Christmas 1994

 My father, Thomas Arcala and his wife Penny took my sister Jeri and I to San Diego to visit my sister April Davis.  While taking photography classes and practicing using a camera, I shot this photo of April and her son David and this photo of my father Thomas Arcala playing with April's daughter Anna.

It didn't come out great because my shutterspeed was not set correctly, but this is a photo to be cherished.

Teen Drama Queen Christmas

This was a bad Christmas.  I was 16 years old.  My mom didn't remember the holidays, therefore there was no tree and no gifts at home.  My sister Jeri was now married and didn't invite me over like she usually did, and my aunt Jacki didn't invite me either.  It wasn't like I had any way to get over to either of their homes if I just wanted to stop by. 

I was at home crying.  My boyfriend Michael's mom came to pick him up from Anaheim, CA where he lived and he asked if she could stop by my place and pick me up.  We had a two hour drive to Oxnard, CA where we celebrated Christmas at his grandparents' home. 

Here I was, sitting on the guest bed in his Grandmother's home.  I did get a Christmas gift from his mom, two tickets to the movie theater for me and her son.

Christmas 1988

Christmas of 1988 welcomed a new addition to our family.  I am the little girl looking down at the small child, my cousin Mathew.  He was kissing our 1st cousin 1x removed, Alyssandra.  She was born earlier in the month.  Looking on, in the green beret (I have yet to find one for myself) is my great-aunt Betty Arcala.  In the teal sweater is my brother Tommy.  Our great-uncle Tony (Antonio Arcala) was holding Alyssandra.  This was taken at my Aunt Jacki Arcala's apartment in Long Beach, California.