Day 9- a photo of you taken over ten years ago

Ohhhh, why just do one when there are so many awesome ones?

Like this one with the awesomely huge bow and the smirk on my face that says "This is my first day of kindergarten and I am completely calm, cool, and collected and I am still taller than my sister and I am AWESOOOOOME." Kathy's pant legs are different lengths, which is worrisome. And her backpack is bigger than she is.


Or this one where Danny and I are lumberjacks in our Aunt Joanie pajamas (I mean Mrs. Claus pajamas) and you can bet we were in a happy drunken stupor, what with all the Christmas cookies and sudden increase of coveted toys, because when my parents said "Danny, hug your sister!" we actually obliged instead of whacking each other with the new box of legos or doll stroller. This is back when I would freak out if I got my very own can of olives in my Christmas stocking.

Or how about this one where you see how hardcore I really am, what with my pink shoelaces and pristine white sneakers, or my curly pigtails with BOWS, or my soccer jersey tucked in to my soccer shorts, that are by the way pulled all the way up to my elbows, or the goofy smile on my face that basically says "I'm about to go stand on a field and pick at dandelions instead of actually chase a ball around because as long as I stand on the field, my parents will cheer for me and then I get a half-time drink and wildberry skittles at the snack stand afterward and maybe even a hotdog." (That was a long sentence...) And don't even get me started on Danny...

Can you see the barbies we've crammed into the bars so that they can have fun too? This was one of the swingsets that, if you got going high enough, had the one leg lift dangerously off the ground as you swung forward and then would plow into the ground as you swung backward. Safe? Maybe not. We we still encouraged by loving parents to play on such a swingset? Absolutely. Would it surprise you to know that Molly and I actually recreated this photo last year on our Bishop's swingset? When we were 23? No capped sleeve shirts or denim overall skirts with ruffles and no sunsuits with salt water sandals in the re-enactment but the joy was still there... and we would have had the barbies if our whole ward wasn't watching. You can bet. Molly and I have videos of us playing with Ken dolls our sophomore year of college. ('Member, Molls? MC Ken: "Aaaa pooor wayfaaaring man of grieffff" and Mesh-Ken that washed his whites with his colors? And scented Ken? Ahhhh, the memories.)

Okay. I get that this is sweet because I am putting my hand on Kathy's shoulder and she has all sorts of ruffles on her swimming suit but can we just talk about the backdrop? A chain link fence? With weird little ducks stuck on it? Facing a parking lot? With a super old station wagon and mini van? And get a load of my white tennies and my pink folded socks and my super messy ponytail and those super attractive shorts... but WHAT are we looking at?

This might be the best of the bunch. Christmas morning. Kathy and I are now sporting the matchie matchie pajamas from Mrs. Claus. We're lined up from youngest to oldest as was our custom. Danny is pretending that he doesn't care as much as he does, I am the classic girly-girl clutching her nightgown while making an obnoxious face because I can see mom with the camera, and Kathy is in a dead sprint, pure elation on her face as she waves her Christmas bear all over the place. Dad is barely able to hold up that video camera that is the size of a small child and YES! We got Simon that year! And you can see our cuckoo clock... I loved that.

This one is cute, admit it. I remember I looooooved that dress because it was the only one I could actually wear pants underneath, but my mom insisted I call them leggings. And NOW, leggings under dresses are all the rage! We were really ahead of our time. My mom straightened my curls and I have some bang-a-rang bangs, no? I don't know what the heck is on Danny's shirt and his pants are sure high but we sure look picture-perfectesque. And our hair is all really light. But why am I so forcefully holding Kathy's arm and where did her other arm go exactly?

I love fuzzy childhood mems.