Throw Back Thursday

In is legend in my family that in 1991 Charlie and I kept asking to go to Disney World.  I was seven and he was four and I’m guessing that a lot of our friends were going around this time.  So Dad made a promise to us that we would go before the end of the year.  I’m guessing this was near the beginning of the year or in the spring but I don’t have that detail.  He, apparently, forgot that we were both children of two engineers and thought that we would forget about the promise.

Along comes Thanksgiving and we ask, “When are we going to Disney World?!?!” At which point I’m guessing Dad panicked and realized that he’d made a big promise that he thought we would forget about but we didn’t!  As we’ve been told, they quickly planned a trip to Disney for early December.  This picture was taken at the airport as we were leaving for Disney.

I think it was a very fortuitous mistake because we found Disney to have very low crowds, have perfect temperatures, and be gorgeously decorated for Christmas.  I loved it so much and had such fond memories of it that when we decided to take our kids, I purposefully planned the trip in December to recreate that experience! I loved it just as much in December of 2013 as I did in December of 1991 and I think will be hard pressed to take a trip to Disney any other time!

Back in 2007, Jason and I were married without kids and footloose and fancy free to get away for the weekend.  On this particular weekend, we traveled all the way to Jacksonville, Florida to meet my family for the Alabama vs Florida State game.  Despite the Red Tide that was there that weekend making us all cough anytime we got near the beach, we did spend one afternoon collecting shells and throwing the football on the beach.  It was a very long drive there and back for a game that we ended up losing but my memories of the weekend are still very good!

This picture is from Christmas in 1997.  Pictured are all of the current Cason cousins with our grandfather’s Mom.  We called her Granny and she and Gramps lived in Jackson, Tennessee.  This was our last Christmas with Granny, she passed away the following fall.  Recently, Charlotte has become enamored with Granny because she made me a beautiful doll and bear when I was little that I have since passed on to Charlotte.  Charlotte named her Prettier and she very frequently tells me how special and old she is.

I have very fond memories of visiting Gramps and Granny at their home in Jackson.  They are the only great-grandparents that lived long enough for me to have memories of, although I did meet others before they passed away.  Granny was very creative and crafty and I credit a lot of my passion for creating things to something that I received from her.  She made beautiful Christmas ornaments and Easter ornaments that I still have and use today.

Lots of people do Throw Back Thursday’s (#tbt) on social media but I’ve never really participated.  Mostly because all of my pictures are on the computer and I don’t access them from my phone.  But in an effort to be more consistent with my blogging I thought I’d start sharing some pictures from the past on Thursday’s.  And, in honor of Gramme’s birthday on Sunday, I thought I’d start with one of me and her!

I’ve got this picture recorded as from 1986 in my computer making me two years old.  It cracks me up to see how accessorized I am…I guess Charlotte comes from it naturally.  I see a lot of James in my face here, but I also really see a lot of Mom in Gramme’s face!

I am so thankful for all of my grandparents and also thankful that I have so many pictures of me with them from when I was growing up! Happy (early) birthday Gramme!