A Christmas Surprise!

I love getting and giving Christmas cards, especially the photo ones. I try and keep all of the photos and put them in my Christmas album. Over the years, it is amazing how the people who do the photo cards have an amazing visual record of their lives. Sometimes a little sad but always a testimony to what came before. I especially love the ones from friends that I hear from only once a year. I look forward to reading about their lives, and especially seeing the pictures.

This year I received a card for a childhood friend of mine. Our families shadowed each other. We lived in South Carolina together and followed each other out to California. Woody was a pilot and my father was in the Marines. When my father died, Woody graciously stepped in and for those few years we were still in California, he would be an active part of our lives. We went camping and fishing together. Some of my only memories of my childhood were of Woody and his daughter. Woody even escorted me to my Homecoming. We needed a "father" to be our escort for the Homecoming Queen half time show....I wonder who won????? I am sure you can guess! (as Marti says..."that's not important right now")

So I opened my precious stash of cards last week and low and behold there was one from Lou Ann! (Woody's daughter) I looked at the card and realized that a 2 folded pieces of papers fell out. One was some long desired pictures of her family. It is so amazing how much her children look like her. And one was what you see above. My first thought was "how cute....she made the picture look "old" by making it black and white", but after I put my glasses on I realized that it wasn't her kids at all. It was ME! Well, not just me, but her, her brother, ME and my brother. It was a Christmas I remembered. We were in gowns that her mom had sewed. I think that was when I decided I wanted to know how to sew. We were given the PJ's and then acted like we were going to sleep. Her brother played on the piano (another thing I desperately wanted to know how to do) and we sang songs.

What a great treat! It might be the most wonderful surprise this holiday season. Thanks Lou Ann! And......MERRY CHRISTMAS!