Minnesota - Day 6

As promised, today you are rewarded with some photos of me as a kid!

I don't have a great memory of events in my childhood, but when I see the photos, I am able to recapture the feelings and experiences I feel as if I had lost.

Turns out a lot of my memories are triggered by seeing my outfits - I remember particular outfits pretty well.

I love this one because my brother looks happy, I look alert and energetic, 

and my hair is swinging around and looking cool!

Also, I'm wearing a striped shirt.

I still love stripes!

My Dad used to wrap us up in the hammock and swing it around and around until I felt sick

(I don't know if my brother ever got sick!)

It was FUN and it's an amazing memory I treasure.

I love this picture because this boy was the son of my Mom's best friend

while we lived in Texas (I lived there from birth until 4 years old).

He and his mom came to visit us in Minnesota when I was six.

But the main reason I love this photo is because of how cute my hair looks and the wonderful outfit I'm wearing - green gingham?  Yes please!

Don't forget the matching barrettes!

I am surprised to find that my face shape looks good with my hair parted in the middle

and I think I'll try that tomorrow.   

I love this picture because of my outfit AGAIN - I thought of this as my "purple people eater" outfit.

I was in fourth grade.  I also like my hair again in this picture.  

Looks like I used to have more wave than I have now - or else my hair

was braided that day.

This picture is great because my bathing suit is so cute (look at that little ruffle 

and the beautiful color!) and my hair is cute again.

Why, oh why, did I have to go through such an extended awkward phase?!?!

I have so many photos of myself looking weird that these few photos of me looking cute are quite precious!

This next one is just adorable to me.

My sweet precious little brother - look at his little squooshy face! - 

was pulling me on his big boy trike.

I love his little bobble hat!

And I'm wearing one of my favorite pink fuzzy matching sweatsuits - 

once again, with matching pink barrettes!

What is there not to love about this picture?!

It's amazing to me that my face is the same.

How is it possible that a small person can be born that turns into an adult

that looks like the small person?  It's all quite a mystery.

On day 6, I received a package from my sweet friends

that contained games to keep us entertained!

We're going to take them to my parents' cabin and we'll think every time we play them

of the generous people who sent them.

Here's what I wore:

And that night, I made the special meal I had been planning:

honey sesame chicken!

First, dip the chicken pieces in eggs and corn starch

then bake in the sweet sauce for an hour.

Yum!

It turned out delicious and my parents enjoyed it, which was the biggest thing.

Isn't it beautiful?

That afternoon, I saw a gorgeous female Cardinal.

And then I made my snacks for my travel day the next day . . . 

smiling boiled eggs!

And the next day, I got to go home, even though I didn't particularly want to

leave quite yet.