FLASHBACK FRIDAY

 My first Christmas - 1945. 

Look at what Santa brought me - a Lamb. 

Do you think it was an early sign that I would one day be a WOOLEY?

 And my love affair with all things Christmas - all things shiny - had just begun!

 Christmas 1948. My baby brother was 8 months old and already walking! 

 1951 - Santa may have brought the bride doll 

but how much do you wanna bet my mother had made her dress? 

Mother used to make new dresses for all my dolls every Christmas, 

freshen their hair and repaint their faces. Who thought recycling was a "new" idea??

 1953 - that's me on the far right posing among the nativity set with my cousins 

Mary, Lois and Elberta Hanson at the Old Fort (Castillio de San Marcos) in St. Augustine.

 1954 - a cowboy Christmas - though I can't imagine!

I was NEVER a tomboy (see all the dolls) - 

but I'm sure if I asked for cowboy clothes, it was sibling rivalry.

If my brother could be a cowboy - I could be a cowgirl. 

There's another snapshot among the family archives of us in our cowboy outfits and him tying me to a telephone pole! Guess he got his revenge! 

 1964 - a mere ten years later - all thoughts of cowboys and dolls had vanished and I had just begun to play at being a WIFE - this is one month after Roy & I were married - our first Christmas as Mr & Mrs!

 1966 - Our firstborn - Lori was five months old.

Her arrival opened a whole new world of Christmas fun for us.

 1968 - Poor little deprived child - Santa hardly brought her anything. ROFL

Mrs. Beasley doll was the favorite that year.

 1969 - No parents ever had more fun with a child than we did 

with our imaginative little delightful daughter!

 By 1970 Lori had a baby brother. 

Stuffed Santa toys and Mrs. Beasley dolls no longer held her fascination.

She was all about being the "mother hen" big sister. John was four months old at Christmas.

 Christmas eve 1971 we came home from the hospital with our third wonderful gift from God -

our newborn daughter, Lisa.

 Lisa came home to a busy toddler "big" brother - an effervescent bundle of energy

 And a kindergartener big sister who was the "helper" mommy couldn't do without.

 1972

 1973 - a visit with their favorite year round Santa - my dad.

 1974 - This is my very favorite of all my Christmas photos.

I call it Christmas Chaos.

OH. So. Many. Happy. Memories!!

 1984 - first Christmas in our new home. Lori was a freshman in college;

John was 9th grade at Carver, and Lisa was in 7th grade at Milam.

By this stage Christmas had become "controlled" chaos. LOL

 1985 - bidding a Christmas good-bye to our dear friends, the Crabtrees, 

as they moved to Arizona.

1988 - the largest LIVE tree we ever had.

That's a 10 foot ceiling it's touching!  WOW!