Family Album

I spent the evening going through a large box of photos that I retrieved from my Mom's apartment last week. My sisters, brother and I are gathering pictures, momentos and memorabilia that we think we may want to use at Mom's memorial service.

Plowing through the box of pictures, I felt as if I was on an archeological dig of some sort. The top layer of photos were from the past 20 years, the middle section contained pictures of my mom, dad and us kids in the 1960's. The bottom layer was filled with pictures of my grandparents, great aunts and uncles and pictures of world war II soldiers that I think I'm related to in some obscure way.

I had fun sharing these photos with my children as they became engrossed at viewing members of their family tree. I was able to introduce them to their great grandparents and even their Grandpa Low -- my dad -- whom they hadn't seen a picture of before, or at least not one that really looked like him and captured who I remembered him to be.

At times my eyes welled up with tears as I traveled through the years gone by, remembering days and events as a little girl, seeing pictures of Grandma Hyche in her kitchen and swearing I could smell the pot roast cooking and remembering how grown up I felt on my sister's big bicycle as I attempted to ride it with training wheels.

I've shared just a few photos below. Enjoy!

My mother's high school

senior picture, 1955

My dad, in mid to late 1960's

My sisters and I in 1963

in front of the house I grew up in.

(l to r: Betsy, Janis, Cheryl)

My brother was born that summer.

Me! 3-1/2 years old, Summer, 1963

Look at those chubby cheeks!