Our Life Together

After our beautiful three day honeymoon, we head to Bastrop for Christmas with your Uncle Tom. What a treat that was for me. It turns out Tom had come down with a severe case of chicken pox. Nanny was good enough to put him our bedroom so my first job as a new mother was taking care of a sick little boy. I had to learn about motherhood very quickly.

We were happy in our little duplex on West 6th Street but we both worked north and,we knew that when Tom came to live with us, we would need a larger house. So off we went house hunting. Boy was it discouraging. Everything was too expensive. Most of them were in the mid twenties or thirties and that was just a little too steep for us. Especially since it had been decided that I would not work and stay home with Tom. As usual, God came through and led us to the perfect home. It was located in North Austin on Schirra. It was on a half cul-de-sac and it looked like a little doll house. It was around 900 square feet. Three bedroom and one bath with a big lot. We fell in love with it the first time we saw it. We were able to get the house for $18,500. Just what we needed. Tom just loved his room and soon we were in our house as one big family.

Tom was so excited about us being a family, but he really wanted to have a brother or sister. He would constantly go around patting my stomach and asking if there was a baby in there. After about 3 years we decided to go ahead and have a baby. Much to our happiness your mother, Melissa Ann, was born at Seton Hospital (the same hospital you were born in) on November 12, 1976. She was so beautiful and perfect. In fact you reminded me a lot of her when you were born. (And don't believe her when she tells you about her name. I promise you I didn't remember we had a dog named Missy until after she was born.) Now our little family was complete.

Once again our family had outgrown our home. It was time to go looking at homes again. And, once again, all the houses were too expensive. Then, God came through again, and led us to a home that was perfect for us. It was in the Shenandoah subdivision and in the Leander School District. We were very happy about that because in Austin they had started bussing the children out of the neighborhoods to other schools. We were able to get the house for $34,950 and we moved in on July 16, 1977. That is the home your mother and Uncle Tom grew up in and where I live today. We were very happy in that home.

Life was good for your mother and Uncle Tom back then. They were able to ride their bicycles all over the neighbor with their friends. They would play back and forth at each others houses. They had a freedom that children today don't have and I'm sorry about that.

During that time your Grandfather was studying to take the Land Surveying Exam. He would get up very early in the morning to study. Then sometimes he would hold your mother on his lap while he read to her from Black's Law Book. I would go in later and find both of them asleep in the study. They looked so precious together.

At that time Patrick was still working at Rippy Surveying Company. Finally one day he decided he wanted to start his own business. So on June 15, 1983, P.H. Patterson Surveying Company came into being. At first I wasn't going to have anything to do with the company but I gradually got dragged in and at the end I was taking care of the books, drafting and handling the office. We were busy. Everyone had told us that a husband and wife working together would be the down fall of a marriage. For us it proved to be the opposite. We grew closer than we ever had. Everything was good.

We had a wonderful life. Patrick and I were very much in love. Our children were great. Except for a few scraps that all kids go through we were very fortunate and thankful for our lives. Both my parents and Patrick's parents lived in Austin so we were able to visit with everyone lots. Everything was good.

Unfortunately, with the good comes the bad. Patrick got sick and had to go into the hospital on September 19, 1997. Missy and I stayed with him but the doctor told us they could do nothing. On September 20, 1997, I sat holding your Grandfather's hand and talking to him. He was at peace, and surrounding by family and friends, when he finally let go of life and went to be the God in heaven. He was the love of my life and the best friend I will ever have. I miss him every day. But I am so thankful for the time we had together.