Family Timeline

As with any new year, it's always time to think about goals for the coming year. Something we've always talked about over the last few years and finally set a goal to do ... create a family timeline.
We wanted to document our family vacations, accomplishments, activities, and people who have been a part of our lives over the years. We decided to start from the time we were born and move forward throughout our 33 years of marriage. We found many resources in the attic ... old calendars, scrapbooks, pictures and letters. I was amazed at the detailed record I had of my high school years. So, one Christmas Break morning I gathered everything together and spent the day around my kitchen table recording bits and pieces of time on our journey.
Each year when the boys were young we had a wall calendar attached to our kitchen pocket door. I felt like "air traffic control" directing everyone to their daily destinations. The calendar squares were tightly filled with activities involving church, sports, family and friends. I sometimes wonder how I had the energy to keep up with all of it.
I am so thankful to have saved these rolled up and somewhat tattered calendars after all these years, as they have been a great resource for our project. I was amazed as I looked over year after year of events how many details I had forgotten, the people who have come and gone crossing paths with our family, times of joy and sorrow, and those who have come alongside in friendship and support. It made me realize how blessed I am and to not take people or things for granted.
Another area needing an investment of my time and energy -- my scrapbooking room. I started scrapbooking in 1999 and I now realize how valuable our albums are to our family history. They include not only pictures but journaling detailing a wealth of information that just doesn't fit on a calendar square. Even though I struggle to stay current in the events of our lives and always feel like I'm falling behind, I am encouraged all the more to stick with it. One of my New Year's goals is to get things in order and I've been spending time organizing my scrapbooking room and supplies making it easier to stay on task in recording our family history. I received a gift subscription to a scrapbooking magazine that will give me a creative boost and inspiration.
Our timeline project will probably take most of the year to complete as I only had time to record about 18 years of events during the Christmas break but it has brought a lot of pleasure to stroll down "memory lane."
May you enjoy considering your goals and dreams for 2007!