The Treasures of Motherhood
Treasuring What We Might Forget
Motherhood has so many treasures we can miss if we are not paying close enough attention to them. Sometimes we even forget they existed. My children and I have found that one of our greatest treasures, besides each other, is our photo albums.
Growing up, my grandmother made photo albums for all of my siblings, cousins, and me. Mind you, this was also when the only option was to scrapbook if you wanted it to look nice. I can confidently say scrapbooking is an art form I do not think I have fully mastered. Growing up, I do not know how many times I pulled my book out to look through all the pictures.
As my own children have been born and my family has grown, I have begun taking the example of my grandmother and putting my own spin on it. I have been using Shutterfly to create our family’s memories. Not a sponsor... yet.
I keep our family photobooks on a shelf the kids can reach. Because they are accessible to them, I find that they pull them out often. I love watching them go back to one of their births and say, “That’s me!” They get so excited, even if it is from a time they do not actually remember.
A page out of one of Victoria’s photobooks
When we go through these memories together, it feels like we are back in the moment. It helps me treasure the time I have with them a little bit more. In the middle of busy days and all the usual chaos of motherhood, it gives us a chance to slow down and appreciate that my babies are still little.
Our dog is one of our favorite memories to revist.
If we go on a big trip, I make a photobook for those special moments too. These books become special memories for us to reminisce over together. They are also a great way to begin talking about a future trip we can all take together.
These little moments are gifts God gives us as parents. He knew the love of a child was something precious. He even allowed His own Son to come as a child, giving Mary and Joseph the gift of loving and raising Him in the quiet, ordinary moments of family life. When I think of Mary’s yes and Joseph’s yes, I can only imagine how deeply they treasured the moments of Jesus’ childhood.
I have often wondered how people remembered all of these little moments with their children before photographs. There are moments I have forgotten and only remember again when flipping through our photobooks. In that way, these books have become more than just pages of pictures. They have become a reminder to slow down, remember, and treasure the life God has given us.
Waiting and preparing for our second child
