Photos That Make Me Smile!

The other day I was going through my photos that are saved on my computer.  I have almost 44,000 photos saved.  That does not count the 1,000+ videos I also have on my computer.  I had almost 10,000 additional photos a few months ago, but I did a big purge and organization of the photos.

I am going through them and reminiscing about the various events that caused these photos, Some photos just make me smile, and some make me laugh at how ridiculous the photo is, and some bring back sweet memories. I thought I would share with you the photos that just make me smile, with a brief explanation.  Maybe some will make you smile also.  These photos are in no particular order.

This is my house in St. Charles, Missouri.  It makes me smile because in 1999 I stepped out of my comfort zone as a single person, and had a new house built just for me!  Makes me proud to this day.  If those walls could talk, they would share great memories of so many family dinners, and grandchildren playing and spending time.

These two photos are of the grocery store my dad’s family had when he was a kid.  He said it didn’t make a lot of money but it fed the family of 10, which included 7 growing boys. My dad is the young man standing in front of the store. The second photo is two of my uncles.

This is the passport photo of my dad, the oldest child in this photo.  His mom and the five children arrived at Ellis Island in January 1930.

I didn’t take this photo.  It was sent to me.  It’s my granddaughters when they had to flush their dead pet fish down the toilet!

My mom (sitting on the tire) and her siblings. Where did they find an airplane?

This is the scariest photo ever.  Well, at least my sisters and I thought so when we were kids.  Whenever my dad got the slide projector out to watch family slides, this photo of him during World War 2, scared us to death!  Today I have to laugh that it’s not so scary after all.

My two older sisters.  Isn’t this photo a great representation of the 1950’s?

My dad holding my oldest son, and of course, showing his usual humor.

I was quoted on a billboard for my credit union.  I guess they didn’t want to show who I really was.  It’s just a stock photo. It still makes me smile—my two minutes of fame—not good enough for 15 minutes!

So my son got the 15 minutes of fame.  He was also on a billboard all over the St. Louis, Missouri area back in 2013 when he was the “Accounting Student of the Year” at the University of Missouri St. Louis.  That is his photo and his signature!  That’s worth 15 minutes!

Do I need to explain my red stapler?  If you don’t understand it, you need to watch the movie “Office Space.”  Yes, I actually got a red stapler on my desk when I was working!

This is the 4th of July many years ago.  I had a camera with a flash and it was dark outside.  I told my granddaughters to jump, and in the dark, the flash went off and made this photo.  I still smile when I see it.

My Grandpa Nothum’s barber license.

Yes, that’s the “Alton Giant,” Robert Wadlow.  My mom is in the photo with her mom, sister, brother, uncle and some friends.  No, they didn’t know him personally, but in September of 1934, I guess people went to see people they didn’t know if they were considered famous!  My mom also attended his funeral in July 1940 (I have the funeral brochure)!

How many people have their sister’s baby announcement when she was born in 1943?  I do!

One of my favorite photos of our home in Fulton, Missouri. My daughter-in-law took this photo.

When I was dating Dennis I visited my sister in West Virginia.  She wanted to see a photo of him.  I showed her and her granddaughter, Michelle who was 8 years old at the time, his photo and a photo of his home.  Michelle proceeded to write this story!  So funny!  (She is now 21 years old).

A bumper sticker I saw on a car in California.  If you don’t get it, time you watch the movie, “The Big Lebowski.”

A billboard in Wright City, Missouri!

The grandkids playing with my iPad taking funny photos of themselves.

Yes, I actually went with my son, Jonathan, to the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” in 2006.  

In 2014, my grandson, Jack, asked to come to my home and so I could help him bake a cake to look like a plant cell for his science class. Yes, the cake was green on the inside–it is a plant cell, ya know!  He was always creative in his school assignments!

This was a sign in a church where I went to use the restroom.  Really only toilet paper?  Umm, I think it really means in addition to what you must put into the toilet.  The sign still makes me smile!  Hope no one took it too literally.

On our first trip out west in October 2014, I snapped this photo outside the car window as we were sailing down the interstate in South Dakota.  Little did I know until later, that I got a photo of a camel Look close and you will find the camel.

Dennis has a chip on his shoulder!  Are you at least smiling at this one?

Grocery store shenanigans! (Dennis and 2 of my granddaughters 2015)

Me with my Howdy Doody doll.  I was two or three years old.  Unfortunately, this photo did not have a date. I have the photo framed by the replica of my original Howdy Doody. It took months to find this exact doll on Ebay years ago. It’s missing its scarf and belt, but I figured it I played with it enough, those would be missing. The doll was brand new in the first photo. I did find one that was new in the box in perfect condition for over $400. I didn’t need a perfect one that bad.

This was at Dennis’ mom’s nursing home celebrating the coming of autumn.  I think the sign is too funny for a nursing home.

In 2017, Dennis found this snapping turtle while walking in our neighborhood.

A car pulled up next to us in Columbia, Missouri in 2017.  I see two dogs as passengers and wondered if the driver was also a dog!

If you eat outside at the In-N-Out just south of  the Los Angeles airport, this is the view you would have.  I loved stopping there for this view!

My baby photo framed with the dress worn in that photo.  The photo was taken sometime in 1949 since I was born in December of 1948.

My childhood doll collection.  Littlest Angel, Jill, Ginny, and Jeff doll.  This was before Barbie and Ken showed up.

My Famous-Barr work badge.  I was a diamond star sales associate.  Whoo Hoo for me!

The Museum of Osteology, otherwise known as the Skeleton Museum in Oklahoma City.  We saw the billboards and had to stop thinking it was a joke, but it wasn’t and it was a fascinating place to visit.

This is a photo of women who are dressed in black.  This was purchased at a thrift store years ago.  I took it to a frame shop to have them clean the old frame. He said that was an actual photograph. Who are they?  Is this a Victorian death photo?  They are wearing Victorian mourning dresses, except for the lady sitting in the middle.  Is she dead or alive?  I would love to have some photo historian explain this photo to me.

In November of 2018, I had a hip replacement.  In January 2019, Dennis and I took a 4 mile hike on the trails at the San Tan Regional park.  There had been a race there that morning and when I got back, they had already taken down the Finish Line Banner structure.  I was so disappointed because I wanted to walk through it having had a hip replacement just 6 weeks prior.  The people who were taking down their equipment heard what I had just accomplished and made a human arch for me to come through!  I felt accomplished!

Dennis telling them what he thinks!

A book my grandmother gave me on my birthday in 1975.  It was my dad’s book as a child.  I still have the book and note on display in my home.  Oh, yes, his youngest brother decided it was his apparently when my dad was too old for the book.  They were 11 years apart in age.

My second son was born in April 1975.  My nephew, Tom, wrote me this letter.  What is so funny is that he suggests if the the older child is giving me trouble–he doesn’t offer to take him, he offers to take the baby!  Tom was 11 years old when he wrote this letter to me!

My husband, Dennis is a hugger. He will hug just about anything!

This is not dated.  I promised to behave until 10:00 p.m.  Does that mean I can cry, scream, and yell after that?  I don’t remember signing that agreement.  I don’t think I was a crying, screaming, and yelling kind of kid!  And. . .how did my oldest sister become president of the house?

I apparently dictated to my mom this letter to Santa.  Why didn’t I get that baby brother?

My second son on his second birthday.  He didn’t know how to blow out a candle—thus, he blew upward!

I wrote that I loved Dennis in March of 1956.  My mom wrote that I was sick March 3-6, 1956.  I have no idea who that Dennis was, but March 6, 1956 is my husband, Dennis’, 10th birthday!  Was I a fortune teller?

Shipshewana, Indiana.  The parking lot of the Amish grocery store.  I hope she knows which buggy is hers!

A community library in Oconto, Wisconsin offers decorative cake pans to check out.  You can also check out cookie cutters!

This was taken in Spain when we toured a Spanish horse farm.  I realized the horse and I have the same hair color and haircut!

Charlie hates this outfit—he wouldn’t look at me.  I returned the jacket, but still make him wear the hat in the winter because it is just too cute.

My favorite Santa photo with my two older sisters.

I hope I didn’t bore you to tears, and I hope you also got a smile from some of these photos. Was any one a favorite of yours?