Flashback Friday

It's Friday. We made it. All of us. That's cause for celebration and a new installment of flashback Friday.

It was 1992. My mum, seester, and I went to Disney World for the first time with a group from church. I celebrated my 12th birthday in the most magical place on earth. I also celebrated big hair and glasses, long skinny bird legs, and no boobs. Poor 12 year old MK- already 5'6 in the 6th grade and wearing size 8 shoes. And no boobs.

Let's take a look back via poorly scanned photos, shall we?

I must admit that seester and I are looking pretty good with Mr. Hot Pants/Fanny pack stranger over there on the left.

Oh.

And big bows.

Let's not forget the big bows.

Or the fact that I waited impatiently for the Sheriff to sign my autograph book while some little 4 year old took her sweet precious time. 

Good heavens at the length of those shorts.

(Mine, not Mickey's.)

Pretty sure I pushed those kids out of the way to get to Hook first.

That's an actor at MGM (now Hollywood Studios) on the bench next to me. This was and still is my fave Disney park because of all the movie memorabilia. I'll never forget walking into a store that sold clothing and props from movies- I looked through piece after piece and found a pair of pants worn by Marlon Brando in Guys and Dolls. I unzipped the hanger bag and touched the pants. I touched a piece of film history that Marlon Brando once wore on. his. body. I'm pretty sure that shop no longer exists because I didn't see it when we were there, but I'll never forget touching those pants.

So there ya have it- more awkward pics of me as a pre-teen.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend! Ours is packed full of Christmasy events that all center around a meal.

Color me excited.

Flashback Friday- a tribute to Dad

Happy Friday, friends! I've been a bit MIA from the blog this week while enjoying the sunshine and whatnot with my kiddos. Swimming, chalkin' up the driveway, swinging, and water gun fighting were all on the itenerary this week. The water gun fight was even impromptu, which is the best kind, and all 5 Mathews were drenched before a truce was called. We're soaking up every second of our summer, but today is Friday, and you know what that means...

Since Sunday marked a special holiday that honors our Dads, today's Flashback Friday is all about my Dad. To the father who's always called himself my #1 fan, here are some of my fave shots of the two of us. And a couple with that other sibling of mine... ;o)

***
My very first Easter.
I'm pretty sure my thoughts at the moment were, "I'm gonna lay here all still and pretend to sleep, but when they leave the room I'm totally eating that bunny".

Love the Converse shirt, Dad.
And the stache.



 Pretty sure mum had just told us to look directly into the sun and smile.



 First beach trip as a fam of 4.
Here's proof that E got more than just her daddy's genes.
Nice legs, Dad.

 One of my all-time fave things to do when I was 5/6.
As you can see, I'm contributing a WHOLE lot.
Once again, nice legs Dad.

 Sixth grade trip to Washington, D.C.
We paid a visit to the FBI, but as you can clearly see, the real crime is what's happening above my neck.

 First Oscar party in 1997.
Thanks mum and dad for letting me turn your house into an awards show slash banquet hall. And for loving the Oscars because I love the Oscars. And thanks, Dad, for holding a fake Oscar and taking a picture with me. Also...thanks for letting me get contacts. Good GRAVY, thanks for that.

I must also give a shout-out to my baby daddy, because the kiddos and I...well we loves him a lot.

Thanks for being such a fine baby daddy, hubs.

I'm extremely blessed to have these two men in my life, as well as the sweetest Grandaddy and Father-in-law on the planet.

God is so good.

Happy weekend to ya!

Flashback Friday

It's Friday, and you know what that means...

time to dig into the past and show the internets some vintage goodness.

This week, we celebrated 3 years of Eliza and since I wasn't blogging back when I was birthing babes, I thought I'd share with you how petite I was.

This picture was taken on May 14, 2009.

I was scheduled to be induced the next morning, so I had a final voice lesson with one of my students who was a graduating senior. Elaine was so sweet, she didn't even make a face as she stood next to my monstrous form.

She just smiled.

Fast-forward just a few short hours and one crazy-fast car ride to the hospital, and baby girl is in my arms.  Because sometimes, when we make plans, God points at us from heaven and laughs.

**Eliza's birth story is a post in itself, so I'll save those details for later. For now, let's observe a few things from the picture.**

That XL maternity shirt is stretched to its limits and I can assume that if shirts could talk, it'd be crying, saying,"Really? REALLY?? What did I ever do to you??" At this point, I was down to 2 shirts and 1 pair of pants that fit. Thank goodness it was summer and my fat sausage-like feet would squeeze into a pair of flip-flops.

Perhaps I should've stood behind Elaine so as to not completely cover her up.

My favorite thing about being pregnant was when strangers would stop me and ask how many were in there.

I assure you that there are no marshmallows stuffed in my cheeks.

This is what happens when you spend 9 months saying, "I'm eating for two", and then you eat your food and everyone else's at the table. Then you eat you family too, because you're still not full.

***

This week also marked the 37th anniversary of my parents- "Happy day to you, Tim and Phyllis!" I can't tell you what a blessing it is to have parents who are still married to each other, unless YOUR parents have been married for that long cause then you'd KNOW how awesome it is.

Here they are. My parents in all of their 1974 glory. 

No, they're not on the movie set of Beach Blanket Bingo, although my dad does favor the character of Bonehead quite a bit. (hat on the beach?- check. Cut-off's?- check.)

Doesn't Tim have killer legs?

Doesn't Phyllis have killer abs?

Love you both! Happy 37 years to you! I pray that someday, hubs and I will be celebrating 37 years!

Flashback Friday- Mother's Day edition

Happy Friday friends! Today's Flashback Friday is all about my Mum's! God not only blessed me with an awesome mum, but an awesome mum-in-law as well. What's that? You'd like to see some photos of them from way back when? Well I thought you'd never ask!

First, here are a few of my favorite pics of me + mum, starting when I was just a wee babe. Meet Phyllis, circa 1980. She's one of the original Girls With Glasses, FYI.

Yes, we used to dress as Pilgrims just for the heck of it.

circa 1982, the age of the perm.

Please take note of how cute I am.

circa 1983

Perm was chopped off.

Please take note of how cute I am.

Since this post is really about MUM, I'll be skipping photos of my unfortunate pre-teen stage so that my awkwardness doesn't distract you from the subject at hand.

ahem.

Circa 1998

Mum and I are dressed to the nines for Oscar night.

Have I ever mentioned the fab Oscar parties we used to throw?

Another post, another day...

Please take note of how thin I am was.

2007

Wedding Day

Mine, not theirs.

Nothing sarcastic to add here because, quite frankly, we be lookin' good.

And now, since I need to include my mum-in-law in this post as well, here are a couple of gems I dug up from an Alberta Baptist Christmas party, circa 1989.

As an added bonus, both my mum AND mum-in-law are there together.

 I mean, what are the odds?

Don't you love their sweaters?

Pardon me, sweatshirts?

And stone-washed jeans?

And light bulb earrings?

On purpose.

Welcome to one of the original 'tacky Christmas' parties.

Cathie, no need to thank me for including you too.

You're totally welcome.

Love your jeans.

And high-top Reeboks.

And since I'm a good daughter-in-law, I'd like to really pay tribute to my MIL by posting my very favorite pic of her.

Carol, I bet you're regretting your decision to let me organize all of your photos for ya...

Oddly enough, I found an eerily similar pic of my mum.

Love you, mum.

Is it really any wonder that hubs and I turned out like this?

Happy Mother's Day to you, Phyllis and Carol.

We love you LOTS!

Flashback Friday

Happy Friday friends! I thought it'd be fun to start a new series here called 'Flashback Fridays' since I received so much feedback from the pics in THIS post. Isn't it fun to dig up old photos and share them with the internets? I think so. And be warned, no one is safe from Flashback Friday- if I knew you, or still know you, chances are your sweet face could end up here.

But I'll be gentle.

I promise.

My first victim is my seester, since she's such a good sport and probably won't want to cause me bodily harm. And since I don't want the real pic to be first in the post, I'll show you one of us circa 1986 that's actually not all that bad.

Aren't we sweeties in our pretty Sunday dresses?
This was pre-glasses for me, so I am blissfully unaware of the fact that I'll be spending the next several years with half my face covered up by tortoise frames.

Fast-forward six and a half years.

My only recollection of taking this picture are my Mum's words, "Sit there and act like you LIKE each other".

Clearly, I could not have been more thrilled.

No, we didn't churn our own butter.

Those long, skinny, bird-legs shot up on me that summer, making me at least a foot taller than all of the boys (and girls) in my 6th grade class. Awesome.

Duck Head was cool then. I promise.

Where are my boobs?

Sheesh at the green socks.

Sheesh also at whatever that lamp is wearing.

No offense Mum, but 1992 was the height of, "Country Living vomited all over our house. Come see."

I promise my eyeballs are in there. Behind the glare.

Those with naturally curly hair should never have bangs. Repeat it with me,
"THOSE WITH NATURALLY CURLY HAIR SHOULD NEVER HAVE BANGS".

Clearly, our house was always open to friends/family. The border says so.

Now wasn't that fun? And seester, since I gave you no prior warning, I'll be sweet today and won't mention your recently-grown-out-from-a-bowl-cut hair-do. I'm sweet like that.

Have an awesome weekend, y'all!

She's going to the chapel and she's totally gonna get married

We interrupt our regularly scheduled Christmas crafts programming for an important announcement.

See this?

It's a blingy ring.

And it's on her finger.

A boy put it there.

She's totally a fiance.

Yup.

That finger belongs to my seester.

She works at the University with Big AL.

The boy also works at the University.

This is the setting of their story.

Aren't they cute?

They wear lots of crimson and white.

And they smile a lot.

Because they are in luv.

I wrote about my seester and her boy when they went to the Derby.
You may recall that I made her fabulous hat.

Wedding planning will soon be in full swing.

Color me giddy.

Giddy, do you hear me?

So excited for these two.

Congrats to Mal and Chad-

and to Chad:

Welcome to the crazy.

Kidding.

And since this post is already about to make me veklempt,

I'd now like to share some pics of the seester and I when we looked,

ummmm,

unfortunate.

Growing up in the 80's and 90's, we not only had horrible clothes to contend with, but also, horrible hair.

And glasses.

Good gravy the glasses.

You might want to put on some Depends.

Family Picture- circa 1990

The little boy in the pic is my seester.

Isn't she cute?

Thanks go to Mum for giving her that haircut so that I could show the internets this picture 20 years later.

And nice socks Mum.

Of course, I am fully ready for a flood as well.

And I have bangs.

And sheesh at the glasses.

Just sheesh.

Easter- circa 1989

That's Mal before the great hair chop of '90.

And those are two of our cousins.

Thanks go to Amy for posting these pics on fb so that I could steal them.

Taylor's (cousin) Birthday- circa 1988

Seester is on the left.

In the sweatshirt with the deer painted on.

(or is that a bunny?)

Does it really matter?

It's painted on.

And sheesh at the glasses.

Family pic- circa 1993

Why am I sharing these?

They're actually more embarrassing for me.

Too many unfortunate things to list about this one.

Mal, you win the prize for being the least unfortunate-looking one of the bunch.

No, my Dad is not wearing socks.

And where are my boobs?

Someone please tell me.

And Mum?

Good heavens...

Family pic- circa 2000

Whew.

Getting better.

Now seester is in the glasses.

But they're cute ones and don't take up half her face.

Isn't this fun Mal?

Family pic- circa 2008

There we go.

Much better.

Don't mind the hubs,

he's been screwing up family pics since 2006.

 That's all I have time for today-

and you're welcome Mals.

I'll try and dig up some more memories so we can continue to reminisce.

Nice, isn't it?

I loves ya. 

And Chad,

I'm so glad you two found each other when we all had better hair.

And clothes.

And boobs.

Happy Thursday!