Tag: memories

Photo Restoration

Grace-Filled Writer
One of my new hobbies is researching our family history. My side of the family tree was compiled by my aunts and uncles, but my husband’s was a mystery to us. I’ve been using family information from my husband’s uncle, a second cousin, and ancestry.com. This is not an advertisement for them, but they have been a great resource! 
The other part of my research has been scanning and restoring photos from my husband’s great-grandmother as well as many photos from my family. I’ve taken a little break from digital scrapbooking as much to do this. Photoshop is an amazing thing! Here are some of the before and after results…
My husband’s family

 My Family
 

I’m certainly not an expert photo restorer, but I’m learning as I go and having so much fun doing it!

Life Recorded: May 10

Grace-Filled Writer
I’m striving to work more consistently on our family scrapbooks. I’ll share some of my completed pages here and include the links to the kits I use for digital scrapbooking if they are still available. 


Right now I’m working on our 2008 Scrapbook…yup, playing catch-up! Rose is two and Beth is 10 months old. Oh how the time flies. This is why I scrapbook. Yes, it is fun and relaxing, but most importantly I am recording the memories of our life for our girls as they grow up. They love looking back at the books I’ve completed…smiling…laughing…remembering. They read the stories behind the photos with joy and share them with friends and family. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to create a legacy for them through scrapbooks.


Kit: Green Thumb by Chelle’s Creations
Template: My Year in Pockets: Basic by Britt-ish Designs

Template: My Year in Pockets: Basic by Britt-ish Designs


365Unscripted: Stitched Grids Bundle by Traci Reed

Template: My Year in Pockets: Basic by Britt-ish Designs

Christmas in Review: 2013

Grace-Filled Writer

I’m a little late with this, but I decided to take a full break from blogging for the holiday.

Our Christmas was blessedly uneventful contrary to last year which was waaaaaay too eventful! Last year as a whole was too eventful and I must admit I have been eagerly awaiting 2014 and the feeling of a fresh start. I felt a wide range of emotions as we began the holiday season. What if we had another emergency? What if we received pain-filled news again? What if…what if…what if…

These emotions crept upon me, all cold and empty. The girls decorated on and I pretended all was well inside. As we shared stories of each ornament placed on the tree Rose reminded her two younger sisters why we do this thing we call Christmas. She told them the Christmas lights reminded us of Christ being the light of the world. She retold about the angel appearing before the shepherds with the birth announcement of our Savior. Her innocent truth-filled chatter reminded me to cling to the One whose birth we were celebrating. What a blessing my girls are to me!

We filled shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child…

Enjoyed box seats at a hockey game with Diego…

Watch some classic Christmas movies…

Celebrated with our church family at the annual Christmas dinner…

Played in my Christmas piano recital…
(This was the first time all three of my girls played!)
Learned how to ride these cool scooters…
Investigated an owl’s nest

Celebrated Christmas not once…
(Our house)

Not twice…
(Grandma and Grandpa’s House)

But three separate times!
(Grammy and Grampy’s House)



Made some awesome memories with cousins…

And celebrated the new year with these crazy kids…10 cousins in all!

What a difference from last year…what wonderful blessings…each moment more appreciated and special because of all God had done for us in this past year. 
God’s graciousness brought me to a new place in this season. I shed more tears than I normally do and felt more peace and healing. Each memory was cherished and in every moment I was fully present. 
God in the moment…God with us…Emmanuel