Mom’s blueberry muffins…
Category Archives: Flashbacks & Memories
The smell and taste of my childhood.
We made plans to pick up some of our favorite sausage before the Len Summer Christmas started. My family has been getting the amazing smoked and fresh sausage here for 60 years! It’s the smell and taste of my childhood! 💕
Katie’s birthday then and now
He did this when he was a baby. Nothing has changed.
I had to get a set of sheets out for Tom to take on his trip and I knew it would be easiest from Owen’s room. This is what I saw when I went in. Nothing has changed since he was a baby.
End of year secret books!
I’ve had them for awhile now but haven’t read them. Until today.
Why?! Why did I do that? Because I’m an overly emotional sap anyway and add an imminent move to that? No hope. /Bawl
I know this is supposed to be a surprise but I really want to share them with him now. I’m hoping he will remember these teachers enough so that what they wrote still has meaning when he’s graduating high school. It’s only 10 short years away…
Owen’s last day of second grade!
A mom and Owen trifecta:
Headed off to the bus:
And first and last day comparison:
Recreation: 2010 and 2017—200# lighter
I flew into Chicago a day early to spend some time with a friend I see online all the time but that I haven’t seen in person since we lived in Troy. Jami has done Naturally Slim as well, so we had to do a recreation. 
One of the truest pictures I’ve ever taken.
Katie three years ago and now!
Purple pearls!
After all these years I finally have the perfect outfit to wear with my Grandma Smith’s purple pearls. She loved her costume jewelry…
I happened to get a matching photo today without any planning.
As luck would have it, she had crazy hair today.
When you find a paper from HS and you’re Facebook friends with the teacher.
Time for a panic attack: Purge Treasures
So, we just completed the pre-move walkthrough with the moving company guy. Consensus? We have too much shit. I know this comes as no surprise to people who know us… We NEED to purge but it’s SOOOO hard. So I decided today was the day to clean out the bulk of the four-drawer file cabinet. We just keep stuffing crap in there and never use any of it—and it’s about 200 pounds we can easily get rid of. Of course, I have to quickly sort through everything because there’s stuff I know I’ll want to keep, but I came across so much old junk that made me laugh or cringe that I posted some to Facebook.
CMU line dancing class coursebook. Because you know I still need a list of 60 line dances. #purgetreasures #recyclebin
A whole folder of song lyrics. Notice the year? #purgetreasures #recyclebin
A real stock certificate, circa 1995. #purgetreasures #keep
/sniff
A friend’s senior picture. #purgetreasures #recyclebin
#purgetreasures #keep (But I’m sending it to Dana to keep!)
How many of my Grayling peeps remember these report card folders?! #purgetreasures #keep
Kindergarten
From September 11, 1995 Central Michigan Lumber ad. #purgetreasures #recyclebin
Isn’t the limit for keeping taxes 25 years? 😆 #purgetreasures #shredder
#purgetreasures #recycle #roommatefromhell (I had quite a few roommate from hell pages!)
I’ve definitely needed to move this from Michigan to North Carolina to Michigan to North Carolina to Virgina. #purgetreasures #recyclebin
#purgetreasures #recyclebin
#purgetreasures #keep #nolongerexists #weddingreception
From the first time I saw it with my mom, circa 1992? #purgetreasures #unsure
Ahh. Taking out a $2500 loan to pay for uniforms. #purgetreasures #keep #usmc
Jersey Kids
I wanted a picture of Katie in this outfit so I could hopefully post it with an old pic of Owen…but she refused to leave Tom’s side. 🙂
I finally got her alone.
And the best photo comparison I could manage (apparently I never took a picture of him when he was wearing the matching pants).
I still look mostly the same 10 years later.
Florida tradition: Fudpucker’s
Read about the last time we were there (2015).
Later when we checked the other pictures, we saw that Owen had his Halley shirt on again! Totally unplanned!
We had to visit Owen and Tom’s names on the wall…which happened to be right about where we were seated.
Katie adding her name!
Gramma Jean 2017
May the next 20 years be just as awesome!
It’s been 20 years since the night Tom and I met…
Our dinner splurge:
Tom in beer heaven:
I think it barely looks like the same kid.
Beach Cuddle Now & Then
Quite different from two years ago:
He’s such a good sport.
He’s such a good sport v2. I asked if he remembered what he was doing in the picture, thinking he wouldn’t have a clue…and within like three seconds he said “Those are Lego hands from Indiana Jones [xbox game].”
Two and seven years ago…
Owen happened to be on my lap as we were checking out TimeHop so we did this recreation. 🙂
One of my all-time favorite Owen pics. Seven years ago.
Me: Owen, come here, I need you to do something for me.
Owen, seeing me with the camera: UGGGGGGGHHH!
But he still did it. 🙂
Memories: 3, 9, and 10 years ago
I ❤ Timehop and Then & Now pics.
To good to wait until Throwback Thursday.
I love our kids, but…
I love our kids but I miss the days before kids when our schedules weren’t as insane and we’d all be in Grayling together over the holidays. (Of course, missing Kathryn and Marcus here!)
Okay, I posed this one.
Throwback Thursday—Christmas five years ago
Attempting the annual Santa Hat photo
Comparing 2012…and now.
