these darn family photos

yesterday, when i was facebook searching for photos of my parents for their anniversary, i came across some notably exceptional photos from various times in my family's history. and i decided immediately that i loved them, which, of course, means they fit into the theme of this blog. ;P

TODAY I LOVE

these darn family photos.

this was Christmas at my house, last year.

see how everyone is dressed up with beautiful hair? don't they look gorgeous. the twins put a lot of time and effort into showering and curling and preening.

i think even tim took a shower that morning, which, actually, is quite impressive, thank god.

but not me.

i'm wearing somebody's thermals i found folded and waiting on the stairs.

i'm in a sweatshirt of some kind

and my mom's really into giving everyone pajamas/slippers for christmas, and those pink things are the ones i got that morning. i'm wearing a "cat hat", a little warm piece of heaven with what is debatably cat ears/armadillo ears on top.
maybe i brushed my teeth.

luckily, my family loves me and embraces what we all call the "allyson is marching to her own drum" thing about me, where they all scratch their head in wonderment and i bop around the kitchen wearing high heels and underwear on my head.

honestly, it's the holidays, and i'm HOME for christmas, i'll give myself a free pass to let my weird hang out.

i then ran across, again, this gem of a photo, amazingly marking one of the greatest family traditions known in our familyosphere.

Every wedding, reunion, and funeral, somebody, somewhere turns a radio on and plays david allan coe's "you never even called me by my name," a good-timin,' tongue-in-cheek country song about wanton love, a tune which my father (legend has it) spiritedly sang to my mother at their freaking wedding reception. he thought it was hilarious, and a tradition was born.

here, 25-26ish years later, my brother duane (the handsome gent in white,) my idiot brother tim (the plaid-wearing adorable fool on the right,) my father (the one in the tux), and my favorite brother jared (the blondie on the far left,) all sang this song at duane's wedding along with our grandma helmberger.

rocking it out.

way to go, bros! keeping the tradition alive and well!



and then i found this third one, this also, beautiful, delightful, wholesome and sweet

photo of my dad and my two older brothers, before i was born.

i just love it.

i do!

dad! you look so sweet and delighted in this photo!

i love that look of glee.