Blog Challenge Wednesday - Childhood Memories

So friends...my friend Mary and I loved doing our Spring Break blog challenge and decided that doing a couple of blog challenges per week was doable. LOVED this topic of Childhood Memories. Get ready to laugh my friends. At me. Laugh as loudly as I do when I look at these gorgeous photos. They're UH-MAY-ZING...seriously.

Awww...look how adorable we were. This is me (in the blue velvet dress with lace embellishments), my little bro (in the red velvet Lacoste sweater), and my little sister (in the red baby booties.) Not that you needed the outfit clues...I just love how 80s we were. Awesomeness. The memory that comes to mind with this picture is when my sister, Gracie, was born. She was born on December 1st, so she is only a couple of weeks old in this photo. I'm four years older than her so I have some memory of when she was born. What I remember most is that Caleb and I were way more interested in watching Frosty the Snowman on TV when we went to the hospital to meet our new sister. There are pictures of me holding Gracie with my eyes obviously focused on the TV mounted to the hospital wall. Gracie was obviously not cute enough to tear us away from Frosty...JUST KIDDING. She was adorable.

Oh yes, friends. This is me. In all my permed, with braces and teeth bigger than my face, glory. I also love my sleeveless, hot pink, button up. The 90s were good to me fo sho. I think I was in the 6th grade in this fab photo. What am I reminded of here?? My braces. They were only on my bottom teeth and I had an "appliance" in the roof of my mouth. I was so good at getting food caught up in that thing. This one also reminds me of how thin and gangly I was. Long arms, long legs, knobby knees, and an awesome perm equaled a 6th grader who thought she was the coolest thing in the world.

I remember this vacation. We were in Branson with my Uncle Kent, Aunt Julie, and baby cousin Adam (who is getting ready to graduate from college--sigh.) So many great things in this photo that remind me of our trip. First, and most obvious, the Brahma bull. I thought we were hot to trot after we sat on this thing. I knew none of my friends had ever sat on a bull. Who am I kidding? I still think it's cool. :) My brother's Nike kicks rock. The soles were multi-colored. My turquoise, sleeveless T paired with my awesome jams and hirachis were awesome as well. Back to my memories...I remember my Aunt Julie doing my hair. I remember going to Silver Dollar City on this trip. I remember doing awesome tricks (such as cannonballs and the toothpick) off of the diving board. I remember my dad finding a scorpion in our car's trunk. I remember being able to get that tan. Yes...I even loved being tan as a youngster. I remember my amazing lime green, hot pink, and black swimsuit that matched my Aunt Julie's. My parents were amazing about taking us on family vacations. So many great memories from all of them.

A few things to mention about the above photo. First, my cool glasses, my koosh ball dangle earrings, and I have to mention my ginormous teeth again. Oh wait...how could I forget my short haircut and gorgeous bangs. My parents should've taken out stock in Rave hairspray. They would be retired. The girl in the photo with me is my cousin Natalie. I love her. We, to this day, are so close. We always have been. We can go years without actually seeing each other in person and it's like we've never been apart when we finally are together. You can see in this picture how long her hair was. It was past her rear long. I remember finding split ends and pulling them apart while we were riding in the car or sitting on the couch. We were cool like that. She is going to love me for posting this picture. :)

This is my Dad and me. I've always been a bit of a Daddy's girl. Don't get me wrong...I love my Mama so much. She's one of my best friends, but this memory is of my dad and me. When I was 16 I went with him on a mission trip to Nicaragua. He was so great about taking all of us as we were growing up out into the mission field. I got to go to the Dominican Republic when I was 8 too. I think it helped me realize how big our world is and how blessed we really are. It also helped me learn that there are so many in our world who need the Lord and are hungry to learn about Him. While we were on this trip we visited a live volcano (pictured above.) You could see the lava boiling and look right over the edge. There were no guardrails there friends. A few things about the above photo that are too good not to point out. First, my knees were really knobby...how I long to have those legs back. Second...WOW--I was still really gangly in high school. Third...my dad's fanny pack is AWE-SOME! Fourth...I love that he wore it in the front instead of to the side like my mom always wore hers. Last, my Dad, with his mustache and boxy hat, really resembles Tom Selleck from his Magnum PI days. (You're welcome Dad!) :)

This was seriously an awesome topic. I've loved sitting here thinking about the good ol' days. I am so blessed to have grown up in such a wonderful, loving, Christ-following family. The end.