I was born and raised in Southern California, living most my life in the South Bay area. Though I struggled with asthma until adulthood, I was active in cheerleading and gymnastics from elementary school to high school. School was never my strong suit. In fact, English, literature, and writing were undoubtedly my worst subjects. If Mrs. Streeter, my high school literature teacher, knew I was writing today she would be stunned.
I met my husband, Walter, while attending youth group with one of my friends. It was love at first sight; he just didn’t know it at the time. After several youth group outings and many after-church dates, we got engaged at Hume Lake Christian Camps, a place that would continue to be a very intricate part of our lives. We were married in 1980, and our first son, Christopher was born that same year. I was a stay-at-home mom until Christopher entered kindergarten. I taught briefly at a Christian school until the birth of our second son, John, in 1987.
Walter and I worked as youth leaders in our church while Walter worked full-time at Rockwell International as a Fire Inspector. Though Walter loved his time at Rockwell, the aerospace industry was beginning to diminish. After weathering one lay-off and a transfer to a facility an hour away, we started praying about a change. The first thing we did was enroll in a two-year Bible program through Liberty University. We were able to encourage each other through the quizzes and tests until we each received our diploma. We also decide to homeschool our boys. Our family time was being strained by Walter’s new schedule and this would allow us the flexibility of having more time together. The next thing we did was put in our application for full-time work at Hume Lake Christian Camps.
I look back on that time as being long and drawn out. Of course that's because I was trying to do things in my own strength instead of relying on the Lord. By April of 1994, after surviving the earthquakes, floods, firestorms, and riots of the L.A. area, we were on our way to Hume. Walter was hired in the Food Service department and I worked part time there as well. In the fall, I started working week-ends in the Youth Store, the camps music and t-shirt shop. The week-end schedule worked out perfectly with my homeschooling and Walter’s work schedule.
Walter and I have have now been married for 31 years. I now manage both the Clothing Co. (formally the Youth Store) and the General Store at Hume Lake. Walter continues to work in Food Service as the Supervisor of purchasing. I completed 12 years of homeschooling in 2005 and would recommend it to anyone who is contemplating the decision. It is an incredible opportunity to spend time with your kids, reinforce the foundation of what you believe, and even learn a little something along the way. Christopher and his wife, Jennifer, have adopted two wonderful little girls (Lorelei & Addison) which have filled our lives with joy. Christopher also took on a drastic job change and joined the Army in 2010. John and his wife, Alex have just blessed us with a wonderful baby boy. John Fulton Tilley III (Trey). We are so thankful John and Alex live at Hume so we can enjoy every minute we have with our new baby boy.
Walter and I are truly blessed.♥
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