You know this series of posts are humbling…I’m so thankful that God sees us for who we are in our heart rather than our appearances! 🙂
So, somewhere around elementary school age, I decided that my mom needed to perm my hair. I remember sitting on a chair in the kitchen while my mom rolled my hair!
 |
| sporting my LA Gears! |
 |
| showing off my loot from my birthday |
This week, I’ll be doing a little series I’d like to call “fashion misses”. This past weekend, I organized my mom’s closet that was FULL of old photos. I had so much fun and really hadn’t laughed that hard in a long time. It makes me wonder if my kids will be saying the same thing as they scroll through my blog or look at their scrapbooks…I really have tried hard to not dress them in silly trends, but when they get into jr. high? I know that terrain is rocky, and I will have to loosen my rein in some degree. So today’s post is called “Channeling Blossom (the TV series)” for a reason. You will probably figure it out right away if you watched that show. And, yes, I definitely was in jr. high.
 |
| I look like summer, but indeed, it was Christmas, and I was putting out decorations! |
 |
| my Jr. High graduation picture |
 |
| I remember “making” this hat and I was so proud…ugh. |
 |
| the girl who started it all |
29 years later we are still praying for each other, loving each other, taking turns visiting each other. Kristy and I met in preschool where we started the “kissy club” and ran around at recess time trying to kiss boys. Having so many memories with someone is like having a sister, only you don’t fight! 😉 Here is a picture of us with our best friend necklaces. We have had several throughout the early years, and unfortunately, we each lost different ones. But Kristy will always be “Be Fri” and I am “st ends”!
 |
 |
Whenever we visit each other, we go through all our old pictures together. This time we found a picture that we wanted to try and copy now! Unfortunately my head is cocked the wrong way, but you get the idea!
 |
| I did fore-go the scrunchies in my hair this time! And yes I had a bad perm then! |
Some other fun pics of us growing up:
1983
 |
| we were 4 years old! |
Matching outfits of course!
 |
| anyone else rock the kool-ots? |
I always thought I was short until Kristy moved away to Idaho! She is 6 feet and I am 5’8″!
 |
| chuck-e-cheese! |
Us in college!
 |
| at Northwest Nazarene University |
For a scrapbooker like me, July 4th with no fireworks devastated me. No cute pictures under the bursts of light, no cute firework stickers…the holiday is just not the same! We celebrated at my parent’s house this year instead of the Octaranch in College Station because we couldn’t light our own fireworks. We swam and my dad grilled! We ate LOTS of good food and enjoyed great company with my brother’s family and Kristy and Bill.
 |
| they were trying to do synchronized pool entrances! |
 |
| Love cousin Caden’s hair as he flys off the slide! |
 |
| Asher’s turn on the slide! |
 |
| Have to have a picture on the July 4th float! |
Leave it to my mom to give the kids all light sticks! She saved the holiday! So when we got home that evening, the kids ran around and had a “light show”. They were totally happy and didn’t even remember there was no fireworks this year.
 |
 |
 |
 |
| running with American spirit! |
We have done plenty of “Austin-y” things while Kristy and Bill are here from Idaho. I took advantage of having another couple with us on South Congress to take the picture of James and I against this wall.
 |
| Jo’s coffee |
We also went to Stubbs BBQ, Home Slice, and Hey Cupcake. Before cupcakes though, we watched the bats come out from under the bridge on South Congress!
 |
| You can see the bats in the sky too. I guess all those boaters don’t mind bat guano! |
 |
| yummy dessert |
 |
| Bill and Kristy with their goodies! |
On Saturday we remembered the Alamo. 😉
 |
| me and the girls |
Again, I took advantage of having adults with us to take pictures for me with the kids. I realized I don’t have too many! Here is me and my Ella Bella eating at the Riverwalk.
 |
On Sunday, I did a little photoshoot with Kristy and Bill at Mayfield Park. Click here to see those! Here is a peek:
 |
| playing with shadows |
After church, Kristy and I went to a card-making class! I’ve decided that next time, I will bring my girls! I love that Kristy loves to scrapbook like me!
 |
| cell phone pic-sorry! We made 4 cards in 3 hours! |
My oldest and dearest friend, Kristy, is here, from Idaho, visiting my family with her husband. (That will be a different post.) Because she was coming, I wanted to show her around Austin. So yesterday, we went to the Capitol. I’ve lived here for 4 years, and have never been!
 |
| a rare picture of me with the kids! |
 |
The visitor center is pretty neat, especially for being free!
 |
| Ella looking through the telescope to see the Capitol |
 |
| you could dress up like a cowgirl |
We have discovered that Rilyn loves museums. We took a tour of the inside of the Capitol, and Rilyn had to be at the front of the group to listen to the tour guide’s every word! She kept telling me “how fun” it was to be at the Capitol. She did not get this from me people.
If you can see the gold bars that are behind the tour guide (the young gal in a white top and khaki skirt), Asher went behind them and started hanging on them. I knew this was bad, but I couldn’t get to him fast enough before the tour guide stopped talking in mid-sentence to reprimand him. He could of cared less. Me…um, that is pretty much mortifying. I was definitely embarrassed.
 |
| the tour guide was explaining the painting |
So, yes, Asher was becoming rambunctious at the end of the 45 minute tour. I guess I couldn’t blame him. The thing was that I wasn’t allowed to have any food inside which would normally be my “go to” fix for his behavior. But, I discovered he liked me taking pictures of him and then showing him what they looked like afterward on my camera screen. He must be my son! 😉
 |
| this is where the Senate meets…I think. I really wasn’t listening. oops. |
 |
| Look at me mom! Take a picture! |
This next picture frustrates me because I never can get all three kids to sit still together in one picture. And at this moment, in this ugly spot under some random painting of a man, they wanted to sit, and they were still. Ugh.
 |
the paquettes 