Last week when Lane's parents came to visit they were so kind to bring their old refrigerator for us to use in the garage. In order to make a space for it, we had to do some cleaning/moving/reorganizing, and one of the things we moved was my cedar chest. It shouldn't have been out in the garage anyway, but we just stopped there with it when we moved in and that's where it has stayed for years. Anyway, I had to empty it out before we could lift it to carry it up the stairs. The project took longer than I intended of course because I got interested in looking through the contents.
The cedar chest was such a special gift from my parents on my 16th birthday. Now it's completely full of memories. (I think it's kind of neat that the brand name printed inside the lid happens to also be the name of who I would marry eight years later!) :)
I've kept stacks and stacks of old letters. I also found the roses my Dad sent me on my 16th birthday.
Extra wedding invitations
Dried corsages from our wedding (2001)
I have LOTS of old journals. I was really really tempted to throw most of them away because I'm sure they are full of ridiculous things that I'd be embarrassed to read myself and definitely for anyone else to read...but Lane didn't want me to. I guess if they stay locked up in there for a few more decades then maybe I won't care what they say and I can give them to the kids to laugh at!
More letters!
The purple one at the top is from Mom when I was in college
I miss "real" mail.
old photographs
Left: Aunt Linda and my Mom (holding the cat...reminded me of Alexee and Princess Louisa!)
Right: My Dad and a puppy. I love these pictures.
My Great-Grandmother Wood and her twin sister. My Great-Grandmother lived to be 90+, and she was such a special lady. I miss her. She passed away when I was in college.
My sweet Grandparents
I would not have thrown these two journals away. I was writing in the black one when Lane and I started dating and the flowered one when I was pregnant with Rhett and his first year or so--life as a new mom!
my 4th b-day and my cousins Keith and Kevin celebrating with me
My Bible from Bible Drill (3rd-6th grade, I think?)
It will be 11 years this week since I opened this gift! My engagement ring, 12/16/00!
My aunt put together this book of memories about my Grandma (Dad's mom) after she passed away. I miss her, too! I have many sweet memories of her and times at her house.
One of my baby sweaters (before ultrasounds when parents could find out whether to buy pink or blue!) :)
Shells I'd saved from some family beach vacation. This made me think of Alexee too!
Maybe some rainy day I'll spend the whole day looking through things in more detail, but last week I had to get everything put away and get some sleep!
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3 comments:
Jamie, You are a girl after my own heart. I have journals from my freshman year in college all the way (with a few empty months here and there) till now. I'm a little obsessive about it now because I journal strictly because I can't remember anything!! But it is so fun to look back, so I would advise you to hang on to them until you are older! I doubt my kids will be interested in mine, but yours might!
Love the pictures of Linda and Brenda!! And Randy with his dog! So cute. And your grandparents picture...looks like your Granddad is hugging Donna!
I love to remember Eula and Beulah and love their picture too!
I hope your trunk has a letter or two from me in it! I was thinking about my old journals and letters. I hope to someday when we're older give back the letters that you wrote to me. As for my own journals, I think I might read them and use parts in a memoir. Then, I'll probably burn them & all their crazy thoughts. ha!
Wow, lots of memories! I always keep things like those, too. Definitely don't toss your old journals! I'm not a hoarder or anything but I think they would be fun to look at later on! :)
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