The blog in which it's picture time!

I cleaned my garage today.  And here's what you guys get- PICTURE TIME!

Wait?  What? I thought...This seems obviously ironic.  

 the joy radiating from my soul in this picture?  Notice my father?  Not as joyful in front of a Christmas tree.  Here's your sign! I do not know what a practicing Jewish family would have a picture like this, but I am glad I found it.  I think it's my Uncle Bill's from when we helped him decorate it.  It was my first and only childhood hood tree experience.  I loved it.                       

You see, after doing the whole tree thing, I couldn't imagine this was something to smile about.  I mean, oil?  Those goy get a freakin' Savior, and we get over excited about oil?  Whatever.  Even at a  young age, I TOTALLY GOT IT.  Notice the color of my brother's hair?  I think he was adopted.  Just sayin'.  

Here's the deal with that sweatshirt.  (Can we pretend the bangs are normal to be that high?)  Moving on.   I saved all my birthday and Chanukkah money, and I was able to purchase one Guess sweatshirt and one Coke long sleeved polo.  That was the thing at the time, and I wore that sweatshirt like mad.  I LOVED it.  

Teen years.  I started out simple enough.  Wearing tie dye was like my gateway "clothing" to start my hippy-headbanger stage.  Wait for it....

Right.  So.  The black combat boots totally went with that ensemble.  See?  Fashion has never been a friend of mine.  I wore that EVERY DAY.  The red nail polish?  I dunno.  I thought black was extreme.  Must be a lady.  I was 16.  

That's my brother.  He is smiling because he knows what a freak I am and he is happy that he doesn't have to look at me from that angle.  I get it.  

This is my Aunt Carol.  She is a real hippy.  However, I think asked to borrow some of my garb to make fun of me.  I get it now.  OR she was high.  Honestly, that is more likely.

These are two of my cousins.  I loved the snot out of these kids when they were little.  SOOOO adorable.  Now, Scott is 28 (?) and Marisa is 25 (?).  Both out of college, and still adorable, in their own way.  It is evident that Marisa was slightly insulted that he parents would entrust her to sit on a freak's lap for a picture.  Scott, ever afraid of the freak.  He was no less than 3 feet away from us.  

Seriously?  That is what they grew into.  It's like all the good looks in the family were saved for them.  I love them.  

After highschool, I moved to New York for a year.  I was a live in nanny, and on the weekends, I would head to Queens and stay with them.  I had blue eyes.  I made too much money back then.  I really liked the blue eyes, but it freaked my mom out.  

This was our first Christmas together.  I dropped the blue eyes by the time I met Geoff, but I rocked that fake tan look.  I was tanorexic before my time.  

This is my favorite picture.  Someone took that picture of me and gave it to me.  I was living in the apartments with Geoff, had my baby, Tai, out for a run, and stopped at the courtyard to say "hi" to some of the neighbors.  I was thin, after I starved myself in ketosis for about a year, and stayed that way for about, say, 10 minutes in my life.    Glad that neighbor snapped the shot.  

1 month before we eloped.  We were at my brother's wedding, and Geoff caught the garter.  It was meant to be.  We had a blast!  I looked smokin' hot, and he was full of life at that wedding.  I'll never forget how he danced with a two year old.  Everyone loved watching them dance.  It was a night I will always remember with fondness. 

One of my favorite pictures of them- ever!  This was taken at the 60's themed "Sock Hop" at their preschool.  Child's Play Early Learning Center does the most amazing family parties, and this picture was actually taken by the owners' hubby.  He was so sweet to share this picture with us.  

And now, the finale.  If you have made it this far, you deserve this.  I promise, it makes me wonder how anyone kept a straight face.  We were at the old Cabbage Patch museum in Cleveland, GA.  It was a day trip we took with my favorite grandparents, Charlie and Eve, while they visited with an old family friend, all from Florida, at the time.  Grandma's only complaint, ever, was that my hair was in my face.  Really Grandma?  That was an ongoing issue for her and me.  From the time I stopped letting my mom do my hair, that's all I ever heard her complain about.  I miss them.  I hope the picture makes you smile.  It was taken on my 16th birthday.  

Grandpa Charlie is next to me, my mom in the middle of the picture, and my grandma on the right.  The family friend is on the top of the picture.  The ugly as sin dolls are the only thing that seemed out of place, right?  

Photographs © Erin Ahrens 2012