Pictures

One of my goals this week, my first week of summer break, is to load some new pictures on my mom's digital picture frame.  Her zip drive told me that the last pictures uploaded were from November 2009!  Here are some of my favorites:

This was a scrapbook page I made in an alphabet album that was a Christmas gift for my children in 2009.  That was so much fun to make. . .I need to do another one!

A picture of my sister and my children the day after Thanksgiving this last year when we visited them at the Opryland Hotel.

 

A picture of me and Tom at Red River Gorge about a year and a half ago. . .it was April, I think, and it was COLD.  I remember there was snow on the ground that morning. . .

This is probably my favorite picture from that trip. . .my BIL helping AVJ over a log. . .there's just something about it that speaks so much about who they are to one another.

I found this picture of my boys from Dollywood in December 2009 and this this next one, from Dollywood in May 2011:

I don't know when this one was taken (probably last summer) but this is who these two are. . .best friends. . .the two youngest grandchildren, Frederick & Susan:

A rare picture of my two girls together. . .Margaret (getting her annual birthday chair picture) doesn't like to have her picture taken much -- especially if anyone else is in it -- and Marie isn't a huge poser either so this is a special one for me even though the lighting isn't the best.

I think this is one of my new favorites, taken on Margaret's 10th birthday:

 

Here's a guy that we will always love and no one who met him could ever forget. . .my stepfather John (Papa John to the kids).  He died too young. . .he is someone we still refer to when going new places:  "John would have loved this because. . ." or when trying to make a decision:  "now John would say. . .".   

A good homeschooling memory:  Two years ago for Valentine's Day the kids made homemade treats and we delivered them to all the neighbors that we knew. . .I am lucky to have so many fond homeschooling memories!

 Without these digital files I would surely forget so much. . .

I'm really sorry to have missed my weekend in Anna Maria Island this year:

This photo was from last year. . .

But this past week really makes up for it (except my bestest friends weren't with me. . .)

Last October my brother was "home" so we traveled "home" too and we all got together for some pizza. . .

Here's another great memory: 

One year (2008 obviously!) we must drawn numbers to decide the order in which we either picked out gifts from a grab bag and/or opened our gifts at Mammaw and Grandpa's house.  Usually the kids from each family would get one "big" shared present then all would have 1-2 individual gifts to open.  Anyway, if I remember this picture correctly, Thomas was trying to negotiate a trade with his Uncle Brian. . .he had a better number!  Uncle Brian is a banker/saleman by profession so these exchanges are always fun to watch.

Here's a good one from the next Christmas of me and my mom:

 And Margaret when she used to dance:

And this was also December 2009 -- the kids and I had gotten Tom a new coat and had him open it early because we were going to his annual work party and it had turned really cold. . .

And me and my girls. . .circa 12/2009:

 

And all of us, just a few hours ago (thanks to a timer on the camera):

 

I have spent hours and hours on this project. . .added hundreds of pictures to my mother's jump drive. . .and still there are so many files I didn't have a chance to go though.  I love taking pictures and the memories that go with each one!

Mom, I hope you enjoy the added photos to your slideshow :)

~ Jenni