For today’s theme: a couple of pictures from my childhood. This is the house I grew up in (mostly). Looks huge doesn’t it? I remember driving up to it for the first time and thinking, “We’re going to live here!? It’s a mansion!” Technically speaking, while it was large, it was not a mansion. It was an old, rambling, farmhouse … with one, count ‘em it, one bathroom. But you don’t think about that sort of thing when you’re four. That’s me, by the way… the short one in the first picture and sporting a way, too short yellow dress in the second.
I pulled these pictures from some old albums in order to send them to the current owners. They are making considerable changes to the house (probably adding another bathroom) and were curious about its history. To be honest I’d like to know a bit more about its history too. I know my dad grew up there. He even slept in the same room I did. My grandfather farmed the land surrounding the house just as we my parents did when we lived there. And I know it was a great place to grow up. I guess that’s enough.
Did you play?
) sitting in her pajamas with coffee and a Bible, getting in a little quiet time before starting the business of the day. I don’t know if she did this every day but often enough to have made an impression on me. Often enough that it was clear where her faith ranked on the priority list. And that makes me think of my children and what impressions I am creating. Memories are more than just “remember when’s”. They are creations of the Now and shapers of What Will Be. Create them carefully. Pay attention to the details. And in this way may your rememberings be sweet. 
#14 “Create a candle wax painting of the star that led the wise men to Jesus.” We didn’t ever quite capture the star but we had a good time first pouring hot wax on our paper in some random design then painting over the wax with watercolor. And since we had hot wax available we talked about letters and how people used to seal them with wax. Then we sealed some of our own imaginary invitations. Brother, obviously too young to be using hot wax seemed content to blow our candles out for us and make charcoal drawings with leftover (cooled) match stubs.
#15 “Color something together.” We decided to skip this one in favor of making Sister a new piggy bank instead. She has been racking up quite a stash of cash lately but has been keeping it in a plastic baggy. Grandma started this saving business a couple of months ago by giving each of the grandkids a memory verse and telling them when they could say it perfectly she would not only give them a quarter but also a dog bank to keep it in. Sister was so proud the day she got hers. She couldn’t help playing with it and wanted to take it everywhere. Rushed little hands holding too many things and ”Crash!” The poor little dog never had a chance. The new bank is fashioned from an old peanut can covered in pretty paper. Simple and relatively unbreakable.
