Memory Lane Monday—Memorial Day

Oh, hello! It's been awhile, hasn't it? We've been so busy focusing on "doing" that its hard to stop and talk about what we've been doing. We just returned from a lovely weekend in Wyoming attending the wedding of my cousin and soon-to-be neighbors. (More on that later.) The guys finally finished their spring seeding just before these uncharacteristically long spring rains hit. In the short breaks between rain storms we've been tackling some yard projects. (More on that later, too.)

In the meantime, it seemed appropriate to do a Memory Lane Monday post on Memorial Day.

From This Front Porch

This is one of my favorite pictures of my Grandma B., and we have it framed in our kitchen. They were so young (just married or just about to be?) before my Grandpa was deployed again in the Air Force during World War II. After he returned they raised 9 (NINE!) kids together, and I'm constantly amazed at that feat, considering how frazzled I sometimes feel with just 3 kids.

My grandma passed away the year I was married (1997) and even though I had the privilege of growing up down the road from her, I feel like I never got to know her as well as I'd have liked. You appreciate things differently when you are an adult than when you are a child, and when I got to that point in my life she was gone. Lately, living in the house they built together in 1971, I often find myself wondering about her experiences here. I think we would have had a lot in common. She did photography and had a studio set up in the basement. (There is also a dark room in house!) She also painted and did many other crafts, and I have can remember her painting in the dining room when we would drop by for a visit. Even though the decor in this house is dated and run down now, its clear that she was tuned into modern 70's decor and had fun decorating this house, just as I am now.

We visited her grave last night and dropped off flowers that we brought home from my cousin's wedding. I know she would have loved being at that wedding. The venue (Little America in Cheyenne) was right up her alley with its beautiful chandeliers and elegant decor. Miss you, Grandma!

Memory Lane Monday—my Valentines

From This Front Porch

This is my first Memory Lane Monday post and I'm not sure why. It was so much fun going through those old photos! Actually, I know exactly why. It is the scanning that slows me down. Anything I shot before 2004 was all film. I am thankful for digital and I am glad to have learned a little more about photography. (I have a long ways to go, as evidenced by the blurry photo at the end of this post. I had two adorable little posers and I couldn't get a clear picture of them to save my life!)

15 years ago, Valentine's Day 1996:

A couple of weeks prior to taking this photo, Tom and I were sitting in this same living room (in the swanky condo that belonged to my aunt that I had the privilege of living in for a semester.) I was a silly college Freshman and had just started dating Tom. We had been on some friendly dates together and both getting to the point where we wanted to take the relationship to the next level but still in that awkward stage where we didn't know how to make the first move. On the coffee table in front of us was a dish full of heart candies, so I reached over and grabbed one that said "kiss me" and handed it to him. So he did.

A couple of weeks later, my roomies and I prepared a Valentine's meal for our sweethearts, complete with their favorite desserts. How 6 of us managed to eat 3 desserts, I don't recall. (Freshman 15, anyone?)

 

A few years down the road, in 2007, we had 2 more Valentines to celebrate with:

Those same sweaters now fit Sarah and Eva:

Happy Valentine's Day!