Making Memories

One of my favorite sayings of my mother is, "Remember we are making memories." This saying was not my favorite growing up, but rather, since becoming an adult. She would often remind us that we were making memories. Basically, she was reminding us to stop and smell the roses along the way.

In 1984, we moved from Cleveland, Tennessee to Willard, Ohio with a toddler and a 3 week old baby. My husband traveled in one vehicle behind the moving van so he could be there when they unloaded the furniture. My mother, two children and I traveled leisurely and spent the night half way in order not to tire the children. She helped make lots of memories out of a trip that I dreaded by: bringing Christa a fun acitvity pack, packing us a wonderful lunch for a roadside picnic, stopping so Christa could see the black barns, playing games, and reminding us to note worthy landmarks. For example, when Sara had a blow-out and needed to be cleaned up we could not find a station, as it was just country road. We had to pull over onto a dirt road noting the landmarks that consisted of acres of corn, a fence row miles long, trees, and a dirt road. I never passed that dirt lane that I did not think of that precious newborn who managed to fill her diaper and my lap--wonderful memories!

That is what my family is all about. Through thick and thin, through good times and bad times, through lean/dry periods and through lush/plentiful periods--we have been a family that supported each other, stuck together and made great memories while doing it. This new road that we are about to embark will be no different. There will be patterns we do not agree on, colors that one of us thinks do not match, late nights meeting deadlines, monograms stitched upside down; but one thing I can count on: we will make wonderful memories. That is what we are all about.

Won't you come along and join Mother, Paula and I as we begin our journey?