaker-1: Welcome to episode four of Just Us Sisters. Today we're gonna be talking about family memories. Listeners, I'm sure you and your family have had plenty of family memories, good and bad. Well today we're gonna share some of ours. And it's gonna be a little different and we're gonna have fun with this episode. So hold on tight. I'm your host, I'm Cheryl number two. This is Susan number one. There's Shelly up there number three and Stacey our little baby number four. I wanted to start this episode off by playing the song, Let the Good Times Roll. But I got vetoed because we don't own the rights to the music. So you're going to have to listen to me while I sing the song. Ready? Let the good times roll. Let it knock you around. Okay. Enough of that. We are going to start off with the family memory of dropping Susan off at Baylor University in Waco, Texas as a freshman. Shelly, I want you to go first because you were pretty young at the time and I want to see how you remember this. speaker-3: Well, I was 11 and Susan was like a second mother to all of us and she was an incredible cook because she didn't let any of us in the kitchen. I shared a room with her all with less who many asked to stir brawl. I was very active in my school and very busy, but her presence would definitely felt at home. And I'm a very family oriented person. So the prospect of one of my sisters not being back home was just so foreign to me. I just couldn't even imagine. And so I can just tell you the mood was just somber as we made the two hour drive up to Waco, except for Susan, who was full of nervous excitement about going to college and getting out on her own. We helped move. speaker-2: home. speaker-3: her into Collins dorm on a hot central Texas August day. That wasn't fun, but we did do that. And then it came time for goodbyes. And it was just such a strange feeling going back to the car and Susan not being with us. And I was super proud of Susan for getting a basketball scholarship to Baylor University and but the thought of her only being home on occasional weekends and holidays was just overwhelming. We knew things were going to be different and we were scared to think that now, Cheryl was in part, they were kind of clapping back at me and cried all the way home, always missing Susan and wondering what in the world we got ourselves into. speaker-0: why she was leaving us. ⁓ speaker-1: Yikes. speaker-2: And Cheryl was planning her next party. Yeah. speaker-1: Stacey, did you share that same perspective? speaker-0: We were worried about you being our leader at that point. ⁓ yeah, absolutely. Yes, we were concerned we might get beat and stuff. speaker-1: You should be. speaker-0: I remember being very upset on the ride home, but I also remember that the Sunday after that, somebody at church had talked about Jesus coming back. And all I could think of was, what if he comes back and Susan's in Waco and we'll never see her again? And I had so much anxiety over that. I don't think I ate for a week. speaker-1: ⁓ god. speaker-0: I cried all the time. Finally, mom and dad were like, what is wrong? What's going on? And then that's when I accepted Jesus. So that was a very, very big time in my life. But I remember it because my biggest concern was I might never see Susan again because she was in a wheelchair and we were all in shirts. speaker-2: Did mom and dad tell you that some Baylor students might go to heaven? speaker-0: I don't know if we actually thought that at the time, Susan. speaker-1: Well, that's funny. did. It did not affect my eating at all. Matter of fact, on the way home, I was looking around. I was like, Oh my gosh, everybody's crying. Dad even had tears in his eyes and he doesn't even cry that much. And I'm sitting here thinking, I only have one mom again. I get to have my room to myself for the first time in 16 years. I can play. All my good music is loud as I want. speaker-0: not the carpenters all the time. speaker-1: That was only if I was depressed. Usually I wasn't depressed. speaker-2: you next week. speaker-0: I know that's why I was asking. speaker-1: Yeah, yeah. And you know, if I wanted to keep my room messy, then I would. And if I didn't, unless mom and dad came in, I kept it messy. So there was a whole different perspective of all of this. But then I remember that night and as I laid down to go to bed, I was like, wow, I think I am going to miss her deep down. Cause I think that was a time when we would talk. We'd talk about the Lord. We'd talk about basketball games. We'd talk about relationships. I'm sure I was a really good relationship advice giver since I had so many. And we, you know, just talk about our friends and, you know, the good times. And then I, I kind of caught myself getting teary eyed. So I think it was just different for everybody. And I think we all missed her, but Susan. Tell us how you felt when we dropped you off at Collins Hall. speaker-2: Well, first of all, I knew I was very prepared to have a roommate because 99 % of my life I'd had a roommate and a rough one at that. Very opposite. So I was really prepared for an opposite roommate. And as it is, I had a roommate that was an only child and she was even more organized and clean than I was. that was, it was probably a good thing, but. Being the first to leave, I didn't know how it was going to impact family dynamics at all. I mean, I didn't know all that was going on on the way home. All I know is I was excited. I was scared. I didn't know a soul. And my family was about to leave me here. But it was just an adventure until, can y'all guess, until dad started crying. in my room as when he said, okay, it's time to go, his voice cracked and I could see those tears and I was like, ⁓ this is real. Like I've been planning this for months and now it's real. but you know, I know that it impacts family dynamics because as it is, I never went back home after that. I mean, I went back home for visits, but I never lived at home again. And when my son went off to college, I knew how it was going to impact family dynamics and it was never the same. And so that is a memory that is etched, both my leaving and my oldest son's leaving, then, you know, it's just etched in my memory because nothing is the same after that. speaker-0: Hey, can I tell a difference of when you went off to college and when I went off to college? They did not drive me up to North Texas. They packed my car and I'm pretty sure they even threw a party or went on a trip. So they were ready. It was like time. speaker-2: So at least they waited till their fourth kid to do that. We did that on our second. speaker-0: Yeah, I think we all did that on our second. speaker-4: Two middle-school girls and I, me, had to drive ourselves up. speaker-2: So that's where y'all have the advantage. speaker-0: ⁓ Sure, were you concerned about having to be the mother now? speaker-1: I have been trained very well by Susan. speaker-2: thought she was gonna say, no, I was not gonna mother. speaker-0: I actually didn't, so... speaker-1: I'm sure I did. Of course, I never remember mom and dad asking me to babysit. speaker-0: No, I don't have a reason for you babysitting. speaker-1: But before we get into some more family memories, I kind of was wondering, Susan, in most of our family memories, would you consider them calm or chaotic? Not to put pressure on you. speaker-2: I think they were chaotically calm. I can, because there were times when it was a little bit on the crazy side because all of us loaded up into a station wagon and went on a trip and that was chaotic. We had a baby sitting in the front seat with my parents, no seatbelt. And Cheryl and I in the very, very, very back laying down, counting the little dots in the ceiling. speaker-1: No, no. speaker-2: That was a little bit chaotic. But then the calming part was just the places that we went and the things that we did as a family. That was fun. speaker-1: I'm going to take a Stacey, what's a family tradition that you didn't realize was unusual until you were older? speaker-0: I didn't know that every family didn't get together for the holidays. wasn't an expectation that everybody come together and how we have the alternating holidays each year. I didn't know that that wasn't really a deal with other families and the amount of time that we did spend together. Still surprises me today that families don't make a big effort sometimes to do that. And maybe it's not effort, you know, there might be other factors in there. speaker-1: Well, we're going to dive into some of our family memories and since you're already talking, Stacey, I think it'd be fun for you to share that time that our non singing family was asked to sing. speaker-0: Well, Susan had just gotten married and ⁓ she and Tom had just gotten a church in Oglesby, First Baptist Oglesby, I believe. And we, the whole family went up there for the weekend and to go to the service on Sunday. Well, for those of you who don't know Baptist Churches, the pastor's wife normally is musical, I guess. So you normally plays a piano or sings or something. And none of us kind of Cheryl, but ⁓ none of us are musical ⁓ at all. None, of us. And they had asked Susan for our family to sing a special music for a day morning church. ⁓ And it was something else. I'll tell you that. So we agree. I don't know why. speaker-1: Thank speaker-0: I think we were forced and and we all get up there and think I'll fly away. ⁓ speaker-1: ⁓ glory. ⁓ I'm just surprised Tom didn't lose his job. speaker-2: I am shocked that he didn't lose his job. speaker-0: They never asked us to sing again. I don't know why ever. So I don't know. But I will never forget that. I think the faces on the congregation, I think they were more five. And I'm pretty sure I was probably 10, maybe 11. speaker-1: Well, I bet that church will never assume that a pastor's wife's family can sing and they'll never ask again. pastor's wife. Right. Shelley, share with us a family memory that you have that kind of sticks out a little bit. speaker-3: It's probably not too many listeners that can say they were bridesmaids in their grandmother's wedding Yeah, yeah, my grandmother after my grandfather passed away years later met a man and married him and He had us be her bridesmaid and we got to wear our favorite color at the time. You know Well, pink was never my favorite. Purple never had a season. Oh, purple was mine. Yours was pink. speaker-2: P. speaker-1: Mine was green and that's still my favorite color. speaker-0: I was blind. speaker-3: Well, through that union, we got an adopted step-uncle, James, James Edward, and he was an autistic person and we grew to love him very much. And one Christmas, as Stacey said, we of course were all together and we were sitting around singing Christmas carols and we began to sing the first Noel. And all of a sudden, James felt it out. No way, no way, no way, no way. And at first it stunned everyone, but as I thought about it, I realized that James had got it right. There was no way a man was born of a virgin and was the son of God, but yet he was. And at James' funeral, we came to realize how much he had impacted people with his childlike faith. speaker-4: man names Jesus. So we still sing James' version every time we sing it. And so in honor and memory of James, we're going to sing the chorus. No way. speaker-1: Thank speaker-0: ⁓ okay. speaker-1: Not what? speaker-2: Yeah, that's just Oglsby Felt. speaker-1: Susan can you remember I know you have trouble with your memory but can you remember any family memories? speaker-2: I'll tell you one of my favorites and it I remember it every year and especially at this time of the year because The rodeo is going on here in the Houston area that the San Antonio stop show and rodeo Were probably some of my favorite memories as a family pop was on the board and He bought and sold cattle down there. We would go and walk through and look at all the animals And it was just so fun. I mean, we would go to the rodeo actually to watch barrel racing, bull riding, bareback riding, you know, just all of that. I mean, we didn't even think about who was singing. was not about. ⁓ I'll tell you, I think that that is where I grew up loving cowboys. And I really thought that I would marry a cowboy and live on a ranch. Well. I live kind of on a little tiny ranch and my husband has become a cowboy. And we love going to the stop show and the rodeo and for the reason to watch the cowboys. that's one of my, and just, it was a family thing. I mean, we did it, it was what? Three weeks long. And we were probably down there two of the three weeks in the box with mud flying up on us. Yes. speaker-4: year. speaker-2: And it was just fun. It was fun seeing our grandfather in his element. It was fun because we loved, as a family, we loved the rodeo. And know, cowboys are simple, kind-hearted, mannered men and women. So anyway, that was one of my faves. speaker-1: That's a fun memory. All right. Well, the memory I'm going to share is very simple yet it made such a huge impact on my life as an adult. When we were kids, ⁓ every Sunday morning we would get up and we would all load up into the station wagon. Some of us loaded up earlier than others. I always remember dad and I, we'd be watching our watches and he'd say, they're going to be coming any minute now. But anyway, that's not the memory. So we we'd go to church and then after church we'd load back up into the station wagon and head down to San Antonio because we would meet my mom's parents Gran and Pop every Sunday at either Luby's or Wyatt's and that was their favorite. So I loved going because since Pop was paying I was like, yes, we get to get the the Luanne platter. and a dessert. So I would always get buttermilk pie. So that was always a lot of fun. And then afterwards we would either go to their house or we would go to my dad's parents' house and watch football games, sometimes take naps, just visit, fellowship. And that was just very important. And it was not a big memory. It's such a small memory, but it made such a big impact. on me the importance of having a relationship with my grandparents and going to church and having fellowship every Sunday, you know, with fellow believers. And I did love to grow to love Louby's and buttermilk pie. speaker-4: Another thing that would go along with what Stacey said in the beginning, because we knew our grandparents well. And in our generation, and especially in this generation, that's not real common. And it just surprises us so much because they were such an important part of our lives. speaker-2: At what point though did we start going to ponchos? I remember poncho- speaker-1: Yeah, that's later on. Poncho's wasn't around yet, but it was cheaper also than Luby's. speaker-0: And all the sopapias. ⁓ my goodness. speaker-1: Susan, do you have another memory to share with us? speaker-2: I do because I don't know if y'all remember, I mean, when we were small and I'm thinking when Stacey and Shelly were smaller, younger too, our family camped a lot. I probably can count on one hand and I don't even know if all five fingers would even go up on the times we stayed in a hotel. speaker-1: Can you remember? Yeah. speaker-0: Whoa. speaker-2: Yeah, a lot. And one of the camping memories that I have was in 1969, we took a trip with eight of us in the station wagon and we went up the West Coast. Do y'all remember? All the way up to Washington. speaker-1: Yep. I kind of think that we pulled a little... You all behind us. speaker-2: No, we put everything on top. speaker-1: That's right. speaker-0: Well, he was National Lampoon's speaker-1: Truth, speaker-2: And Gran and Pop were with us because we dropped them off in California to see Uncle Sam and Aunt Shirley. We traveled in it and Dad would get out his Coleman stove and cook and everyone had duties. Everyone had things they had to do to get the campsite ready to sleep that night. And sometimes we would sleep in the desert where When we got there, it was so, so hot and at night it went down into the forties and thirties and we were freezing and we were climbing in sleeping bags with our grandparents and parents and then one night we slept. It was so hot that ⁓ everyone was miserable. I don't know if anyone remembers these things, but. speaker-1: Hell- speaker-4: specific that we can do by the time we got to where we could remember the camping trips, we were still using the same blue tent that we used for ever. It slept like, I think, 20 people or so. speaker-1: It's huge. speaker-2: It was huge. And the green Coleman stove. speaker-1: storage building. ⁓ speaker-0: Thank speaker-2: That camping trip that was probably the longest that we ever took, we were gone four weeks. We left when dad got out of school and we were gone four weeks, went all the way up to Washington and then came back across the country. I'll never forget. speaker-1: Lots of camping. speaker-4: There's a road trip, one of our immediate family trips, but we've decided to dedicate an entire episode to that. So you'll definitely be hearing about more road trips taken by the Rouse crew. speaker-2: And I will say this, and we all kind of talked about this at one point, but one of our favorite memories was the ranch. Yeah, that's also going to be another episode because so many things were learned and taught. Yeah, grew so much at that place. And so that will be another future episode to. speaker-1: Thank you, Stacey. What's your another memory? speaker-0: Oh gosh, I have so many and and this isn't on trips. This was just it seems like all the time. One when we traveled, we never stopped at McDonald's. I don't even know if there really was McDonald's back then, but dad would later on. But it didn't matter if we were on a trip or if we were just going somewhere. Dad would always pack our lunch and we'd stop at picnic tables to eat and never stop to get lunch. But then We always had to potty on the side of the road. speaker-1: Yeah, yeah, or in a can during the car ride. He can. speaker-0: don't ever remember really, if we stopped at a rest stop, we had to like stand on the toilet to go to the bathroom. Mom was like, do not sit. So yeah. speaker-2: We end stopping at historical markers. speaker-1: All right. speaker-0: welcome up. Yeah. speaker-2: We would all pop out of the car and go and stand in front of the and read the historical marker and load back up. speaker-1: Well, I'm going to sum it up with another little memory that I have. Again, it's not a big memory, but it stood out a lot. When we were growing up on Tuesdays and Fridays, well, in tournament days, my mom and dad would make us a victory breakfast that consisted of eggs, bacon, and biscuits. And that was every game day. It didn't matter what. I know that I looked forward to it. I'm pretty sure that Susan did too. speaker-2: I'll did that with your kid. speaker-0: We did it and he did it for us too. Cheryl. speaker-1: Yeah, that's victory. Yeah, probably did. But anyway, the main thing though, the mill was good. But one thing I liked more than the mill was the notes that he would write. It was either notes of encouragement or notes of, you you didn't get very many rebounds. You need to, you know, block out a little more. Or if it was a verse, I'm pretty sure mom got ahold of the note that day. But he would always... say something good though, you know, just work hard on your shots. Well, that wasn't for me, that was for Susan, because I was a defender. But you know, that stood out so much and made me really appreciate my parents. so that was such a small memory, but it sticks out in my mind the most. I took the opportunity just to sit down with them and ask them if they remember that and kind of what brought that on. We're going to end with just a little pop question. Susan, what TV show or movie do you think our family reminds you of the most? ⁓ speaker-2: It's a cross between two of them. Little House on the Prairie and Everybody Loves Raymond. speaker-0: Holy speaker-1: Molly, that's good. speaker-2: You know, simple, simple people, lots of humor, laughter, family life, conflict. ⁓ speaker-4: would have to be Charlie's Angels because our dad's name is Charlie and we have always been referred to as Charlie's Angels. Secondly, I love that show and watched every episode. It shows strong women who got the job done, whatever their assignment was. And I feel that it represents my sisters and me as well. My dad made us change the tire before we were allowed to start driving. And we would talk to stand up. for ourselves and for others. won't guess who the others wanted to be, but I always wanted to be Kelly Garrett because she was known for just being smart and calm and good in a tough situation. So my dad doesn't cuss, but he has often said, I never worried about getting into a fight when my daughters were around because I knew that they would jump in and kick ass. He's not wrong. speaker-0: That's right. Don't mess with us. Modern family, have y'all seen it? It's never heard of it. It's a little different. There's some split families in there, but they always get together and they do things together. They take trips together and they're all grown and they have their own kids. And it just reminds me of us. I do love. speaker-1: Thanks. ⁓ I never heard of it. speaker-0: Both Shelly and Susan's though, I think they both make sense too. speaker-1: Mine is the Waltons because they had a hard-working dad. They had a stay-at-home mom that kept things organized and running. And all the kids had Christian values, but they still made several mistakes along the way. So I want to end with the laughs, chaos, love, and messes shaped who we are today. Stay tuned next week to hear how we met our spouses and some fun stories to go with it. Until then, life's messy, meaningful, and better shared. Thanks for listening. speaker-2: Share. Note. speaker-1: Share. speaker-0: Subscribe speaker-1: Goodbye! here with my mom and dad, Sandra and Charles Rouse, and we're going to be talking about the famous Victory Breakfasts that they made us when we didn't have game day breakfasts. So what do you think was the reason y'all decided to start the breakfasts? speaker-5: I think that we wanted the girls to have a good meal so they'd have energy to play. we started making biscuits and then eggs and then scrambled eggs and then toast. And we started piling it on and all of a sudden we went on a basketball game, a good game, and we said, let's have a victory breakfast this time. And from one to the next to the next to the next, about 34 of them. speaker-1: But it was really a great idea because we enjoyed not only the breakfast, but the note that your mom would leave, whether it was a note of encouragement or a. speaker-5: We were so proud of the girls. The whole family was involved, not just two basketball players, but it went down to the youngest girl, Stacey. speaker-6: Well, the ⁓ thing that I remember is when we actually first got married and started our family, we talked about always putting God first and whatever they ended up doing in life or whatever to give God the glory. And so that's really how victory. came from it. just, they did good and it got to be kind of well known around the neighborhood. So, and that's how we continued our life with all our girls. Putting God first and enjoying those times. speaker-5: I'm not sure. speaker-1: Yeah, I thought it was neat that y'all continued the victory breakfasts with Shelly and Stacey too. Yes, well thank you for giving me your time today just to tell us a little bit about that. Part of our life. speaker-5: We. speaker-2: Yeah. speaker-6: Enjoy.