1961

Well. 

If I had been invited to mom and dad's wedding reception I know what gift I would have brought.  A camera.  We basically have no visual documentation of their first year and a half together.

Oh yeah.  Except for this one important event...

Here are some tidbits from Mark's baby book. 

     Daddy took my picture right after I was washed.  (Bribed the nurse)  I was the biggest baby in the hospital while I was there.  At the time I was born, most hospitals had a ruling that only fathers could visit.  I was stubborn and kept mom waiting (The doc thought I should have been born sooner) so they started mom on her due day at 8:00 am.  She only had to wait 4 1/2 hours-1 hr. hard labor. 

**LeeAnn says, "And I do believe mom was knocked out for his delivery.  Right mom?"**

Dad sent mom a dozen long stemmed red roses.

The President was John F. Kennedy.    The Governor was George Dewey Clyde.    The Mayor was J. Bracken Lee.

New inventions and gadgets of my era:  self defrosting refrigerators, self cleaning ovens, vaccines for polio and measles, kidney transplants, electric can openers, and TOP-LESS BATHINGSUITS! 

**LeeAnn says, "And I thought bikinis were bad!"**

Happy Birthday Mark!

This one is for Kristen!

Since you just graduated, I thought I'd let you in on what your Mom and Aunt and Uncle looked like when we graduated from High School.  Unfortunately I don't have a pic of Mark at graduation (I'll add it later if I find one), but I do have photos from his Senior year.

LeeAnn--1990   Twenty years before you!  Gulp!

Me and Doug Mellen.  The leis were from Richard Wolfgram.












Stacey--1982

Stacey and I'm guessing Kathy and Cathy.  Or Cathy and Kathy.  :)  I totally remember the wind blowing like crazy during your graduation!











Mark--1980   Thirty years before you!  Double gulp!

Oh Madrigals!  After watching my brother and sister do this (Stacey for 2 years!) I would have been devastated if I hadn't been able to be a part of this.          

What do you think Kristen?  We weren't too shabby were we?

PS  And Mark, is your future mission companion in this photo?  I know it's blurry, but it is a pretty good close up of you. 

1983--The Year of the Flood

Do you remember when Mill Creek flooded and they sent it down Mill Creek Way? 

A river running right through our neighborhood.  You don't see that every day. 

That's Danielle Slade, ?, me and Adrienne Jones.  I remember thinking it was so fun that we were floating down the STREET on our blow up camping pads.  Only later did I learn there was sewage flowing along with the river water.  Ew.

Mom and Dad, did any of the houses on Mill Creek Way have water damage or were the sand bags put up in time? 

Will I get in trouble if I post some potentially embarrassing photos?

I have these photo albums and they are bursting with humorous photos.  Photos of me and Mark and Stacey especially that I think the younger set would really enjoy.  Isn't it fun to see your parents in their youth?  But I'm afraid I'll get myself into trouble.  I would try to give equal time to everyone in the family.  Even me, I promise.  I guess I started with me anyway with my fine ensemble in the peach tree.  But what I'm wondering is--can I post these funny pics without offense?

Photos like these...

See, I haven't always been the one with big(ish) hair.

And I really can't say that is my best smile in that second photo.

Honestly, these are pretty mild examples, but I didn't want to cause a scandal without first asking permission.

Does it make them not so bad since so far I'm too lazy to get out the scanner so I'm just taking pictures of pictures?  What if I make them really small?  Would that help?  Mark hasn't shown up in anything yet.  Should we give him a turn?  I have a great shot of him either pre or post lawn mowing I'd really like to share. I've put it on and deleted it and I just can't decide what to do, so I'm asking permission.  Can I put up some funny photos?





Please?

The Peach Tree

I thought I'd get us started on a trip down memory lane.

I remember loving this peach tree.  I was never a good tree climber, but I could get into this tree so I thought I was pretty cool.  It had the perfect horizontal branch to sit on.  I have now learned from my fruit tree pruning class that horizontal branches should be removed in a tree's early years, so my poor children will never have a perfect branch for sitting.   I remember playing barbies in the tree with Kim Griggs and there was a smallish dead branch I could hang on. I also remember that Dad cut it off and I cried--over a dead branch.  I need to remember that when I'm stunned that my children are crying over the loss of, oh, let's say a kids meal toy.  I cried over the loss of dead wood.  But lest you think I thought this peach tree was perfect, I also remember going out with a paper grocery bag and having to pick up the gross, fallen, decomposing peaches off the ground.  Totally not fantastic.  I can't wait to send my kids out to do the same!

Other things of note:

Do you see the pink barbie case on the ground?  It started as Stacey's, then I claimed it and now my own daughters use it for their barbies.  Mattel made some quality stuff back then.

Why is the ground torn up you ask?  The back of the original photo says that dad was putting in the sprinkling system.

And can you see the blue spruce in the background?

Have you really looked at my outfit?  This copy doesn't quite capture the true awesomeness of the real deal. Those are red flowers on my pants and if I look really closely I think my shoes are green.  Actually I would like those green shoes now.   You can click on the picture to get a much more enjoyable, close up view of me and my loveliness. 

Do you have any memories of the peach tree?

I haven't pruned my trees yet this year.  Maybe I won't prune off this offending branch.  It looks like a potentially perfect sitting place to me!