Why I Blog and Scrapbook

When I started scrapbooking I wanted to make sure I recorded our family memories. As I've continued through the years I have realized how important it is to leave my family  something of myself. My dreams and goals, successes and failures. Lessons learned and passed down. When I am gone I want my family to have a record of our lives and memories to cherish. Pictures that remind them of bad haircuts and no haircuts. Pounds gained and pounds lost (still working on that one :-) Funny stories that no one else would understand. Words of encouragement to fill their hearts every day. Proof that they are chosen and loved.

This is one of my favorite layouts, my like and dislike list.

If you click on the page to the below you'll see all my famous "mom-isms"

including: life isn't fair; family is the best friend you'll ever have; if you have a good book you'll never be lonely; a nap makes everything better; and my favorite, no blood, no bandaid.

When I turned 40 I made a list of all the great things about that age and I find that all those things still apply at 50! Naps, raising teenagers, young enough to still play with kids, secure marriage, old enough to make good choices and knowing what's important. Wonder what 60 holds.......

Just for general information, I started out scrapping on 8 1/2x11 pages but switched a few years ago to 12x12 and love the larger layouts. I don't scrap chronologically much of the time but like to draw connections through the years, often pairing older pictures with more recent ones. I love to use notes, letters and memorabilia on my layouts. I have some really, REALLY bad layouts from when I started somewhere around 1996. You know, the ones all chopped up with the decorative scissors or cropped with all the good stuff (background, etc.) left out. Oh, well. I have done a Project Life album every year since 2009 and love the way it details our everyday life.

My photo and scrapbooking organization is here and my scrapbook room is here. Obviously, I also blog and love having this place where my family can one day go back and see what binds us together and makes our family unique. I don't want any of them to doubt my love and devotion for our family or my faith in God. I originally started blogging as a way to record family memories but it has grown into a group of women connected through adoption, family values, faith and thrifty living. I would love blogging to lead to income potential for me but only God knows where sharing my thoughts and passions will lead.

Thank you all for reading and sharing your thoughts and comments with me. You give me such encouragement! Please let me know if there is anything you'd like to know or questions I can answer.