Onie Ward's older sister married her high school sweetheart in November 1969. Ward, second from right, and her mother made all the dresses pictured. 
David Gregory, top row, right, was the eldest of 14 children. His family had it all in 1969: hippies (the three eldest boys), Beatle wannabees (the six youngest boys), and five "always-fashionable 'mod' girls." 
Debra Harris, shown at 14 in Pocatello, Idaho, in 1967, says her parents were "the original grumpy cats." 
Craig Riegelhaupt, the little boy in the red bow tie, recalls taking this "nerdy family" photo when his parents moved them from New York to Florida in 1967. "The bows in my mother's and sister's hair, and my red bow tie and horn-rimmed glasses epitomize the look of the 1960s." 
Michael T. Butler, the little guy in the front row, and his well-dressed family members are seen here in front of their home in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, in June 1969. "Life was slower, many of us hated the pace, but when we grew up, we returned to what we had lost," he said. "I moved back to the hometown of my youth because I was looking for what I had lost. Peace and quiet." 
This family photo from a 1965 trip to Long Island, New York, has special meaning for Beth Alice Barret all these years later. She's not pictured, but her dad is seen here playing with her then-2-year-old brother. "These special moments mean so much to my family because a few years later, our father died suddenly," she said. This photo kept that moment alive for her. 
Barb Mayer (not pictured) shared this 1969 photo of her sister, far left, her mom, her future sister-in-law and her brother. She says she loved 1960s fashion because "everything was new and exciting, from different hairstyles (longer hair for men, straight hair for women) to Bohemian/ethnic style clothing ... there was a sense of freedom that you could wear just about anything and get away with it." 
Cynthia Carr Falardeau, far right, said some of her sweetest memories come from the 1960s, including this family photo shot in Dayton, Ohio, in 1969. She described it as a "time of innocence." 
Of course there were signs of the times in some photos, like this one showing Steven F. Pekarna leaving his Minnesota home for Vietnam in 1969: "I was afraid to go to Vietnam -- the press gave it a one-way trip. I felt my mother trembling when I hugged her good-bye." 
Check out those matching outfits! Michelle Jones, bottom left, shared a photo of herself with her sister and their parents in front of their grandmothers' house in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1968. "I loved the outfits my mom wore -- always the latest fashion, big eyelashes and big makeup." 
Joann Taweel, bottom left, of Philadelphia has fond memories when she looks at this photo from Easter 1967. "All of our cousins were our best friends," she said. "We played together and spent almost every weekend together in the summers. And especially holidays. Big Italian holidays! It instilled in me a responsibility and a need to stay close to my relatives." 
Chris Brown, not pictured, shared this photo because it captures three generations of his family in 1969 in Radisson, Wisconsin. He often thinks about "how simple life really must have been back then." 
Lisa Papworth-Buckland, bottom left, says her mother "always knew what to dress us up in." 
Kathi Cordsen, not pictured, shared this photo of her mom, left, aunt and grandmother on vacation in 1967. "Mom was wearing hot pants before they were even hot pants," Cordsen said. "She wouldn't let me wear them, though!" 
Powell Burns, third child from left, says his father enjoyed taking his sons on weekend excursions and always had his camera with him. This photo was taken in 1963. 
Burns, left, in 1964 with two of his brothers. 
Lauri Williams, bottom row, second from right, shared this photo of her family when she was 3 years old in Channelview, Texas. The photo, taken on Easter in 1968, is somewhat bittersweet; it was the next-to-last family photo taken before her parents divorced. 
Kim Finne fondly remembers dancing with her father before the family's New Year's Eve party in 1969 in Sherwood, Arkansas. 
Regina Pierce dubbed this 1968 family trip the "flower power camping trip" to Simi Valley, California. Pierce is the blond girl on the front right. "In those days, everyone in the neighborhood knew each other (and their kids)," she said. "It wasn't unusual for the families to not only socialize, but yes, even go camping together!" 
This wintry scene in Ballwin, Missouri, in 1967, came from Carol Bock, front, who said her mother would put bread bags on their feet to keep them warm. "I remember playing in the snow and throwing snowballs," she said. "I never liked it when my brothers threw the snowballs back at me." 
Barbara Wright-Avlitis is proud of this fashionable photo from September 1965. It was taken for a mother-daughter formal luncheon. Her aunt provided the clothes so she might fit in at the "rather exclusive high school" she ended up attending. "Most of the girls who went to the school were rich and from upper-class families but my family was a pretty average middle-class bunch. We weren't used to putting on airs or hobnobbing with celebrities. In fact, we were pretty nervous about the whole thing because mom wanted to make me proud and I just wanted to blend in."
- Family photos from the 1960s say a lot about the style and events of the time
- Fifty years ago, families were larger -- and their photos show it
- Matching outfits, especially among children, were more popular
Experience on CNN on Thursdays at 9p ET/PT. Share your thoughts and questions with "The Sixties" producer Mark Herzog on CNN's Facebook page (LINK: facebook.com/cnn) during this Thursday's broadcast focusing on the Cold War. Also, you can still check out the premiere episode "Television Comes of Age" for a limited time on CNN.com.
(CNN) -- The good ole days: When life was more innocent, families were happier and children behaved better. Or maybe not.
Oh, how things have changed, and haven't really.
After sifting through dozens of 1960s family portraits that CNN readers shared, here's what we deduced about the decade and how we lived. Send in your own photos and observations here, and tell us if you agree.
1. Families were larger.
Kathi Cordsen grew up with five siblings, Lauri Williams was one of eight adopted children and David Gregory was the oldest of 14. In 1960, the average family had 3.67 children, compared to 3.12 in 2013.
"There were four Catholic families of 10 or more children within two blocks," said Gregory, who lived in Canton, Illinois. "My mother's three siblings (all living in Canton) had 27 children total, so the 41 of us never lacked for cousin playmates."
Step inside the Sixties 
Can you name these sixties tunes? 
Dick Cavett talks TV's 'Golden Age' 2. But that doesn't mean they were happier.
We tend to romanticize the past. But the hilarious 1967 photo of a grumpy teenage Debra Harris next to her "equally perky" parents reminds us that all '60s families weren't as cheerful as the Ozzie and Harriet clan.
3. Matching outfits were popular.
From the Butler brothers' identical cowboy getups, and the Jones sisters' matching dresses and pigtails, we wouldn't mind if this adorable trend made a comeback.
4. Kids' clothes were dressier.
Just look at the kneesocks and Mary Janes! Is it weird that the children in these photos have better wardrobes than adults today?
5. Nerdy family photos have always existed.
And we're hoping they always will. In this priceless 1967 snap, Craig Reigelhaupt is the little guy in the horn-rimmed glasses and tiny red bow tie.
6. They were hipper than they knew.
Forget Instagram, these photos are the real deal, with their sepia tones and square format. Chris Brown's family photo is a perfect example.
Do you have family photos from the '60s? What do they say about your family? Share your observations in the comments below and submit your photos to CNN iReport.
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