Vintage Family Photo 10
Something about Erin’s entry made me want to cry. Almost every part of it was all too familiar to my own story. The older “annoyed” sister who was too cool or embarrassed of the younger siblings (ok, maybe that’s just what MY sister was embarrassed of! 
). The fact that there are 4 girls. The fact that their mom made one of the dresses (does this even happen anymore!! I know its rare!), The smell of BABY DOLLS being her favorite Christmas scent! haha! The very familiar looking dresses and hair styles. Or if it was just being known by their last name rather than their first. It warms my heart to read about this family so similar to my own. Isn’t it amazing how dated these pictures look already!? I never thought they’d look like “old pictures”. But they do! Our kids are going to think we are ancient! (I’m sure they already do!) When I think about Christmas’s with our original family units, it makes me think about how special Christmas’s are now for our kids (and for us of course!!!). But these are the years they will hopefully hold so fondly in their hearts and memories. The times they’ll talk about someday, and look back on as the legendary “best years”. I love thinking that I get to create that for my own kids now!
Ok, here’s Erin’s story:
| Tell me the age order of the people in the photo. | I’m guessing that Johanna was 10, Erin (me) was 8, Hilary 6, and Molly 4. |
| Is there anything about the photo that you want to make SURE I capture if you win? | This was taken at my Grandma’s and every year she would go out and get her own tree from her own land. Some years trees were better looking than others, but most of the time her trees were pretty sparse like the one in this picture. I also love all our Christmas dresses. I know my older sister’s dress was a hand-me-down and loved by all of us girls in the following years. I’m pretty sure my mom made Hilary’s dress (the tan and red one). Headbands were always my thing growing up, so I would love to make sure that was part of the illustration as well. |
| Why is your photo the winner? | I looked at several of our Christmas pictures (as I’m pretty sure we have one like this every year!) I chose this one because of the annoyed look on my older sister’s face. It’s priceless. There was a point in our childhood when she became “too cool” for her younger sisters and it’s clearly evident in the picture. Now that we are older, we can look back on this and giggle. |
| Why do you love your family of origin?? | |
| We grew up just us 4 girls. We always wanted a brother, but now that we are older, I’m so glad it ended up as just us 4. We were often called “the Prell girls” because often people could not remember which “Prell girl” we were, but new we just HAD to be a Prell. My favorite scent at Christmas is the smell of a new baby doll and it brings back so many memories of growing up in a family of all girls. Christmas is such a special time for our family, as now we our grown with families of our own with spouses added to the mix and kids running around (all boys now… isn’t it ironic?) I look forward to the Christmases to come, but will always remember the Christmases of the past when it was just us 4 girls. | |
By the way, even if that tree is sparse, I still love it! Such character! And I love the story!!
If you missed the illustration post yesterday, be sure to scroll down and check it out!! This is the third post of today, so you’ll want to scroll past a couple other entered photos! And vote for your favorites of course! And for those of you posting, be sure to send the link of your photo to all of your friends and family and ask them to vote for your photo so you’ll have a better chance to win!!
Ok, till tomorrow! It’s been a super fun day!! Thanks everyone!! Just one day left of the contest! Then the suspense heightens!!
hugs!
Katie
With 4 sisters, I totally relate to this photo! (Although my oldest sister was very good at playing along with us and at the very least not showing how annoying we were!) And the smell of baby dolls – Ooooh, I know that smell! It’s sweet.
Lurv the poofed hair!
I love this picture! I am their older cousin, and this is how I still see my “little” cousins.
This is adorable, reminds me of being a kid when my sister and I would get up early and go out to the tree in our pjs and messy hair to see what Santa brought us!
Very cool picture
I’m from all girls too!!
I was having a chat with my sister earlier tonight about this photo and we came to the conclusion that she might not have been annoyed with her younger sisters at this particular moment, but that Mom (who most likely took this photo) probably took forever to take it. She’s the mom who says, “Okay girls, now smile on three. 1…. 2…. Oh wait, I forgot to turn on the flash… let’s try that again. 1… 2… You need to move in a little closer girls. Okay that’s better. Are you ready? 1… 2….. 3… say ‘cheese!’” Half the time all of us girls would end up shouting, “Just take the picture MOM!!”
My mom is that mom, too!
Love this photo and the story!
I am one of the sisters and this picture made me get teary eyed! I love my sisters and we are all really close now that we are grown up! I love it!!
I’m the 3rd sister in this picture. Thank goodness this picture was taken before I got the hideous-larger-than-my-face glasses. I love my sisters and I vote for our picture to win!
How can I not vote for this. Yes, that’s me…with the annoyed look on my face, big glasses, and poofy bangs. I’ll claim the picture
(and the little sisters)
It’s fun to see all of you when you were younger. Loved the story.
I am the mother of these beautiful little girls who are now beautiful young women. I love this picture and Erin’s story because it not only reminds me of their childhood but my own (I have five sisters) and who doesn’t just love the smell of a brand new baby doll!!! And yes is does take me ‘forever’ to take a picture, always trying to get that ‘Kodak moment’.
Everything is so classic and vintage about it! Why wouldn’t you pick this one! my vote goes here!!!
I remember these days well…and these girls! The Dearest Girls then and now! What a fun memory!
Brings back memories. I have 3 sisters and one brother. We always had to line up at Christmas for the yearly photo. Gets my vote.
I vote for The Prell Girls! I am one of those people who couldn’t remember who was who! lol They are a wonderful bunch of girls who grew up with my children!
I can feel the love in this picture. Kind of reminds me of my 3 girls.
What a great photo, it tells the story. I’m pretty sure I have a few like this too. Coming from a large family and being a Mom who had to take a family photo in from of the tree every year and on the first day of school – which as they got older was not “cool”!
Good luck on your entry, it’s a winner in my book!
Love this pic! You can totally feel all of your personalities in the picture! And of course, you’ve got to love the 80′s hair and dresses!
This is definitely PRICELESS!! I love this picture, and I love the girls more!!
I love this picture and those girls:)
votin’.
photo reminds me of that movie, ‘the Goonies’…. lol
merry xmas.
Thanks for the memories and the nows!!!!
I love this photo! I am the youngest Prell girl (on the far right). Being the youngest, I wanted to be just like my sisters! Seriously….did everything just like them! Although I could argue that they wanted me to be just like them! Erin used to dress me up like her and even crimp my hair just to match her! Now that’s a photo!
Lovely picture of you girls! You have my vote hands down
This one gets my vote!!!
The essence of sisterhood. I love it!!
Wonderful story. Wish I had sisters to share memories. But your Mom and Aunt Carol were as close as I got to having sisters.
Thank you Kathie. What a wonderful thing to say plus it brought back many childhood memories!! We did have fun didn’t we?!
I love this picture!!
Love the story. !!
Beautiful girls…lovely women!
Love this picture and love these girls!
They have my vote!
True sisterly love with so many diff face expressions! <3 it!!
I hope this one wins because this picture is just priceless!!