Flashback Friday

Every now and again I get a little bit nostalgic…oh, who am I kidding? I’m always nostalgic. The mood struck me particularly when I was searching into my family tree. I didn’t get to meet a lot of the great-grandparents, and if I did meet them it was as a baby so I have no memory of them. Let’s take a walk down memory lane, by picture.

Stuck

I don’t remember getting myself into this predicament, but I do remember that swing set. I used to swing as high as I could and pretend that God had put a glass over us to keep us safe, and watch us like ants.

I have a lot of memories playing outside as a kid. A lot of them are fueled by my wild imagination, like how me and Michael used to dig in the dirt next to a giant tree in the back yard, and when we hit roots we acted like archeologists discovering dinosaur bones. We would also ride our bikes like we bus drivers, picking up imaginary kids and dropping them off at school. We played school a lot too. I also liked to drop rocks in the cistern (sorry Mom and Dad).

Camping

We went camping a lot when I was in high school. This is before we found out Michael is type 1 diabetic. You can tell by how scrawny he looks looking back.

I think it is funny how at the time I would have rather been anywhere else. Nature was so not my scene, and I was a total teenager wanting to be anywhere but with my family. Now I’m glad we took those trips. I’ve been to some pretty cool places, and got to eat the best fudge (RIP Ye Old Fudge Shoppe, IYKYK). I still think my least favorite was the antique shops we would get dragged through. I’ve never been someone that enjoys shopping, let alone through a lot of old stuff someone else has given away. (sorry Mom and Dad). Taking these trips also helped convince Jason to go to Hocking Hills with me. Though we did stay in a cabin, we roughed it with a makeshift outdoor shower and port-o-pot as a commode. We had a blast that trip, and if I had never gone camping I wouldn’t have known how to start a fire to make our food, or what to take with us when we went hiking.

Junior Prom

I wish I could call the girl in this picture and tell her how pretty she looks, and that the mean comments made at her expense say more about those talking about her than they say about her.

In high school I was Class Treasurer all four years. Because of this, I was on the planning committee for my Junior Prom. We worked with our art teacher, Mr. Snowden and the theme was “under the sea”. The gym was GORGEOUS. Mr. Snowden made our vision come alive, and putting in a lot of man-power myself hanging tarps and lights and streamers to make it look like you were in an aquarium. I wish I had thought to get pictures of it as we were putting it up, but that was the most fun prom. I think because I had a hand in planning it and decorating it, it was so much more fun than Senior Prom. This dress is iconic too. When I tried it on, I wasn’t sure it would fit, and it was a lot more showy of skin than I was comfortable with at the time. I was so ashamed of being fat, I really felt like a pig in lipstick. This was years before I would read Stephen King’s Carrie. I would not be covered in pigs blood, but I did hear the comments about my body while taking part in the snacks outside of the gym.

College

Fun fact: I took this picture right after a boy that had been flirting with me for weeks at the LRC gave me a paper full of poems he had written about me, and I turned him down. He was kind of intense, and I hated myself so much that I couldn’t believe someone would be seriously interested in me. Not in that way at least.

I wish I could say I gained more self-esteem once I left high school, and started succeeding in college…but that would not be true. If anything the self-loathing got worse. I had to get glasses for the first time in my life, and the guy I liked only wanted to be my friend. Forever the friend, never the girlfriend. (and honestly it is for the best, he was 9 years older than me). Then when guys would show their interest in me, I wouldn’t believe them. I would think it was a trick. You know that game where popular guys try to convince the fat girl to get ready to go on a date with him, and then make fun of her…you know “pull a pig.” I was so scared of being embarrassed that I never let myself be pursued.

Work

First “big-girl” job, and first serious relationship all in one. This was my desktop back then. Good lord, I am much more organized than this now. (Sorry its blurry, I realized I had put several passwords on those post-it notes)

I was so excited to be working in a library, and honestly making my own money. I really started to find my stride, though I was very naive about work-place politics. This version of me was so eager and excited to be helping people find a love of reading that those scars have really healed. I’ve never forgotten how I was treated, and honestly it helped make me into the professional I am today. However, I try to treat the newer generation coming into the work-force with more kindness because I was given none.

On my own

These are the keys to my very first apartment. I was so proud of myself, I finally struck out on my own. I was only 23, I used our old Wii as a TV and I ate a lot of canned green beans.

Homecooked

My mom has a picture somewhere of the dinner she cooked my dad after they had gotten married and come back from their honeymoon. It was their first dinner as a married couple. I have always wanted to recreate it, and thanks to Jason I was able to.

It was in this apartment that I got Ruby, got a new job as a bookmobile driver, and got engaged to Jason. Well, he asked me in the parking lot of Kenwood Mall after we ate at the Red Robin where we had our first date…but I took a picture in this apartment before we went to dinner and that’s all I have of our engagement. It would be a while yet before we would be married, and a lot more changes.

Saying “Yes” to the Dress

Mommy and I went to look at the wedding dresses, and after a lot of tulle I finally found the one for me. Of course it had everything I said I didn’t want in a dress, “Lace, tulle, princess-esque”. What’s really special about this picture is that the three women behind me are distant cousins. We did not plan to be there together, and we certainly didn’t mean to end up right next to each other.

I’ve never felt more beautiful than I did on my wedding day. Not because of the dress, or my makeup, or my hair…but because I was bursting with love. Jason and I were both so eager to be married, we had nervous jitters the whole day. We were both shaking when we did our “first look” pictures. A special memory is that while taking pictures at the conservatory, a couple walked by and said it was their anniversary also, and wished us luck and many years of happiness. “Today is the perfect day to get married.” I remember her saying, and yes, yes it was.

One Year Married

Jason took me out for a very fancy dinner (well fancy for me). I love that our anniversary is December 28th, because I absolutely love how cozy Christmas lights are. I know Jason probably doesn’t like how often I make him take our picture, but we had to get one in front of this giant tree. It was just too pretty!

My marriage is like a forever sleep-over with my best friend. Yeah, we argue, but it’s usually over stupid things like Kentucky is better than Ohio and where Washington D.C. sits on a map, you know which state it’s in. ;-)

We Bought a House

After a LONG and often, upsetting journey, we found a house and bought it. We have lived here for 4 years, and that seems insane to think it’s been that long.

I hope that you have enjoyed going down memory lane with me. It’s definitely fun doing it from time to time. I don’t regret any decision I have made in life, because it always led me to something better. I am so lucky and blessed to have what I do, I try so hard to never take it for granted. My journey is not over, and I’m sure there will be more milestones. I can’t wait to share them with y’all!