Phyllis Santala:
CLASS OF 1955
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Bellflower High SchoolClass of 1955
Bellflower, CA
Washington Junior High SchoolClass of 1951
Bellflower, CA
Brush SchoolClass of 1949
Carbondale, IL
Major Lynn Mokler Elementary SchoolClass of 1948
Paramount, CA
Phyllis's Story
Life
I guess it's time I updated my profile!!!
Just 2 weeks after graduation I was married and it lasted for 18 years! I have three beautiful daughters (57,55,43)7 grandchildren(3 girls & 4 boys) and 6 great grandchildren Jenna 9 and Alec 5.
I attended our 40th class reunion (I was finally able to find out about this one)and was thrilled to meet old classmates from those "Happy Days"! I never dreamed I would end up married to the boy I had a crush on all through school (he never knew because I was shy way back then). Believe me, he was worth the wait and much more, he was the light of my life!!
I lost Bob 3 1/2 years ago and since then I've been trying to pick up the broken pieces and keep on going. Not a day goes by that I don't think of him and the wonderful years we had together..... they're priceless!
The story goes one...... about 5 years after I lost Bob someone else came into my life!!!! I would never have believed this in a million years (not at 70 years old) but Norman Smith was able to fill that horrible void in my life! Norm and I are so compatible and he treats me life a queen and has taught me so much especially about traveling! I really never cared much for it because of all the packing involved but with an RV it's an absolute snap. It's like a home away from home with all the comforts! We have taken a few long trips but I much prefer the short 3-7 day trips! We also have season passes to Disneyland and we make very good use of them (Grandmother's are just antique little girls)!! I love taking my little great grandson Dylan with us sometimes and each time have taken pictures and videos which we have put onto DVD's so he can look back at the fun times we spent together. We have taken him 4 times (he just turned 3 so we bought him his own season pass) and we have DVD's of each visit with number 5 coming up shortly! He can be a handful at times for his mother but he is an absolute angel when he's with us! I have 3 beautiful daughters that I'm so proud of, Cynthia will be 55 in Sept., Kathy 53 in Nov. and Deanna (my surprise) will be 41 in Sept.! I have 4 great grandchildren Jenna is 13, her bother Alec is 9, Dylan 3 and the newest one, Wade, is just 6 months old. When he gets to be two he'll get his turn at going to Disneyland with us. The older two have gone so many times with their parents and grandparents but we compensate in other ways! It is so much fun being the "great grandparents" because we have no responsiblilty with them except having fun! All my grandchildren (I have 7 ranging from 33 to 17) are grown (my youngest Missy will be graduating in May 2012) and I have the greatest memories of them all growing up! They loved going to gramma's house because they loved being spoiled.... then they went home! LOL They often remind me of all the fun times they remember but I'm the one with all the WONDERFUL memories! I was so fortunate to be able to have both quanity and quality time with each of them and watch them grow into adults! I always told them "There's No Place Like Home Except Gramma's"!!!
All in all I've and a wonderful 73 years of life.... God has been so very good to me and I've learned from all my "ups and downs"!! My health is excellent and I REFUSE to turn into "a little old lady"!!! I remind myself of the "Energizer Bunny", I just keep on going and with God's help I'll continue doing just that!
Until next time, Phyllis (July 2011)
_______________________________________________
It's time for an update on my life! Growing up I had no idea what was instore for me and like the rest of you I've had my share of ups and downs! This is the first time in 9 years I've felt like adding on another chapter and this one is the most difficult one of all! Four years ago I lost my beautiful second daughter Kathy to cancer and I almost dropped my basket! On...Expand for more
top of that one year later I lost my loving husband to pulmonary fibrosis and I was to the point that I didn't care if I lived or died but God wasn't finished with me yet! It took me THREE years to pick up the broken pieces of my heart but God allowed me enough time to heal! I'm now 81 and I can't help but brag about my age, people don't believe I'm that old and it's because I work at being "young at heart"! I keep busy with my hobbies,I have a lot of them but my favorite is my sewing which I'm getting back into! I still love collecting U.S. stamps which I started when I was 12, 7th grade! They are all about American History which is dear to my heart!! Out of my three little girls I was bless with 7 grandchildren, 3 granddaughters and 4 grandsons, who would have guessed the boys would out number the girls??? From those 7 four of them have blessed me with soon to be EIGHT great grandchildren! My oldest, and my only girl for quite a while, is now 21 years old and I so proud of her! After my girl I had FIVE great grandsons that literally stole my heart!! I thought I was through with great grandkids but my second oldest grandson surprised me with a beautiful baby girl so my oldest and youngest are their "Gi Gi's" darling "girly girls"!! Just when I thought 7 was my lucky number my third grandson announced I would be getting ANOTHER great granddaughter the first week in August! I'm thrilled to pieces because babies make the world go round and they also keep you young! LOL You can imagine how my fingers have been flying making a TON of baby things, many of the patterns date back to the early 40's and 50's and some of them are my own creations! It's impossible to buy these things unless I decide to sell them but I would much rather give them away! It truly is more blessed to give than receive!!
I've learned throughout my life NOT to question MY GOD, He allows things to happen that bring you closer to Him and to know He is real! He never makes a mistake and His timing is always perfect and He has given me a "peace that passes all understanding"!! I'm in total awe that God chose to put another Christian man in my life at the age of almost 80, this is the last thing I would have expected because I've become so set in my ways! I don't know how he puts up with me, I guess it's because he loves me! He has been blessed with so many talents one of which is he can fix ANYTHING. I've lived in my home for almost 20 years so he's always on hand if something needs to be repaired! I grew up in church, which was more strict back then, and was taught right from wrong and that "Jesus Loved Me" but it really wasn't till I went though all my heartbreaks that I learned just how much He really did love me and that He was ALWAYS with me even when I didn't realize it! So I take each day in my stride and make the most of each one!
I LOVE clothes and shoes (I still wear 3-4" heels and will till I know when to stop LOL) especially anything that has "bling"! I feel like I'm dressing up in my mother's clothes! LOL I have to admit it's the ONLY thing I'm addicted to because I have THREE closets full so I'm prepared for anything that comes up!
It took me a while but I finally found the church that I belong in and I couldn't ask for better friends that are always there if needed!! One of my favorite scriptures is 2 Peter 3:8, "A day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day".... God's time is so different from ours! "Time is a Precious Thing. You can not hold it, You can not own it and yet; it is ours to spend wisely or foolishly. Today is the first day of the rest of our lives, we need to use it well! This may be the last time I update "my story"!
May God richly bless all of you! My schools years were one of the happiest times in my life and when I look back I wouldn't change a thing!
Until maybe next time, Phyllis 7-1-19
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Photos
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![March 2022](https://images.classmates.com/pho301/Z/O/i/m/4946045540_display.jpg)
![Two of my great grandsons](https://images.classmates.com/pho301/U/E/m/N/4942952177_display.jpg)
![Celebrating my daughters 65 birthday!](https://images.classmates.com/pho301/e/W/G/m/4942952060_display.jpg)
![Me and my grandson Chase!](https://images.classmates.com/pho301/B/g/W/D/4942952100_display.jpg)
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![Me with my number 8 great grandchild! 8-24-19](https://images.classmates.com/pho301/D/N/u/y/4929512362_display.jpg)
![4 Generations!](https://images.classmates.com/pho301/O/F/N/e/4929509324_display.jpg)
![Big Brother Ben](https://images.classmates.com/pho301/l/W/n/S/4922257423_display.jpg)
![My newest great granddaughter, my Dolly](https://images.classmates.com/pho301/9/m/O/u/4922257408_display.jpg)
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![Ben Makes Me Feel Like 60 instead of 80!](https://images.classmates.com/pho301/J/g/S/6/4921465397_display.jpg)
![Ben](https://images.classmates.com/pho301/O/o/d/y/4921465386_display.jpg)
![My 80th surprise birthday party!](https://images.classmates.com/pho301/L/E/r/y/4919864517_display.jpg)
![My great grandson Ben.. looks like his gramma!](https://images.classmates.com/pho301/I/o/z/t/4919864518_display.jpg)
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![Dylan #3 age 15](https://s3.amazonaws.com/cmpb/medium/e/3/1/7/100218532158_1698132586257.jpg)
![Roxy #8 age 3](https://s3.amazonaws.com/cmpb/medium/f/3/1/7/100218532159_1698132586781.jpg)
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![My grandson Chase #3 age 38](https://s3.amazonaws.com/cmpb/medium/9/3/1/7/100218532153_1698132583445.jpg)
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