Flash Back

I've found myself often revisiting the past here lately. I've added the little "link within" widget to my blog, which has allowed me to go back and check out some of my older blog posts that I had forgotten about. I've even scrolled way back to the beginning of my online gallery at scrapbook.com to check out some of the scrapbooking layouts that I did years ago. Oooh, I was really infatuated with the doodling phase back in 2006...I'll have to share those layouts another time...maybe even scraplift some ideas. These little trips down memory lane were fun, but you know what I discovered? I was a much better writer back then...well at least better at communicating my thoughts, since I don't think of myself as a writer.

My scrapbooking pages had more meaningful and thoughtful journaling, my blog posts had more details about the things going on in my life and I had to stop and wonder...what happened? Has life become so busy that now I just scrawl down the basics? Am I more into product usage and the artistic expression of scrapbooking now than I was back then. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there certainly has been a shift.

You know, I often hear people make jokes about having more than one child. They say the first child has all of the photos and the more children you have, the less photos you take of the younger ones...well such is certainly not the case with my boys (Xander has a katrillion pictures...yes I made that word up...you now how I do). I can, however say that Donovan's scrapbook pages, although simpler is design (I cringe at some of the really early ones), contain more emotional value.

Here's a prime example...I took this picture of the 2 of us sitting in front of our home back in November 2005. I scrapped this page sometime in early 2006; although it's different than the way I scrap now, I like it because the photo is the main focus and ties in really well with the journaling.

journaling reads: One of these days you will be too big for me to hold you on my lap and comfort you like this. One of these days you will realize that it takes more than a hug and kiss to take the pain away. I'm glad today is not that day. One of these days, my hugs and kisses may embarrass you in front of your friends and you may not want them as often as you need them now, but I'm certainly glad today is not that day. One of these days, you will grow up to be a strong man with a family of your own and you will understand the value of spending moments like this. I'm glad today is not that day. Today is the day that I get to sit in front of our home, on a warm autumn day, and comfort my son. Today is the day that I get to give you all the hugs and kisses that you could ever want or need. I know the day will come when you will grow up to become an independent adult, but I must say I am so glad that today is not that day.

Reading this now makes me want to cry and I wrote it 3 years ago! I want this blog post to serve as my little reminder... I started this blog because I wanted to share my scrapbook layouts and in essence, my photos...my family...and my life. I started scrapbooking (in 2005) because I wanted to RECORD memories and I wanted my children to have something to REMEMBER me by if something happened to me. So although yes, I am more into the art of scrapbooking, I just have to remember to incorporate my HE{ART} into scrapbooking. I'm definitely going to use this layout as a guide to creating a similar one for my Xander. Looking over what I have created for him already, definitely shows how much he is loved...but I want for him, something with more depth and thought. Know what I mean?


Anyway, thanks for listening to me blabber... have a great one!