Precious Memories

So this will be the first in a series of blogs about my visit home to TX.  There was just way too much material for one blog, haha.  I'll try not to make you wait too long for all the juicy details.

I think I told you a little bit about my family a few blogs back.  Basically, my mom and her siblings (minus my uncle Brad, who lives in California) and all of their kids/spouses/their kids get together for basically every holiday. But Christmas is probably our favorite, because even the wayward prodigals like myself make an appearance.

We always do breakfast at my grandparents' house on Christmas morning.  This year, since Christmas was on a Sunday, our family (my mom, dad, and I) ate breakfast with everyone, then left and went to church and came back.  When we got back to the house, everyone was cracking up and passing around pictures, newspapers, etc.  Turns out while we were gone, my grandma had pulled out these boxes that she had saved full of memories from each of her kids' lives.  They were full of things from newspaper articles about them, to their report cards, wedding announcements, class pictures, and all kind of things they had made as kids.  It continued into things that my siblings and cousins had done - our preschool and high school graduation programs, thank you cards we had written them, and so much more.

Some of my favorite things I found in my mom's box:

My grandparents lived on the main street of my hometown and used to put big announcements (like this one of course!) on this sign out front.

Just in case everyone didn't see the sign, here's the official birth announcement in the paper,. Does anyone else think it's weird that they put their address in there? I can't believe no one tried to kidnap me after this.

I'm pretty sure my folks are roller-skating in this picture.  And maybe going to bale some hay?

My parents' wedding announcement.
Some things to note:
My mom was 17 when they got married and my dad was 24. I used to joke with them that I was planning to do the same when I was 17.  They didn't really find it amusing. I guess times were different then.
Apparently people were very interested in all the details, down to the plaid pantsuit (haha) she wore as they traveled to their honeymoon.

Really, mom and dad??  That is a serious bowl cut.

Rockin the frilly collar

Me and my sisters.  I really hope this is from Halloween, but I am pretty sure it isn't...

My and Christopher (my cousin and his fiancee), Clay and April (my cousin and her husband), and my Uncle Mike

My Aunt Michelle, my cousin Julie, my dad, and my cousin Erica

My grandpa and my parents

Feeling very blessed to have come from such a legacy of love and faith, and I hope I get to sit down one day with my kids and grandkids and have as much fun as we did this Christmas.