Looking at old pictures is one of my favorite pastimes. They take me back to a certain time and place and give me a feeling of nostalgia. They allow me to realize how blessed I am to have such cherished memories throughout my life.

But on the other hand, they also remind me of what an awkward child I once was. Looking through old pictures about a month ago, I stumbled upon an album from Christmas of 2007, precisely 10 years ago. It was a trip down memory lane, seeing me posing with toys I received that year and the expression of joy in my face was evident.

Without further ado, I present to you very awkward pictures of me from Christmas ten years ago that hopefully provide you with the sense of nostalgia and some laughs like it did me (and perhaps you received these toys as well?):

1. A Hannah Montana Doll

Of course, we all remember Hannah Montana — Miley Cyrus' portrayal of a small town girl turned pop star who goes undercover and no one knows it's the same person! The older I get, the more I realize how physically impossible it is to not realize Miley Stewart and Hannah Montana are the same person. But nonetheless, this doll was on my Christmas list and I was thrilled when I tore off that wrapping paper Christmas morning to see this singing doll staring back at me.

2. Ratatouille DVD

Ratatouille... the 2007 Disney-Pixar movie about a rat who is a chef at a French restaurant... a classic! I saw this movie in the theater that year and Santa just knew I had to own it on DVD. Clearly, I was super happy to receive this movie and add it to my Disney-Pixar movie collection.

3. A yellow Puffle and "Rockhopper" shirt

Not to brag, but I'm almost positive I was the biggest Club Penguin fan there was. I owned two of every color puffle, I probably would've died to meet Rockhopper, and I was a member for almost my entire childhood. I was obsessed. It was probably unhealthy. I spent so many hours on that website, playing games, buying clothes for my penguin (who was named Sallylu), and even meeting my friend's penguins on there as well.

So, it was no surprise when I received these Club Penguin items for Christmas. It truly was a phenomenon. All of my friends had penguins. It was a simple time. Sadly, Club Penguin got shut down in 2017, but at least I have these pictures to keep its memory alive.

4. An American Girl Doll

This was not my first American Girl doll, it was actually my second. The first one I got was the "mini-me" doll, which was supposed to resemble you. We had matching outfits and everything, it was great. But in 2007, I asked for Julie Albright. She was the girl from the 1970s. She wore a hat, had a braid in her hair, and I thought she was amazing.

It was the number one thing I asked for that year, and I was ecstatic when I ripped the wrapping paper off and saw "American Girl" sprawled across the box. I think every girl has experienced the joy of receiving an American Girl Doll on Christmas morning at least once in their life (I'm still a little disappointed I never got to go to the official store in New York.)

These were only a few highlights from Christmas 2007, but I think they perfectly describe that year in a nutshell. I think most of us at some point got an American Girl Doll for Christmas, were fans of Hannah Montana, and played Club Penguin. I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane as much as I did! Merry Christmas 2017.