All-time Fave.

*click to enlarge*

This is a pic I have framed in my bedroom. My parents and Katy's. There are so many reasons why I love it.

For one, it's at 3917. This is probably the most familiar place I know, even though I don't really know it anymore. The brick work is different than any other homes I knew or know.

All four of them have their feet up, relaxing, on the same bench.

My Dad is looking right at me, taking the picture, and he's thinking something about me. Katy's dad is just looking at me. Both our mothers are looking at someone else. Probably either my brother, or Katy's future husband, whom she hadn't even started dating when this picture was taken.

There is a cordless phone on the table. This phone in particular will forever date this picture in history, fitting somewhere in between about a 10-year time period, even though for me it feels like it could have been yesterday.

There's a cooler in the background we haven't been able to find to this day.

I am fairly sure who's not in this picture. I think it's a pretty good guess we're playing jarts. I think it was taken the last summer we had this home. I would have guessed it was my birthday, and secretly imagine it's the prelude to the night we all ended up at Jus' Fun... our parents riding go-carts and sliding down enormous inflated slides...

...except for one thing: The lilacs are blooming. This happens over about 2 weeks, a week or so before my birthday. Which is confusing, because I remember Steve (or his parents – probably Steve via his mom) bringing me those flowers in the background "for my birthday". Only, this can't be my birthday because the lilacs are no longer blooming by then.

So it's a bunch of memories all tied up in this one image.

I think the french doors actually worked at this point. For almost my entire life they didn't, and it was fun when they finally did. And I love the color of the trim, which migrated throughout my childhood from different variations of this slate blue to a yellow, my entire time living there. It makes me wonder what made my parents decide to make the change.

All four of these people look happy, looking at the "kids" in their life.

My Mom made the pillows. And painted the furniture that green. And positioned the vases on the baker's rack. We had a normal looking table umbrella for the first time, EVER, that most likely Brad and I gave our parents for an anniversary, but I didn't help pay for, even though it was my idea, and I just signed my name to the card.

This is the replacement deck of the one we (the same people not pictured) burned down (on purpose) the summer before.

The bathroom window (left) is pictured, and it was how I always knew I could "break in" if I had to without actually breaking anything.

It makes me remember "Pinky" and the WSSC and cranberry and currant. Also the wallpaper, carpet, toilet and sink in the powder room. Thanks Steve.

Oh. Another thing I love is the natural line and brilliant green of the ivy on the brick. When this house was covered in this ivy it was at it's best.