Don't let your child become a JPEG

Alright, I must ask...who among us is guilty of being less diligent about taking pictures and getting them into albums with our younger children, than we were with the older ones???? Admit it. Is your youngest resigned to viewing their childhood on jpeg files? I am ashamed to say, poor Nick see's his childhood mostly on Daddy's phone, or on facebook albums. :(

Now some of you may not think that is a big deal, but I must point out that technology is constantly changing. Those files, so easy to enjoy now may not be as accessible to you 20 years from now (unless you are super diligent about backing things up, changing formats, etc... are you?)

If you have been to my home, you know that I have been a dedicated scrapbooker since about 1996 (the year my oldest was born). My shelves are full of completed albums, close to 60 I believe. In the beginning I really enjoyed doing it. It was fantastic social time. I would hang out with my girlfriends, we would drink wine, tell stories, share page layouts, wow, I miss those days. As life got busier, and my family grew, it got to feel a little more like work, but I kept it up, just at a slower pace. Now, I am about 2 years behind.

I am reminded just how much it is worth the work, every time one of my children pulls out an album and relives some fun time from the past. They love looking at those albums. They remember the names of relatives long since past, because they have those pictures. They remember their childhoods, in detail, because I took the time to document it with pictures and memorabilia. So, awesome. I don't know about you, but I don't remember a whole lot about my childhood, and what I do remember is triggered by a picture.

This task of being the family historian is an important one. I know that my children appreciate it now, and will certainly appreciate it when they are older. Back to work!

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