Sand box time

Grandpa B made a sand box for the kids to play in they had so much fun with it. Mandy sitting right in the middle of every thing. It was good times at this place in Sparks. Everyone was very active doing all their own things but we got together often. That does not happen anymore because we have all moved away and started our own lives. But every now and then we get together and it is just like old times again.

So cute

They were being so funny putting food on their faces. It was summer and scorching outside. Mandy on the back left. Mandy's brother had a face full of food... he was always such a funny kid making everyone laugh.

Thanksgiving Day Play

Mandy was in a thanksgiving day play and was an Indian. She is the one on the far left, she was so happy to be a part of a play. My sweet baby girl always smiling

Another birthday

Our family is so large that there is a birthday every month and not just for one person. There is always a couple of birthdays to celebrate. They are watching their cousin J, I think open his presents. Mandy still had her fingers in her mouth at five... I had to bribe her with a barbie doll to get her stop lol I miss my baby

Christmas time at grans

Here is Mandy with her cousin and brother. They always had so much fun when they got together. Her cousin loved her very much

Cousins

Here Mandy (far left) is with her brother before he could walk and her two cousins in gran's back yard in Sparks. I miss these days. Now Mandy's cousin the one right next to her has three children of her own... Time sure does fly

Mandy in a dirt bike helmet

My sweet Mandy in a dirt bike helmet

Mandy always put her arm around her brother when I told them to stand for a picture she loved her brother so much... So cute

A day at the park

This picture was taken in Sparks. We had a small park in the center of town and the kids loved to play there. One day I took Mandy and her brother there and we had a great day. Mandy climbed to the top of this little bridge there and said "Take a picture of me mama" She was around six here. 

Auntie Alicia's part 2

I really love this picture because it shows how Mandy use to tell us that she loved us. I would say to her "Mandy, how much do you love mommy?" and she would open her arms up like this and say "Like this." She learned how to do this because when she was running around the house her father and I would run up and grab her and tell her that we loved her this much, throwing our arms out wide and then gathering her up into them and squeezing her tightly. She loved that game and would always put her tiny arms around our necks and laugh. I miss those little baby girl hugs.

Visiting at Auntie Alicia's 1

Mandy loved to go and visit Auntie Alicia and play, Alicia is a honorary auntie and loved Mandy to pieces. She was always spoiling her and doing all kinds of fun things with her. This day we were barbecuing hamburgers and Mandy got a hold of the tongs while she was playing a toss the ball game with the dog. She was so cute! I really miss her bad. 

Puppy Dog

 Mandy loved to be outside when she was younger, we would go for walks around the neighborhood

We would always have to take a toy of some sort for these trips and this day she wanted to take her puppy. She had so much fun. That little toy fit in the palm of my hand and look how big it is next to her... She was a tiny little sweetheart

Playing games

We had moved to California by this time and Mandy sure missed her cousins but they came for a visit and the made up for lost time having all kind of fun. Mandy was taking her turn and I kept saying "Mandy, Mandy, Mandy! and finally she said "WHAT?" and I snapped this picture. They had a good laugh after that!

Fun times

Mandy and her brother loved to play with their cousins when ever they had a chance. I do not remember what they were having so much fun about here but its grins all around

Birthday time

Here is another gathering for a birthday party! All pictured here are family minus three even early in the 80's our family was growing fast! You cannot have seven siblings and not have a large family! I will have to look for a picture of all of us on the stairs for one Christmas shot.... what a fiasco that one was lol

Funny Joke

There is no shortage of jokers in my family, everyone takes their turns at making us all laugh! I believe this was another birthday party and someone was cracking jokes! Birthday parties happen all the time in a large family and that we have!

My Dress

It is funny how a dress that I use to wear as a teenager is now a Halloween costume for my baby girl lol. I wore this dress in the mid seventies and it was a nice dress for that time but looking at it now makes my smile. You cannot tell too much but the sleeves hang down to the top ruffle on the bottom of the dress. Mandy love to be in mom's old dress, she is so cute

Atari with uncle

Mandy was playing Atari with her uncle in this picture. "Atari......" that was not to long ago in my mind but if you look at the advances made in the last couple of decades! then.... We have come a long way baby! lol. This picture was taken at Mandy's grandparents home in Reno. Look in the back ground at the old stove.... You had to use coal pellets in this stove to heat the house and it worked so good that often they would have to peel off sweaters to cool down in the winter. I think this picture was taken in the summer because my mother has items stacked on top of it.

Big Gulp

Do you remember the 7-11 Big Gulps? Here Mandy is happy to have one in front of her. I did not allow her to drink to much but the picture opportunity was to hard to resist and by the look on her face she was happy to accommodate me lol. Sitting next to Mandy is her sweet cousin.

Mandy and her friend

Here is one of Mandy's friends from school. She was a hyper little sweetheart and Mandy had fun playing with her. I can remember one day when she came over to play she wanted to stay a little longer so she asked if she could use the phone to call her mother. I told her yes and pointed to it. She stood there trying to figure out how to use the phone and finally turned to me and said what's wrong with this phone? I picked up the receiver and said nothing. She looked at it again and said it's broken. I said no it works, she then said where are the buttons? how do you use this phone? I realized that she had never seen a dial phone. I stifled my laugh then taught her how to use a dial up phone. So cute!

Poppy's Chair

This was Poppy's chair and no one could sit in it but poppy. But I guess that you can see who grandpa let sit in his chair this day lol.

Picture day

I took the kids out for Picture day. This was taken in Reno in 1988. I think the small little on next to then is one  of their cousins

Amanda Pig

At the school the kids were attending they held a "dress up as your favorite book caricature" and Mandy picked Amanda Pig and I do not remember what Clayton picked but he has a tail that you cannot see, maybe it was Curious George?

HEY!

HEY! She seems to be saying. Looks like her brother is taking something from her and has been caught lol. Or not lol This picture was taken at their grandparents home in California

Easter Dress

 These are the outfits that the kids wore for Easter one year so cute 

Sweet faces

I cannot remember if this was a birthday party or a sweet treat! But the priceless part about this is the smiles on my baby's faces. Mandy is so cute in this picture, I do not know who she is looking at but I bet it's her father. If you look really close at Mandy's brothers hand you can see why that little sweetheart has such a smile on his face! SO CUTE