In our profile, I put that we were married March 5, 1983. Then I mentioned that is was so long ago. Naturally, that was said (written) "tongue-in-cheek" because it really seems like yesterday we were planning our wedding.Then three years after we were married, we had our first little girl, Rachel Amber Raymond, on May 23, 1986.
She was a perfectly charming baby. She was also one of the few babies my dad got to spend time with before he died. It does give me great joy that along with Shaun and Haley, Rachel was spoiled by her Dunkle. He once sat in the corner with her when Gary had put her there for punishment. Gary lost that one.
I will never forget Gary describing to her one day how she stole his heart. She had just been 
delivered and still in the doctors hands when the doctor wiped her face. As the doctor's palm moved over her eyes, those big blue eyes popped open and she immediately made eye contact with her Dad. He started talking to her and she never even cried. It was as if she knew who he was and was looking to him to tell her she was OK. The doctor gave her to Gary and he just talked to her and she blinked and listened. He said that was the beginning of him losing his heart to his girls.
delivered and still in the doctors hands when the doctor wiped her face. As the doctor's palm moved over her eyes, those big blue eyes popped open and she immediately made eye contact with her Dad. He started talking to her and she never even cried. It was as if she knew who he was and was looking to him to tell her she was OK. The doctor gave her to Gary and he just talked to her and she blinked and listened. He said that was the beginning of him losing his heart to his girls. Rachel married Chris Morgan on December 29, 2007. It was a beautiful wedding and they have had such adventures together ever since. Now they will begin one of the most exciting adventures together .... They are going to be parents on or about February 9, 2010! Gary and I are going to be Poppy and Yaya, unless Miss Mollie decides to call us something else. We all know that the power is really in the hands (or the mouth) of the first born grandchild. We are all so excited about the new gift coming soon - Especially Aunt Britney and Aunt Cari. Right now, Rachel is in Clarksville, TN near Ft. Campbell, KY teaching 8th grade and getting to know her new home. Chris is in Maryland at a school until October 8th- which by the way he is the lead officer in his class! We are all very proud and very confident that he will perform head and shoulders above the rest.
With this new chapter in our lives, Gary and I can't help but wonder if we have shared with our children everything we wanted to prepare them for this next step. I guess parenthood is a never ending story that we write each time we are with them.
