Through the years

I am celebrating today with a walk down memory lane...these are pictures of me from when I was a baby up to when I graduated high school.  I've always been a memory keeper like my mum.  She was a scrapbooker before that was even a thing.  I'm glad she took pictures, saved memories, and passed that on to me.  I firmly believe that a life remembered is a life celebrated.  

 Uh Oh!! I'm awake mum. 

And check out the bears behind me...I used to turn them around to face the wall myself.  Maybe I thought they would sleep better that way. :) 

I'm pretty sure I still do that nose squishy smile thing when I'm really happy. 

And the laundry basket?  We matched. 

 That smile...that hair...that dress.  One of my favorite pictures.  

Oh that fake smile! You're killing me Shai.  But Micah sure can turn on the charm.  Oh that boy. 

 So I don't know for sure, but I must have cut my hair myself or something...look at the size of my bangs here compared to the picture above.  From half of my head to baby bangs before they were "in." ;) 

I'm calling these pictures "The Hair Diaries: the early years."  I was always desperate for curly hair when I was little... I had a perm two times and it never took.

Left: Here with my Dolly Molly.  She was my favorite.  She cried and moved her eyes and sucked her bottle.  A little bit creepy now when I think about it... but I loved her. 

Right: And the little brother Micah again...aahh!  Pretty cute kid.  

I remember spending as much time as possible playing in the snow.  Many treasured memories sledding and building snow forts.

And I was always artistic, even from a young age.  I'm painting a mouse here... not sure why a mouse, but its pretty good if I do say so myself. 

Elementary school: TWIN DAY... enough said! ;)  

This was just after I had gotten my first film camera.  The sepia tone makes me so happy. 

Left: the day I got baptized.  I was a very emotional teenager.  I literally cried the whole day.  Good tears, but still... 

Right: In Maui at the top of the volcano.  And yes, those are little braids in my hair.  Come on...island life, right? 

We had a Victorian Tea Party.  And I LOVED my dress. 

"Hey Shaina, go pretend to be holding up that rock.  That will be a great picture." 

Uh... OK.  And I'll make it look as authentic as possible. :P 

Yes, you guessed correctly...we were being the Spice Girls.  I was Ginger Spice.  Please tell me we weren't the only ones who did this!!

This picture makes me miss our old house.  That front porch was the best.  

 And speaking of the front porch....

"Pose suggestion...gently leaning against the antique wood stove." 

Yeah, that looks perfect! 

Now this is a sleepover: 5 girls in one King size bed.  And Grandma was kind enough to come and take a picture of us.  Pretty sure she stood on top of an end table to get us all in the shot. :)

The beginning of my Senior year of High School.  A perm that finally took! And a classic Walmart Photo Background.  Gotta love it. 

 This was my Senior Art project: a large oil self-portrait.  It is huge and I still love it.  Also pictured is my Pepto-Bismol pink walls in my bedroom.  I really had the best teenager room, with a window seat and everything.  

 Graduation Day!  I sang at my graduation ceremony.  That is my favorite memory from that day. 

This is my best friend Kelly-Anne.  We met when I was 16 and she was 15.  I was just 18 in this picture, and we're still best friends.  This picture makes me so happy. 

When was the last time you looked at old pictures? 

Do you like to celebrate your memories?