So for our final day of the Twelve Days of Christmas David and I wanted to give something that would really let our children know how much each and everyone of them mean to us. Hopefully we succeeded. David and I have kept a family journal since we got married in 1980. David has been the keeper of the "plates" for the most part. Over the the past 30 years he has recorded all of our family happenings. This was a big project for me because David does not type and so I had to type up the three volumes of journals he has kept. There is a fourth one and when I was getting close to the time of needing to be done with this project we made a decision to do just the first 25 years - a volume one of our family life. He summed up pretty much all that we wanted them to know in the introduction -
"Life is an interesting pathway through time. It's like walking gingerly on stepping stones, some are rock solid and some are loose and unstable.
I find that decisions I've made have shaped me into the man I am and that the choices all of you have made have helped shape you and placed you on the spot in the world where you now stand.
In our family journal I've tried to capture moments in our lives that were defining for that time and place. It's about who we are and how we got there!
Ashleigh, Toshia, (Andrew, Adrian, Luke, Jonathan, and Reagan), Chelsea, Seth, Paige, Chloe, Chad, Noah, Taylor, Hayden and Autumn, we dedicate this work to you. Enjoy. Read it and learn more about yourselves, each other, mom and dad and what it means to be family."
I guess this gift has been in the making for the last 30 years and continues on. We will someday complete volume two and add to what they have gotten this year. I hope as they read they really can feel and know the love that we have for them. As we celebrate the birth of our Savior this year I hope that we have been able to capture the pure love of Christ through our gifts to our children. They were only small tokens of love to help remind them that to us our family is the most important gift we have.
This has been very fun for me this year. I don't think I can remember a Christmas that I have enjoyed so much and not felt the pressure of the season. This Christmas is definately on my top ten list! Merry Christmas to all!
"Life is an interesting pathway through time. It's like walking gingerly on stepping stones, some are rock solid and some are loose and unstable.
I find that decisions I've made have shaped me into the man I am and that the choices all of you have made have helped shape you and placed you on the spot in the world where you now stand.
In our family journal I've tried to capture moments in our lives that were defining for that time and place. It's about who we are and how we got there!
Ashleigh, Toshia, (Andrew, Adrian, Luke, Jonathan, and Reagan), Chelsea, Seth, Paige, Chloe, Chad, Noah, Taylor, Hayden and Autumn, we dedicate this work to you. Enjoy. Read it and learn more about yourselves, each other, mom and dad and what it means to be family."
I guess this gift has been in the making for the last 30 years and continues on. We will someday complete volume two and add to what they have gotten this year. I hope as they read they really can feel and know the love that we have for them. As we celebrate the birth of our Savior this year I hope that we have been able to capture the pure love of Christ through our gifts to our children. They were only small tokens of love to help remind them that to us our family is the most important gift we have.
This has been very fun for me this year. I don't think I can remember a Christmas that I have enjoyed so much and not felt the pressure of the season. This Christmas is definately on my top ten list! Merry Christmas to all!
2 comments:
That is very cool. What an awesome idea!
What a treasured gift to give... I have a hard time writing in my journal on a regular basis and you and your husband have done so for 30 years! You are both truly amazing!
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