Melodie A. Young

Hard to imagine that after only 71 years, I am officially a resident in Heaven. It wasn’t MY plan but God chose a different one. My story begins here, in Nyssa, Oregon then off to New Meadows and McCall, Idaho. Soon after a short jaunt through Elgin, Oregon; I landed in Kettle Falls, Washington. It was my 7th grade year, I was playing baseball at my uncle’s and I caught the eye of the neighbor boy. He relentlessly pursued me through Junior High and stole a kiss from me in 8th grade. I thought, “It was bold of him. But I like a bold guy.” Suppose you might call it fate but we continued to see each other all through high school and my soonto-be husband, without my permission, asked my father for my hand in marriage. Because my dad said yes, he quickly asked me to marry him. We married shortly after in June of ‘72’ and I became Mrs. Clay L. Young. Once again, MY plans changed, children were not a part of my plans. I finally gave in 15 years later and we welcomed our first son, Justin. We enjoyed him so much, that I decided it was time for more! Woohoo – TWINS! My son, Joseph, and my daughter, Jadyn. With all the fun and excitement, we soon added another son, Jaybraham. So once more, without my permission, my husband paid the doctor a visit. There he thought our child bearing days were over but God had other plans. Little did he know; we were already expecting another. A 5th child born to us our son, Journy. With our family complete, The 5J’s and us, the best parts of my story take off. After 100,000 diapers, it seemed, and many sleepless nights, we graduated into the teenage years. Holy Crap! What a job and I realize I was made for this. I like to think I perfected my professional homemaking skills and became a professional peacekeeper within my home. After we survived the teenage years, our children grew up and I became “Nana”. Twenty grandchildren, five wonderful children, and always my one and only husband ~ my story and plans end here. My husband would always say that I was like Mary Poppins, “Practically perfect in every way” and all my children agree. P.S. To my family, I love you all, and I couldn’t have planned it better.