Things Remembered aka the longest post EVER!

These are the cutest little hand dimples I ever have seen. I might be a little bit obsessed with the hand dimples. And that wrist roll? I mean COME ON!!! I might be a little bit obsessed with the wrist roll too. I love that chubby babes.

So I have been thinking a lot lately about memories from growing up so I thought I would share a few.

We lived in a neighbor hood in PV until i was in 5th grade. One of the neighboorhood kids was super creative and would turn his garage into different things then invite the rest of the kids to the party. So one year it was a haunted house, one year it was a hippie dance party, ect. I also was in a "band" with this kid. 

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Yep that was our official band pic.(look at me in all my 4th grade cuteness- I thought I was so BA) We are pretty cool. Also the shortest boy was Ian. He was the first guy I ever kissed...Got paid 5 bucks to do it and I even liked him! Yep I was a business woman even then...ummm wait... can I get arrested for admitting this?! Ian died in Iraq a few years back. He has a wife and daughter. I still think of his wife and daughter. In fact I was thinking and praying for them just yesterday. 

I also was obsessed with little house on the prairie. So much so that when I switched to a new school in 2nd grade I wanted to go by Laura instead of Laurisa- (my 1st grade teacher called me Larissa all year long too so that was part of the problem) Anyway back to my obsession. I once wore a prairie outfit- long dress, boots, and no joke a SUN BONNET to school...I didn't actually wear the bonnet on my head during school, but it was loosely tied and then hung off the back of my shoulders (ever seen little house on the prairie?) We used to have prairie nights in my house where we would turn off all the light and use the oil lamps my mom had. YEP-my parents were that cool to play along. 

We had a "friend of the zoo" pass when I was little. We used to go the KC zoo ALL the time. I still love the zoo. I know people say our zoo sucks...but some of my most fun memories is my mom taking us to the zoo. Sometimes if we were "sick" she would take us to the zoo- that was always fun because it was just you and mom (you know those ailments that keep a kid home from school, but allow them to be functioning at 100% capacity- aka pink eye & the sorts).  

(this pic is my mom and I pre-zoo days)

My brother and I used to get up really early and get ready for school really fast so we could go play together outside before school. We always got along pretty well. He was probably my best friend growing up. 

This is a pic of my grandma (mom's mom), my brother and I on the day he was born. YEP TAKE IN THE GLORY OF THOSE BANGS.... 

My dad once surprised me and took me to the USA women's gymnastic team tour at kemper. It was right after they won the gold in 1996 and I was OBSESSED (with every other little girl in america) gymnastics. I remember not knowing where we were going and when I realized where we were I was in awe. My parents didn't have a lot of money when I was little, so this memory was a huge deal then, but it means a lot now too. That they knew I would love going to that so much and just surprised me and took me. 

One last memory. My grandpa lived in Winfield, Ks. We would go visit a lot but once a year we would make a special trip down there to go to the bluegrass festival they hold.  One of my favorite memories! Our neighborhood friends the Franzki's (who also had the garage that turned into haunted houses and hippie dance parties) would go too. They would camp and we would stay and my Grandpa & Judy's house. I loved being in winfield. My grandpa Doc and Judy always made me feel so special. I loved spending time with them and being in the "country". I remember going to the festival and hearing the music from all directions, going to the big stage and watching the shows. I remember the vendors, the food, the smells, to me that is probably one of my most vivid, favorite memories.  I've thought about going again as an adult. However, I no longer particularly love the sound of banjo's or the mandolin or of blue grass, I'm sure I would find the vendors less exciting, and the mass crowds of people more overwhelming. And I think it would probably ruin it. So I will let it be, keep it safe in my memory. But I do miss winfield, my Grandpa Doc & Judy-I guess I just miss that time.

But let's be honest- this time's not so bad either. Here's to making you some good memories kid.

Love, La