Mom, Sudi as everyone know her as, was passionate about taking pictures and getting our portraits taken every year. I remember vividly the beige carpet covered blocks at Sears studio, as pictured here. We would get all dressed up, hair brushed, bows tied and snap. Another year done. She must have given them for Christmas gifts which is how I scored these from my Gramdmother’s photo albums. I was cleaning houses one summer in college and while I was cleaning my Grandparents house it was more searching for treasure and less cleaning, I think my Nana had me ‘clean’ to just have me around more. Because every knows cleaning is not my strength.

Looking at these elicits such an emotional response deep in my heart of a happy childhood. i know my mother handmade our dresses and sweaters, our smiles were pure joy, and my love was overwhelming for my big sister.

These photographs bring back flashes of hours playing in the log cabin, tress house and long bike rides to the deli, late night summer capture the flag games with the neighbors and snow days spent sledding on the golf course nearby followed by hot chocolate and baking cookies. If mom had not gotten these printed for gifts I would not have them today. You see, although mom loved to take pictures, organizing them was not her strength, and following the divorce everything, including the photos, were stored in paper boxes in a leaky barn. All the photos gone.

As we got older the photoshoots ended but one she was adamant about was capturing the right of passage moment when the 2 front teeth were missing. Mom knew that this was a moment in our lives never to be repeated, a transition from child to adult, and she made sure not only to get a photographer to capture it but it was hung on the wall my whole life just as it is here, in black and white.

Thanks mom for giving me the gift and passion for preserving memories for my family and others.