Owen happened to be wearing the same outfit…and of course Katie had on pink! And we were somewhere we could recreate the pic pretty well!
Category Archives: Flashbacks & Memories
Baby in a basket…then and now. Plus daisies.
The last time Katie was at Papa and Grannie’s, she was a few months old. This is where she slept:
So of course we had to recreate it…except we did it in the pretty garden instead of the basement (and I didn’t research the pic first so I had the wrong color bin).
GHS Class of 1991 25th Reunion
I had debated forever on what to wear for the reunion—and ended up bringing about four potential outfits. I ended up going very casual in an outfit I feel great in. 
I was very anxious (even after having done it already the previous night) but while somewhat awkward, it was fine. I even left Tom on his own a few times while I was chatting with people (he spent most of that time talking to Mike’s +1, his girlfriend). There ended up to be probably 30 people there by the end of the night, but only a very small handful of those I really wanted to talk to. (A few people complained that it wasn’t handled very well and I agreed—but also said I hadn’t wanted to do it so I had no place to complain.)
With my old besties, Mike and Joell. Only having Jeremy in this pic would have made it better.
Overal it was a good night (not great and not awful—which is about as much as I’d hope for) and I was happy to say “It’s over!” as we walked out about 10:30.
Four years ago: a sleepy Katie
Len Christmas 2014 and 2016
I didn’t even notice that Owen is wearing the same outfit—my mom pointed it out! (I did buy it in two sizes, though, so it might not actually be the exact outfit!)
Stalking my meet and greet
My 25th high school reunion Meet & Greet was being held at a local restaurant—which of course was exactly where the whole fam decided to go for dinner. I had been on the fence about attending, so was kinda forced into going. I started thinking that reunions sounded better in theory than in practice.
So I watched from our corner booth, tried to drink through my anxiety, saw when people came in, and had to work up the nerve to go over. Kathryn said she’d be my wing woman but I finally just did it.
And yes, it was as awkward as you’d imagine. But I made it through about an hour and had Tom come back to pick me up about 9.
Vicariously visiting our brick!
We weren’t sure if we’d be able to make it to Traverse a City to see our wedding brick, so when my dad and stepmom were there, they stopped by to take some pictures for us! It has really grown up in 15 years!
Then:
Now:
Then:
Now:
There’s now a waterfall.
And a wooden train (the dinner train is no longer running):
And our brick then:
And now:
Then:
Now:
Brothers, revisited.
Len Christmas in July, Year 3
This year our celebration was at Rose & Jim’s cottage on Houghton Lake. The weather started out a bit sketchy—chilly and windy—but within an hour it was absolutely gorgeous! It was a perfect day with lots of delicious food, fun watching the kids, a fun gift exchange, and conversation!
I’m only posting this picture because it’s the first “in the wild” picture of me that’s been taken and…I had ZERO idea who it was when I first saw it!
Hitting a box of $5 garage sale golf balls into the canal—well, trying to get them across the canal onto the island but not many made it there.
This happened quite a bit!
Katie wanted to fish…but only for about 32 seconds at a time and then she was off doing something else.
Alex caught the first fish!
Feeding the ducks off the back of the pontoon!
Going out to hunt for turtles for turtle races!
Apparently the tradition is to kiss the first fish you catch… What a sport!
At first, Katie wanted nothing to do with the boat—she didn’t even want someone to set her on the boat! But after the second trip she was jumping onto the boat herself and loving every minute of it! Owen loved it, too!
They caught a previously-caught-and-tagged turtle—no one here is C.B.
Owen said fishing was boring—we told him yes, it was. He’s used to fishing at the Fish Hatchery where the fish pretty much jump in your bucket.
Aubrey tagged her turtle!
I lined the kids up for their annual shot and didn’t even realize until afterward—when Aubrey pointed it out—that I did it wrong! She told me “I’m older than Owen!” And I agreed with her and then realized they had been in the wrong order!
Nick is 12, Owen is 7. Nick had the slight edge on Owen last summer and it looks very similar again this year…though I think Owen gained a very tiny bit on him. We didn’t set them on flat ground so we can’t be 100% sure.
In the right order! Katie (4), Owen (7), Aubrey (8), Gracie (10), and Nick (12).
All of the cousins: Jessica (an upcoming senior), Alex (an upcoming freshman), then Nick, Gracie, Aubrey, Owen, and Katie.
Maggie was FASCINATED with the turtles!
Marge gifted all us girls with one of her ostrich eggs!
Turtle races!
Trying to scoop up the golf balls that rolled in the canal!
It was exciting for everyone when Greg caught this huge dogfish! (Katie is still talking about it days later!)
We celebrated Katie’s birthday a day early!
And Aubrey’s two days early!
Uncle Timmy diving for turtles!!
The second run of turtle races (after they went out on the boat to get more turtles)!
Owen’s turtle winning the second race!
And a Then & Now throwback picture:
Katie started swim lessons at British Swim School one year ago today!
I’m amazed at how much she loves the water and how comfortable she is in the pool! She jumps in regularly (with and without goggles), does cannonballs (complete with holding her knees), and just taught herself to retrieve rings from the bottom of the pool. She turns four in a few days. #proudmama
These are all rehashed photos, but it’s what I posted on Facebook.
I’m still just so flabbergasted.
I don’t mean to keep bothering you all with these, but I’m still just so flabbergasted.
I smell like the 90s today!
And I’m pretty sure this bottle is actually from the 90s. Yes, I may be a bit of a hoarder.
This makes me sad.
Tom is in Jacksonville for work so he swung by our old house. It looked empty and abandoned. 
He said they took the shed (which we knew from our neighbor) but saw that they took the stainless steel appliances, too…and the back yard has about 4′ of grass and weeds.
I didn’t love the house but it was ours and we put a lot of money and hard work into it. And to see it just left like this makes me sad. It shouldn’t bother me as much as it does but there you go.
Katie’s school memory book has been started!
I can’t love these pictures enough.
My mom posted these for Throwback Thursday. I love them SO much.
Thanks, Naturally Slim, for making it look like I had plastic surgery.
In Owee’s PJs
They’re still a little small on her so I know we will see these again!
Throwback…Tuesday!
Daddy and Owen 7 years ago
Us 11 Years Ago
Time traveling.
I have an app (Timehop) that shows me pictures from years ago, so every day I get to time travel. Some days are boring but some days have good options for a Then & Now (with recent photos I still have on my phone that match angles or hairstyles). Today was the latter. (Also, sometimes I share them on Facebook if it’s a perfect comparison; sometimes I don’t.)
She outgrew her baby fat.
My mommy and me!
I took her on my trail walk!
And then mom posted this old picture on Facebook so I did this:
Look at all the gray hair!! On both of us!!
I love that he’s willing to recreate these photos!
Throwback Thursday—Brothers
I started to clean out the file cabinet and had to stop and post this awesome picture. It’s circa 1997 shortly after Tom and I met.
I showed the picture to Katie and asked who they were. She didn’t recognize either of them. When I told her, she said: “No, those are different guys.”
That’s fate, folks.
So, as you know, our wedding rings no longer fit. The rings seen here are my mom and dad’s wedding rings from 1970. I’ve had them since (mom, do you remember?) college, maybe? She thought I’d like to have them and she was right…I love them.
Of course I tried hers on over the years but there was never a chance of it fitting. For years now, I’ve actually worn them both on a chain because they fit perfectly inside one another.
But tonight I looked at them and thought “Maybe I should try it on. It’s been awhile.” And it fit perfectly. So I gave Tom my dad’s ring…and it, too, fit perfectly.
That’s fate, folks.
I’m sure we’ll both get our rings resized eventually, but for now, this works. And makes me all smiley.
Now I want Hobbit Stix.
As soon as I saw this tee advertised on Facebook, I had to get it. Tom and I had a few meals there back in the day. Unfortunately it no longer exists. (You can get the shirt here.)
Date night with friends!
We had Owen take the picture and of course Katie had to follow us out…so Owen told her to get in the picture! (I’m also wearing a “borrowed” Le Tote dress!)
Love these guys!
Just out of curiosity, I looked up our last couples selfie (minus the 2015 USMC Birthday Ball) and was shocked to see how close the dates were 11 years apart! (See that post.)
The boys being boys…eating their truffles.
And pics of the dress after we got home because I forgot to take them before:
Mason & Owen—Then & Now
OMG! Can you even?!
Wow! It’s been a year already!
Yes, I’m glad we got it and I’m quite used to it. But I still look forward to the day I can get rid of it.
Throwback Thursday—March Pics
2009
2010
2011
