Friday Photo Flashback

I know I am no longer a regular at the Friday Photo Flashback party (because I am a slacker), but all the talk of scrapbooking combined with Charming's return from the dorms had me going through some old pictures (in boxes in the room that is now Charming's) and I thought you'd get a kick out this/these.

So...you all know me? Right? This picture is me, as the Grant High School Mascot, ca. 1965-66...I was two or three. Cute, eh?
Well. Have you met my family of origin? This is my mom and my birth father on the day of their wedding. He was a Calculus teacher and she was his student. (It is very Lolita, isn't it?...by hey, it was the 60s.) I believe this picture was taken at the minister's home. (This was Sep. 1962, I think...)
Oh, and here are my mom's mom, dad, and brother. I never knew my grandfather (he was in his 50s when my mom was born), but he was a movie star in the silent film era who lost his fortune in the Great Depression. Isn't that cool? (Not the losing the fortune part...the silent-movie star part-you can go here to read about him.) My grandmother (who was his fourth wife - isn't that very Hollywood?) was from a wealthy NY family (Social Register wealthy), but she was disowned when she ran away to Hollywood in the 20s...isn't that something out of a book? I don' really know my uncle well, either...after my grandfather passed away, my uncle and my grandmother were apparently on the run/underground for years and years because they were involved with some unsavory stuff (don't ask...seriously...it is all very real-life-is-stranger-than-fiction). When I finally met them both, my grandmother had suffered numerous strokes and was in a nursing home and not, well, herself.

And this is my birth father's mom and dad after they returned from their honeymoon. Isn't it the sweetest photo? Look at how happy they are with each other? Doesn't looking at it make you want to smile yourself? He was an English teacher and she was his wife and together they raised two children and they stayed happily married forever. I never knew my grandfather and I only met my grandmother when I was 24. She, however, was an amazing correspondent who wrote me letters regularly and never forgot my birthday, my special occasions, or Christmas.


So, there you have it...my family tour. Thanks for following along. Weren't those photos fun? Head over to Alicia's to see what everyone else dug up this week.

Friday Photo Flashback - wow...that long ago?

Okay, since I really hijacked Friday Photo Flashback last week to share Buttercup's birthday, I thought this week, I'd get back to the true meaning of Friday Photo Flashback. Alicia puts it like this: I started "Friday Photo Flashback" because I have so many pictures from my PRE-digital camera days. I thought it would be fun to scan them and share them here with you. I'm having so much fun doing this, that I would love for you to join me, too! So dig out the photo albums and put your scanner to good use!

As this picture comes from my 1979 high school yearbook, I know it was pre-digital. Actually, since it was taken at a football game at our high school's stadium, I can tell you it was taken in Fall '78. I think it is definitely in keeping with Alicia's goals. This picture takes up almost a full page in the yearbook because my friend was on 'yearbook' got to help arrange the pictures. If I remember correctly, the placement of this particular picture was the result of a crush someone had on her.


The funniest thing about this picture is not the blank look on everyone's faces, although that is hysterical. No, the funniest thing about this picture is this: When our yearbooks came out, I asked by friend who she was sitting next to in that picture and I was serious. I have always been in so few photos that I didn't recognize my 15-year old self in that picture! Isn't that funny?

Friday Photo Flashback (Okay, not really)

Does it count as a flashback if it was from Thursday? No, I didn't think so, but I wanted to share some pictures from Buttercup's little birthday celebration, so I will!

She didn't want a cake, so this is our not-really-a-cake cake including the silly bear candle holders Aunt Katie sent.


This is my girl with her best friends from the neighborhood, M and L...aren't they all just the cutest?


So, I know I cheated, but hey, I can do that! Head over to More Than Words so see what everyone else came up with for this week's Friday Photo Flashback. I can assure you than most people went a little farther back than Thursday!

Friday Photo Flashback - Birthday Edition

Well, it is Friday again (already!), but this time I'm not struggling to find pictures to share for Friday Photo Flashback. If anything, it was tough to narrow it down today. Why? Because today my first born, Prince Charming, turns 19! Yep...already...I blinked and he went from this:

Our first day home from the hospital...notice the birth documents are actually on the bed next to him.

To this: Charming's first birthday.

To this: Walking around in Mom's boots (I know, he'll probably kill me for this one).

To this: Summertime tan...too cute.

To this: 16 on a boat in Priest Lake, ID.

and finally to today...no picture because he's in the dorms (but I'll be seeing him tonight)...he's graduating college in May and on his way to his "own" life. He just doesn't understand. He'll always be my baby.

So, Happy Birthday, Prince Charming! We think you're the best!

Head over to More Than Words to see what else is going on as people mosey on down Memory Lane this Friday Photo Flashback.

Friday Photo Flashback

It is that time again: Friday Photo Flashback time. It is time for me to pull something out of our pre-digital (or at least really, really old) files and share a flashback photo with you. This walk down Memory Lane is the brilliant idea of Alicia at More Than Words and I've been having a terrific time revisiting the past. Don't forget to check in to see what the rest of the gang has come up with...their memories might take you back, too.


The picture I've picked to share this week dates back to Halloween 1994. Charming was 3 1/2 and I made his costume. Following in the family business, Charming wanted to be a superhero. He wanted to be Superman. Okay. I can do that. Tights, a leotard, red briefs, a homemade cape and, of course, the "S" made out of felt. He was, as you can see, adorable. The funniest part of this costume was the the concern Charming had while we were making it. He had a long conversation with the lady at the store where we sourced the tights and leotard about how he needed "boy tights". I remember frantically signaling behind him to get her to agree that these were, in fact, boy tights. (She almost didn't!) Once assured that his leotard and tights were "boy" tights, he allowed himself to have a blast.


This picture was taken at a neighbor's house...she was just so tickled at how much fun he was having. I know the boy still doesn't believe it, but he, too, will be a superhero...it is obviously in his genes!

What do you think? Pretty darned adorable, wasn't he?

Hoover Dam

Friday Photo Flashback time again? I must say that this week has flown by. Fortunately, I'd done a bit of advanced planning and have a picture from the pre-digital days to share with you, just as Alicia at More Than Words asks us to.

August 25, 2004 - the summer before Buttercup started kindergarten. Superman had business in Las Vegas and so we loaded up the family and headed over, too. (Southern California to Vegas is less than 4 hours drive.) We stayed at the Luxor and the kids still talk about "when they stayed in a pyramid". We lounged around the pool and we decided to head to Hoover Dam. Not the best time to head out into the desert (oh, it was hot!), but Hoover Dam is an absolutely amazing site to see with your own eyes. It is massive. Did you know that the concrete is still curing and will still be curing for years to come? Isn't that crazy? We took the guided tour and spent a lot of time in the education center. They still weren't letting you go across the dam, but the sheer scale was astounding. The photos of the people who came to work on the dam in the 30s were humbling. Desperate for work, willing to live in the desert with no running water, no air conditioning, and no refrigeration. Families came by the droves for the opportunity. Can you imagine living like that? The photos tell the story.

Of course, we had the obligatory tour photo. I had dark hair...I loved my dark hair. I wish I could still have dark hair, but I have way too much grey to do it. Let's see. Buttercup was 5, Valiant was 8, and Charming was 13. We had no idea that would be our last full year in Southern California and could not have predicted then where life would be taking us. Seems like so long ago, but it was only five and half years.


Thanks for letting me share with you. To see what everyone dug up, head over to More Than Words and check out their photos.

Friday Photo Flashback

I can't believe it is Friday Photo Flashback already. I know, I know. For some of you it is the second one you're doing this year, but for me, this is the first one of the new year.

As you probably already know, this is the time Alicia at More Than Words asks us to dig through our old photos and share something fun with you all. When I found this one in November, I knew it was perfect for this meme.

So, here is the deal...my sister calls me and says, "I need a picture of Charming when he was little so I can put it on a Red Robin gift card." Of course, being the good mother and sister that I am, I put it off until she called me three times. (Hey, what can I say? I've been a bit distracted!) Originally, LoveAphid was asking for a picture of Charming with his beloved Mr. Lion, his constant companion from the time he was six months old until he was six or seven. I knew just what picture she was talking about, but I just couldn't find it. (Actually, I still can't find it...sigh.) Instead, I found this picture and it was even better.



Look at this! Isn't it terrific? It is Charming at 2 1/2 with Mr. Lion is sitting on the table as we finish up lunch on the patio at the Red Robin in Calabasas. You can clearly see the Red Robin logo on his cup. Obviously, this was the picture for the gift card. Look how hip and happening Charming is in his Hard Rock Cafe sweatshirt.

See what I mean? This picture was perfect for the Red Robin Gift Card. And Charming looks, well, Charming!

Head over to Alicia's to see what everyone else came up with for the 2010 edition of Friday Photo Flashback.

Friday Photo Flashback!

It is Friday Photo Flashback...the time when Alicia at More Than Words encourages us to pull out pre-digital pictures from dusty boxes and share them with friends and family. I missed it last week, so I wanted to be extra ready for this week and I am!


Isn't this adorable? I pulled this picture out for a project at the youth group and decided you'd like it, too! I don't know when it was taken, but it is one of only a few baby pictures I have of...Superman! Based on Superman's birth date, I know this picture is from early 1967, but beyond that, I can't narrow it down.

And this is the baby who had to take a baby picture of Daddy to youth group. Do you know which of my babies it is? Don't you think she looks a bit like her Daddy? Definitely the same nose!

So that is my little trip down memory lane...I went as far back as 42 years and as recently as 10 years ago. I hope you liked the little peek into our family. To see more awesome pictures, head over to Alicia's and join in Friday Photo Flashback fun. It always takes me back and puts a smile on my face!

Friday Photo Flashback...to two days ago...

So, I know it is Friday Photo Flashback and I'm supposed to be digging out photos from my pre-digital camera days, but I just can't. Instead, I decided to show you how much Buttercup is enjoying the PE portion of our school days.

Awfully nice of her to clean the treadmill for me, don't you think? Or maybe she's so exhausted that she's sleeping on the treadmill bed? Oh, I've got it...she's so excited about PE that she sleeps on the treadmill so she can be first in line to exercise every morning! Did I mention she's christened it the "dreadmill"?


Having said all of that, she was on the "dreadmill" for 93 minutes because she wanted to finish a movie and the only way she could watch the movie was if she was moving her body. Oh, the price we pay to watch television.

To see what people actually dug up, head over to More Than Words and join Alicia's Friday Photo Flashback party. Most people really do go back farther than two days...Happy Friday!

Friday Photo Flashback

It is Friday Photo Flashback, the time that Alicia at More Than Words asks us to dig through our predigital photos and take a walk down memory lane. Sorry I'm late, but I do have some fun photos today. When you're done looking at mine, go see what everyone else dug up...it is always fun.

My youngest brother and his wife welcomed their first child on October 8. Thumbelina was born a bit early and is tiny, but at almost 5 pounds is doing fine. Isn't she a cutie? (I think she looks like Charming's baby pictures, but I really can't say yet.)


Thinking about them bringing home their new baby, I couldn't help but think about how it felt when I was bringing home new babies. That season of our lives passes so quickly, yet, as we're living it, we can't see it ending. So, hopefully, Thumbelina is keeping her parents on their toes and they are availing themselves of their digital camera every chance they get, because she's truly changing before their eyes and, before they know it, she won't be a baby any more.

In 1991, we had Charming. He was one week old in this picture. Look how small he was compared to Superman's hands. (Who would have guessed this tiny little baby would have become a 6'5" man? I certainly couldn't have imagined it.)

When we had Valiant in 1996, we finally had to admit that Charming wasn't a baby anymore. This picture was taken when Valiant was 5 weeks old and Charming was 5 years old. We were doing the Derby Days 5K in Santa Anita. It was so fun. Look how tiny Valiant was...Charming was a big boy...almost through kindergarten already.

And, three years later, we welcomed Buttercup to our growing family. In this picture, she is three weeks old and sleeping on Superman. (Dad is always the most comfortable bed.)


It had been 8 years since we'd brought Charming home from the hospital. A lot can happen in 8 years, can't it? Charming was in 3rd grade and Valiant was 3 years old.

(Buttercup looksa bit concerned at Valiant's grip, doesn't she?) This picture was taken more than 10 years ago...Charming is a man now and Valiant is already almost as tall as I am. Buttercup doesn't think she's the baby of the family (and won't accept it when we tell her she'll always be the baby of the family.)

So, all I have to say to my brother and his wife? Just don't blink, because before you know it, that baby girl will be all grown up and you'll wonder where the time went.

Friday Photo Flashback

Well, I didn't forget, but I really wasn't prepared for it, so I'm place catch-up. It is Friday Photo Flashback time. Alicia asks us to head back to our pre-digital camera days and find photos to share.

In honor of Fall and because I'm feeling nostalgic, I'm going to go back into the not-too-distant past...our first months in the Pacific Northwest. We took the kids pumpkin picking (and didn't swelter in 100+ heat...it was actually fun!). Charming didn't want to go with us...he was already becoming "too old" for "kid stuff". Still these pictures show me just how much time has already gone by, even though it has only been four years. (Seriously: Buttercup still had her baby teeth when we moved here!)
Buttercup always picked "cute" pumpkins. Doesn't she have that, "Please, Mommy, can we keep it?" look on her face in this one?


Have I mentioned that I love where I live? Truly, I feel so blessed to have landed here.

Friday Photo Flashback

Hmmm...I guess when you get up at dark o'clock, you can get a lot more done. So, I'm jumping into Alicia's Friday Photo Flashback party. This is the time we head to our pre-digital photo stash and bring out some treasure to share with you. This is an old picture...seriously old...it was taken more than 17 years ago. I love this photo and I keep in a frame on my desk so I can gaze lovingly at it all day long. (Okay, maybe not all day long, but I do so love it!)

This is a picture of Superman taken outside our old apartments (where we lived for 8 years). A funny note? The car you see in the background belonged to my mom's husband. He passed away and it was given to us and now, that is the car Charming owns. How cool is that?

Anyway, doesn't Superman look like Clark Kent? He's so cute...I can totally see why I fell for him. He was all of 25 in this picture and we'd been married 2 and a half years. Wow...it seems like yesterday, yet this year we'll be celebrating our 20th anniversary...time sure flies.

To see what everyone else dug up, head over to Alicia's Friday Photo Flashback.

Friday Photo Flashback

It is that time again, Friday Photo Flashback. Alicia at More Than Words reminds us to dig out our pre-digital photos and share them with the world.

Now that my scanner is hooked up again I can play this game, too. I dug through and found pictures from SeaWorld in San Diego. These were taken in spring of 1997. Superman had recently turned 30 and Valiant was just 1. He wanted to walk by himself!


He's was so taken with the Orcas. He couldn't get enough.


Look at how seriously he's focused. My little fuzzy melon!


The funny thing? He remembered that trip. Years later he threw a temper tantrum because he wanted to go to the "park with the fishes" and we had no idea what he was talking about. None of our local parks seemed to fit the bill and he was very frustrated with us. We headed back to Sea World when Buttercup was a few months old and he was roughly 3 1/2 and he said, "See?! I love the park with the fishes!" Mystery solved.

For more Friday Photo Flashback's, head over to Alicia's at More Than Words and join the party.

Friday Photo Flashback

Okay, it is Friday Photo Flashback and I'm away on our last camping trip of the season, enjoying some unseasonable hot weather as I kick back at the river. That doesn't mean I'm not going to jump in and join the fun, however. When you're done walking down Memory Lane with me, head on over to Alicia's at More Than Words and see what everyone else dug up. (Sorry I can't put in a link, but I did this post ahead of time...http://minyards7.blogspot.com will get you to More Than Words and I'm certain you can get to the Friday Photo Flashback posts from there!)

As for me, I bent the rules a bit and came up with a digital photo. This is from five years ago and I just couldn't believe how much my children have changed in the past five years. I went from having a little girl and two boys-who-were-still-kids to having a young adult, a teenager, and one who lets me know she's not little any more. Sigh...I miss those days...sometimes I think I blinked and missed a few years. When did this all happen?

Anyway, this picture was taken at Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. The kids had never been and Charming headed off with some bigger kids to do "real roller coasters" while Buttercup and Valiant were in the kiddie section with me. This shot was taken where we met up for a little bit. Can you tell they'd just been on a water ride?

Friday Photo Flashback

Happy Friday, everyone! It has been a terrific week of not much in particular at the Nagle5 household and I can't believe it is already Friday again. It is time to share pre-digital photos with you via Alicia's Friday Photo Flashback. Don't forget to head over to Alicia's to see what others dug out this week...it is always fun.

Since Charming has been on my mind so much this summer, probably because he's turning into a man before my very eyes this year. So, yet again, I'm sharing a picture of him as a baby. This one was taken with a Polaroid and I think he was barely 6 months old. As you can see, he was in a hurry, even way back then! (He ended up walking on his own before he was 9 months old.) Hard to believe that little boy ended up being taller than his dad a short 18 years later...it is humbling really, how briefly they're ours to cuddle.

Other things worth noting: the acid-washed denim shorts and the fact that I was wearing shoulder pads with a t-shirt. Okay, then!

Thanks for joining me on yet another trip down Memory Lane!

Friday Photo Flashback

Can you believe it is Friday already? Well, it is! That means it is time for me to dazzle you with yet another photo from the stone age (or the predigital age, if you prefer to think about it that way!). It is Friday Photo Flashback time...I'm again joining Alicia at More Than Words to walk down memory lane with you all.

This picture is from May 1991. Charming was not even 3 months old and a friend had asked me to be in her wedding (trust me, I tried to get out of it...she wouldn't budge). I remember being so overwhelmed by being in this wedding. She lived an hour away, I was already back at work full time and I was trying to learn how to be a wife and mother. It was a challenging time. Throw in a bridesmaid dress and you have stress overload. Anyway, she was getting married in this beautiful glass church at the beach and Superman and Charming were with me for the rehearsal. Superman had Charming on his shoulders waving to me! Isn't that so cute?

Notice the huge sweater I'm wearing to hide my stomach. Oh, yeah, I was so not ready for my close-up (I don't know how starlets to it, seriously!). Look how young Superman was (and cute!).


Oh, I'm glad I stumbled across this picture. It made me smile when I looked at it.