I’m at my parents house today and started going through some old pictures. I found some pretty awesome ones from when I was a wee little thing and decided that since the blog is titled “Growing Up Keeno,” it would be more than appropriate to share them.

Looking through them gave me a lot of insight into what pictures are most likely to be appreciated 10 or 20 years down the road. I skipped right over the perfectly posed ones and couldn’t get enough of the ones that looked like the camera had just been sitting on the table.

I’ll stop talking now and let you enjoy the adorable that is Baby Keeno… Most of these pictures blow me away, not only because I keep realizing that I’m that baby in them, but that you can see the love on every person’s face so very clearly. These pictures don’t show you the deep complications that exist in ours and every family, but instead celebrate the love we all have for new life.

I’d love to see what you all out there have in the shoeboxes in your closets, its pretty humbling to see where you came from and who all has literally held you in their arms.

Enjoy, ya’ll!

Some of my favorites are ones of my dad and I. You can really see how much he is in awe of this new baby. Its not an expression I’m used to seeing on his face. I’m so thankful to realize that I’m pretty sure he still likes me just as much even though I talk back a lot more now…

Of course, Mom is pretty cool too. But may kill me for exposing too many more pictures of her from the 80s…

This picture surprised me. I had never seen it before but it blew me away at how a new baby brings so much love to the surface in a family. Also, I’m very glad I have absolutely no recollection of how short my uncles shorts were…

This picture is such a perfect description of each of my grandmothers to me. My dad’s mom is the one leaning over with the camera while my mom’s mom is holding me for the first time. I love that two such different women have been a part of my life at one point or another.

For those of you who may not know, I have a half sister. I haven’t seen or spoken to her in over 12 years for a number of reasons. Mostly now I think its because it has been so long and neither of us has updated contact information. I pray for her and would very much like a chance to see her again.

Here’s one more of some of the family in Lake Arrowhead when I was about 2. Yes, I’m related to the bearded man in the short white shorts. Don’t judge, it was the 80s… Your uncle probably owned the same outfit.