For a little while longer Matthew is in a very unique place within the family--he is the youngest. He is "the baby". Not always a coveted spot to be--he wants to be big and do big things--but he's the baby so we make him wait and cuddle him when he lets us. Which is not often enough.

But wait a few more weeks and he gets kicked up a notch by a new little one and then he becomes a little man. It's the grand design--and thank goodness it usually works--although I would like for him to stay little as long as he can. Isn't he cute? Don't be fooled--he is contemplating devilment!

From Pretty In Pink to the Green Machine----These Girls Rock!

I read this little quote in our church bulletin last Sunday. It says exactly what I feel. It says exactly what I want my family to feel--and act on.

taken by me at Chickahominy Campground 6/2011



"This packrat has learned that what the next generation

will value most is not what we owned, but the evidence

of who we were and the tales of how we loved. In the end

it's the family stories that are worth the storage."


Ellen Goodman, columnist


It is our family history--the chronicle of our lives and loves, our humor, our wins and losses, our homes and how we made them unique to us, that truly matter. A tangible memento from the past is worth having and often treasured, and should be. But the laughter and tears we pass on to future generations will tell them who we were more completely than anything else. Keep a journal. Write down family stories. Remember who fought in what war--and why. Pass it along to the youth coming up around us. We are their eyes and ears to a past they have no way to know personally--except through those they love personally--or who loved them.

When we attended the Memorial Day program at our local cemetary this year we were struck by how many people were missing--the 40 and under crowd were few and far between. I would like our children to make sure that our grandchildren know who in our family served their country and why we honor them for it. To remember Henley Jones who served in World War I and Granddaddy Moss who was a border patrol on the Czech-German border and Lacey Moon who was a paratrooper at 17 in World War II. Family memories.

Who did Grandma Clara Jones pull around the house after she was shot? Why was Grandpa Moss afraid to walk home from Mr. Charlie's after dark? Who was Mr. Charlie? Where was Grandpa Henley Jones when he died? Exactly how many cats did Grandma Gladys really have? How did Grandma and Grandpa meet? How many frogs did Erin put in her camp counselor's tent? We are lucky--we have so many ways to keep our memories now--from blogging to DVD's. Sit down and write a memory............."evidence of who we are and tales of how we loved," says it all.