The Difference a Year Can Make

I am attempting (again) to get caught up in scrapbooking. For those of you who are keeping track, yes, I have said that before. I am officially a year behind. And that's not so terrible considering all the children we have and the busyness of everyday life. I do not scrapbook for fun. I scrapbook to fulfil the title of "family historian". I enjoy knowing it is done. : ) I desire for our children to have a strong sense of who they are, how much they are loved, where we've been, who we've been with and so forth. Indeed my scrapbook pages are not embellished with a lot of papers, stickers, and other more up-to-date techniques. But, I do journal on them and add colors as I am able. If I refuse to put the photos in books because I cannot make each page a work of my artistic talents, then I am being vain and somewhat selfish. So, as soon as I can get back to that table today I will do my best to lovingly describe the events of 2009 and preserve the memories in a safe place.

This morning I was working on the pages from Elliot's graduation party last year. I realized that was the beginning of a beautiful season of all of our lives, especially our older girls. They learned to square dance for the first time. We all enjoyed the pleasure of hearing the testimony of a homeschooling experience that was fruitful and beyond a human parent's capabilities. We were surrounded by friends old and new. We could see how God had grown and blessed each family so greatly. We were truly honored to be invited and share the day with such precious people. The Alexanders hit their target, as usual. They truly gave hope to all of us who are wondering how it will all work out as our children mature into adulthood. We love them and are grateful for their sacrifices made to bless their guests.

Our older girls now have their own blog and communicate with many of the young people who were at Elliot's party. It is a safe place for them to be young adults together. They love square dancing, writing letters to the other families, and watching how everyone else is living within the boundaries set by their parents. In a year, they have become very social, yet still pure of heart. What a blessing!

As I go through the year in pictures, I'm sure to be reminded of scores of blessings and special times with friends and family. Soon we'll be planning our own events and hope that we can be a blessing in the same way we've been blessed!