Old Photo Friday

I've looked at this picture on more than one occasion while scrolling through digital archives over the years.  At some point I've wondered who the girl on the left is, since she is not my aunt.  On another occasion, I've looked at the stockings that are hung, not on a mantle, but on the Christmas tree.  I also have looked at my uncle Allen and wondered about that drum (must have been loud!).  I've often looked at my dad in the foreground and wondered about his expression.

Today when I looked at the picture and my dad, I nearly gasped.  I see my son's face.  It's right there in the eyes, nose, hair, and mouth.  We haven't gotten around to getting our little buddy boy a haircut; we've started to notice a bit of natural wave in his hair.  This certainly did not come from the Korean side of the family.  I look at my dad's eyes and nose and hair and all I see is Erik.  Wow!

Have you ever looked at an old photo and seen someone else in the picture when you looked at it later?

The kids are getting ready for Christmas, only one more day to go!

Happy day before Day before Christmas.

Old Photo Friday

As you may have seen from a previous post, our family room is sporting the ubiquitous Charlie Brown style Christmas tree.  We're making our own ornaments this year (which will be explained later), so it certainly has the "kid" look to it.

Today's old photo Friday is a picture of my uncle and aunts decorating a much, much prettier Christmas tree.

Time to Deck the Halls!!

Old Photo Friday

Boys and their Tonkas!

I saw this picture on Pinterest a few weeks ago and fell in love. Click Here to see. So much so that for a fleeting moment I thought about the joys of another little baby boy - just to get such a great newborn picture.  OK, that's out of my system, now.  Still it's a cute picture, right?

My brother Todd had lots of Tonka trucks.  He constantly played with them.  We had neighbors on both sides of our house with boys Todd's age,  Timmy and Chris.  Each boy had a slightly different style Tonka fire truck.   They all had the same dump truck and bull dozer.  When they got together in Timmy's expansive sand box, it was notably filled with yellow Tonkas.  It got to the point that my mom had to write Todd's name on each of his trucks in order to tell them apart when the boys played together.  Todd also liked to play with his trucks alone in his room.

A few weeks ago, my dad was clearing out the attic to get ready to add more insulation.  Todd's trucks have spent close to forty years in the attic now.  Grandpa's Tonkas (yes!) are also there.  Grandpa had one of the Tonka trucks down from the attic earlier so Erik and Grandpa could play fire truck over the web cam with each other.   (To play this game, you simply point your Tonka Firetruck and Bruder Firetruck at your webcam and show each other while saying, "Firetruck") (over and over and repeat)

Now the Tonkas are lining the living room at my parents house - ready for the next generation and complete with Todd's name still visible on the tops.  Some of the trucks are going to remain in Rochester, some will go to the cabin to wait for Erik's first visit.

Some things never change.  Boys and their trucks are one of those things.

Old Photo Monday

In honor of my uncle's birthday today, (and because I am behind in Old Photo Friday postings for the year) here is an old photo for the day.   Happy Birthday Uncle Chuck.

I really like the fact that sleep sacks are still the "in" thing to keep babies warm, both at night and out on the town.  Someone made this one out of a blue blanket, it's easy to see the blue satin binding.

My mom, Judy, Grandpa Robert Springer, and uncle Chuck Springer

Old Photo Friday

Happy Birthday to my Grandma!  Miss You Lots.

Irene V. Springer born 11-11-19

Old Photo Friday

This weekend is Erik's baptism.  I thought about putting up a picture of my baptism, all decked out in white as a little baby being held by my grandparents or great grandmothers.   I couldn't find one in my archives.  I don't have every picture scanned.  I found a print of my baptism that had my name on the back.   I point out that I was baptized in the spring in Fridley.  My sister was born in May.  In this photo, everyone was sporting sleeveless dresses and a nice tan.  The a-ha light went off a few years ago when I was looking at the picture.  The new label on that photo is Susan, with my name crossed out.  It happens.

Erik's baptism photos will not be confused with his siblings.  As if;  he's the only boy.  And he's already two and a half.  We switched churches right after Erik was born and it has taken time to settle into a new church community.  Plus, we needed a date where everyone could be here from both sides of the family.  So the date was selected about three months ago - October 16.

Without a baby baptism picture of me, I thought of finding a baby picture of my cousin, Chuck.  He's getting married this weekend.  That would be a nice picture.  If I had a picture of him, as a baby, at his baptism, I'd have the perfect old photo Friday.

Instead., late at night and already Friday in the midwest, I found this scanned baptism certificate for my great-grandfather!  Erik's great-great grandfather.  What a great idea for Old Photo Friday!  I started looking at the details and I knew it was the perfect "picture" to showcase this week.  My great grandfather was older when he was baptized - six and a half.  And best of all, look at the date of his baptism:  October 16, 1904.  Exactly ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN YEARS before Erik's baptism ON THE SAME DAY.  How cool is that?

To Erik on Sunday - Happy Baptism.  Welcome to Christ's family.  To my great grandfather - Happy Anniversary of your baptism.  May you celebrate in Heaven the newest arrival to the growing family of Christ here on Earth, your great-great-grandson, Erik Bradley Chung.

Old Photo Friday

Morgan and I had our six month dental check-up appointments on Wednesday during my lunch hour.  Woody dropped Morgan off at my office and we walked across the street to the dentist.  All went well for me.  We made another appointment for Thursday for Morgan to get sealants and fill a small cavity. (No Novocaine).

We each got nice toothbrushes from the dentist and then walked back to my office where I worked for a few more hours while Morgan read a book and played with my cell phone.

My sister, Susan, asked Santa one year for a toothbrush for Christmas.  Obviously, Santa brought her other presents for Christmas, but Susan had her mind set on that toothbrush.  Not waiting to open her other gifts, three year old Susie spent part of Christmas Day in the bathroom with the water running, trying out her new toothbrush.

Old Photo Friday

In honor of my uncle Rick's birthday tomorrow - Happy Birthday Rick!

Rick Springer's 1st Birthday

Old Photo Friday

Guess Where we're going this weekend?  Camping!  Fun Fun Fun.

Today's Old Photo Friday is my Grandmother, Irene Springer, roasting hotdogs over a campfire.

Old Photo Friday

The school year is gearing up and starting for *most* of America's kiddos.  Our kids started in July, which means they are getting their first progress report and will finish the quarter in four weeks.

Yesterday was my aunt's birthday.  Happy Birthday Mary.

That brings me to this week's old photo.  This is a picture of me on the first day of Kindergarten with my *oh-so-stylish* corduroy school bag, made by my mom.  The bag is full of back to school supplies.  I love school supplies.  I recall receiving three gifts as a child that were my all time favorites.  All of them had something to do with school supplies.   I got a real  typewriter when I was seven. (**Kids, I'll explain what this is later.  Sadly, you have no idea).   My parents got me a set of 100 markers in a plexiglass case for Christmas when I was nine.  Gorgeous!  But, the present I most remember, with almost every detail, came from my aunt Mary.  When I was five or six, I got a burlap bag for a present.  I can't remember if it was for my birthday or Christmas.  The bag was large, and the contents were fantastic.  I remember reaching in and pulling out every imaginable school supply.  I was in heaven. My own scissors, ruler, protractor!  School paper, graph paper, construction paper!  Glue, pens, pencils, markers!  A sharpener!  It went on and on.  For someone like me who constantly organized (in a kid way) her desk, this was the absolute best.  Thank you Mary!!

Finally, what happened to the ubiquitous school bag?  I still have it and brought it out this AM for Ingrid to model for me.  She was shocked that I didn't ask my parents for a Barbie backpack to go to school.  I told her they didn't exist.  She replied that *someone* should have made them, so Grandma could buy me one.  Great idea if we had a time machine.  Bringing Barbie backpacks back into the 70's full of current school supplies?  (Can you imagine showing off glue sticks to the Elmer's paste crowd?  And *washable* markers?)

Old Photo Friday

Now that the birthday season is over, I've got my eyes on the next projects.  Erik's baptism is in October and so is Halloween.  Yep, it's costume time!  Have you got yours done?  We'll be keeping our ideas under wraps until the big day.

Today's Old Photo Friday is my dad is this darling cowboy costume.  He's so cute!

Dennis Stevens,   Hayfield, MN

Old Photo Friday

Erik is perhaps..., maybe..., just possibly..., by a fraction..., letting go of his fire truck obsession.  Actually, instead of letting go, he's more likely opening his mind up to other machinery.  Namely, tractors.  There are three fields surrounded by our man made lakes in our neighborhood.  The association requires them to be constantly tilled or trimmed.  No sagebrush or tumble weeds.  Therefore, two tractors are a constant presence each time we pull out of the neighborhood.  Great machines require constant comments from our two year old.

It's perfectly normal.  Two of my cousins were obsessed with heavy machinery.   Their parents kept their obsession fed with very nice scaled metal toy tractors, back hoe loaders, front loaders, combines and skidders (bobcats).  The boys slept with these metal toys.  Ouch.  I remember riding in my uncle's car with my cousins and passing a construction site.  There were loud howls of protest that we didn't slow down and check out the bulldozer, excavator, or front loader.

Now we're in that phase more than 20 years late - only with three older sisters groaning if we pull over to look at a tractor.

So here's today's Old Photo Friday.  I'm thinking about my cousins, Chucky and Chad, and smiling about their tractor obsession.  I took this picture with my first camera - a Kodak 110 Instamatic. 

Chucky and Chad with their John Deere in front of the cabins

Next generation, same style tractor - Chad's sons Parker and Caleb

Old Photo Friday

Notes to School


It has been our family tradition to write notes in the girls' lunchboxes on the first day of school.  Letters from both mom and dad with encouragement and congratulations for the new school year.  We try to use fancy stationery and cool envelopes.  We've never mentioned it, but almost all of the letters have been brought home so we can put them in their baby box.

It was the night before the first day of school when it dawned on us, we had three letters to write this year.  Ingrid's letter talked about her new journey and included a lot of encouragement for a great year.  Annika's reminded her about how outgoing and friendly she is, especially to new students.  Morgan's letter included a picture of her first day of Kindergarten, the beginning of her journey.  Now she's in sixth grade - an amazing girl.

Was this an original idea?  No, other parents do it too, I'm guessing.  Our idea didn't come from others.  It came from my great grandfather - Charles William Springer.  While at my grandpa's I copied a letter that was written by my great grandfather to his one month old son, Charles Walter.  It's a touching letter, written in the era when sons were adored.  To be able to read this, 90 years later, is fascinating.  Here is the letter, this week's Old Photo Friday.

Old Photo Friday

It's 2nd Cousin Picnic Time.

Time for the next generation to get together for the fifth annual Springer picnic.  I'm glad my children are participating.  Lunch, laughter, and lawn sprinklers.  Does it get any better?


Have fun everyone!!

Anyone notice Chad underneath?

Old Photo Friday

Erik needs a haircut.  We've stopped last Sunday (which was Father's Day) in the late afternoon after running errands.  They had closed early.  We stopped Wednesday after skating lessons.  They were already booked for the evening.  The girls will soon be leaving to go to Minnesota.  They could use a trim, too.  Obviously, we need to make appointments for three haircuts rather than take a chance.

I've tried to style Erik's hair.  It's getting thicker.  I want a short summer cut with wispy bangs that I can style up or down.  Just like this:

My dad, Dennis Stevens

Old Photo Friday

This evening I had the pleasure of accompanying Annika on a 6.6 mile !!!! bike ride around our neighborhood.  It was fantastic.  We left at 8:45 PM using helmets and lights.  Annika is more adept at her larger bike she received last Christmas.  We had great conversation, fun water breaks, and dodged a few sprinkers {grey water, yuck!}  The air was breezy and the ride was smooth.

When we returned, all of her siblings were in bed.  Annika showered and had some more water with mom and dad before going to bed.  So much fun, I can't wait to repeat.  We are still trying to figure out a way to take the whole family for a ride.  Right now, we don't have a seat for Erik and Ingrid is still a little slow on the bike with training wheels.  We'll wait for now.

I love Annika's bike.  It's the kind of bike I would have enjoyed as a child.  Today's old photo Friday is my family members and their favorite bikes.

Old Photo Friday

For the past two weeks I have been helping my aunt launch her new blog, preservingfoodtraditions.blogspot.com with technical support and the header graphic.  It's been a lot of fun and I'm enjoying her posts.  The recipes are great and the tips are fantastic.  We've talked on the phone and brainstormed over some ideas and how they can be presented in blog format.  Fun.  If you haven't seen her blog, click on the hyperlink and check it out.  Don't forget to come back.

It was no surprise that I wanted to tie this week's old photo Friday with a food theme.  And I found one with a double bonus - it's a summer photo with my aunt Diane!  When scanning slides for my grandfather years back, he asked if I had come across any of the big house before renovation.  He was especially interested in the screen porch.

Old Photo Friday

It's been 10 years since we stood in the office in E-kat and collectively changed our lives forever.  We love you Morgan!!!

Old Photo Friday

I frequently have writer's envy.  I read blogs filled with exciting stories that captivate an audience (me) within seconds.  These blogs are full of wit and expressiveness that I can't seem to capture in my writing style.  Sigh.

Technically, this post is not about writer's envy.  It's more about writer's desk envy.  Specifically my childhood desk envy.  Errr, actually, my brother's desk envy.  Isn't this desk awesome?  So mid-century vintage cute!  I fondly remember the folding chair and lift top desk.

Now as a parent, I'm struggling with lack of extra space in the kids' rooms to fit desks.  During my junior high and high school years I had a roll top desk, which I received for my confirmation.   My computer had its self made cabinet.  The roll top desk is back in my room, serving as a quiet work space if things get too loud in the kitchen to do homework.  Annika has been asking for a desk for the last few years for her room.  She got a brother.

Last month we picked up this sweet art table at Pottery Barn Kids.  It's housed in our family room [read: playroom] We now have chairs to go with it - just in time for summer break.  I envision at least two kids working on homework here, separated by the art supply bins.

Old Photo Friday

The tire from our stroller was damaged last week, coming out of the rim on a whim one day.  We deflated the tube and we're stuck with a flat tire for the day.  Later, with the tube re-inflated, the tire detached itself from the rim again.  This time we were stuck carrying Erik around.

After mulling over our options, we chose to get a new tire from Amazon.  That meant we were without a stroller for the weekend.  Not usually a big deal, unless you really want it.  For our trip to Strawberry and hiking the rocks, we didn't need it.  Now there's a delay from Amazon.  Hopefully it'll be here soon.  Don't know how much you miss something until you can't use it.

There's a practical reason to blogging about a wheel.  Invariably at this house, a mention of "when did we buy X?" is either followed by a huge underestimation like "a year ago" when the truth is more like ten years ago, or a huge overestimation, like "we've had that for yeeaaars."  Blogging is our date stamp service.  For posterity, the wheel on our stroller was repaired "this week" in 2011, just so we remember.

Finally, Ingrid asked if we were getting a new "fancy" wheel for Erik's stroller.  We responded that the tread was new with a different pattern, but that wasn't good enough for Fancy Ingrid.

So here's today's old photo Friday.  Check out these wheels, Ingrid.  Fancy, fancy!

My grandpa, Robert Springer, with his first fancy car