Throwback to '69, '87, '90 and 2012

 

If my mother wanted a sweet picture of her little girl on Santa's lap...  I'm surprised she didn't whoop my butt for this.  I remember that entire evening vividly.  I didn't want to get dressed up, I couldn't stand the feel of the top of that dress, some kind of polyester, and this Santa counterfeit didn't fool me, not one bit.  There were beads that went with that dress, a white strand and a purple strand.  I probably didn't want to wear those either.  

 

Here's how to get a decent Christmas picture of children, snap it before they develop an attitude!  This is Thing One, a little under three months old, resident super-genius, he was probably sounding out Coca-Cola and analyzing the fiber content of the garment.

 

Christmas 1987

 

 

We liked him a lot, so we made another one.

 

Christmas 1990



 

 



Thing Two is about three weeks old here, having arrived the week after Thanksgiving.  He may have been plotting how to get out of the carrier and climb the Christmas tree.  Note Thing One's interpretation of the Nativity.  I was probably too tired to notice, or if I did, to care.

I have no Christmas picture of Mr. A as an infant, not sure if one exists.  He was the fifth child of seven in a good Catholic family.  His mother was probably too tired as well, Christmas 1954.  Mr. A was born in February, began walking at nine months; odds are he wouldn't be still to have his picture taken.  

I'm almost ready for Christmas 2013!  We'll host the grown up version of these precious babies.  Hopefully their mother has grown up a bit, too!  My daughter-in-love, Thing One's wife, will be with us, but my daughter-in-heart will be in Illinois, visiting relatives, then she's on to Colorado to begin a new chapter of her life with Thing Two.

Life is good, rich, and filled with abundant blessings.  (Oh, it's tough, too, but that's not the focus today.)  

I'm sure in '87, I couldn't imagine our life being any richer, then in '90, could it get any better?  

Yes, when the daughters arrived, polished, bugs and kinks worked out already.

Here's the rest of the crew, Christmas 2012.  I'm there.  You are seeing my treasure through my eyes.

Mr. A and Maggie, our granddog

Thing Two and his perfect match--she climbs boulders, too!

Thing One's wife, her dear friend's baby, our honorary granddaughter
and Mr. A photo bombing! 



The loves of my life! 



Mr. A, a natural...babies love him!