Looking Back and Forward and Getting Whiplash

Every October, on Halloween night, I begin our family album for the year. The album chronicles our family in both pictures and my often inconsistent blog posts, from the previous Halloween night. Fall to Fall, 12 month calendar cycle. Each year the album takes about 5 to 6 weeks to complete before it is printed and sent to me from Kodak right in time for Christmas. They average 75 pages and I comb through about 2000 pictures to choose the best 300 or so to make it to the final cut. Our family album is precious to me. My kids go through them at least once every two months.

When asked why I bother to use up so much time, I can only say that each album invokes the magic of "Remember When?"

Remember when I dressed the Pony up as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and won the costume contest?

Remember when I came home?

Remember when I saw snow for the first time?

Remember when you laughed at my artwork?

Remember when we saw the wild horses?

Remember when we went to Disney?

Remember when I got my ears pierced?

Every story and every major moment, from life changes to fishing for crayfish, are included in the album if they have pictures or a special memory attached. It's almost Halloween, so I've started thinking about this coming years' album and sorting through some of my past years' blog posts to help remind me of stories and occasions. This also makes me "Remember when" all those moments that aren't included in the family album.

Remember when I forgot my own worth?

Remember when I finally quit smoking?

Remember when my baby talked pheromones?

All of those things were about a year ago. How different a calendar year can be!! I look back and I'm amazed at how hard it has been to move forward and the simple fact that I was strong enough to make it happen. And I was. And it has.

My family is a blessing. And I remember when I almost forgot that.