Great Idea to record the life of a child as a gift

Brenda Kellow
March 31, 2013

This idea came from  reader Jerri Decker. She shared the idea a friend shared with her. I think it is
a great gift for your children or grandchildren so I decided to pass it on to my  readers. 

Jerri’s friend buys  a hardback book every Christmas for each of her children. On the blank pages in
the front and back inside book, she writes a detailed account of the highlights  of their life for that year. Jerri thinks it is wonderful for them to have a  written account of their life for each year from their mother’s perspective. I  think the idea has merit, too. Thanks, Jerri. 
 
Our grandchildren  live out of state. When they were babies, we sent them hardback books every few
months. In the front, we attached a recent picture of us with our names written  below to identify us in the future. They are older now and times have changed,  as has our time with them. We no longer visit every few months, but I record our  time with them annually.

Each summer we bring them to Texas to spend the summer on our farm. We take pictures of everything we do and everywhere we go. They select the pictures they want and upload them to  their web pages. Each year they have a new picture of their favorite places to  eat such as the Dallas Aquarium, classes at the Heard Museum, the Blowout  sponsored by our friends on the July Fourth, fishing on our friend’s boat or  lunch at the marina. These pictures become memories we will always remember. To  keep them from forgetting, we must share the pictures with them so they never  forget.

By Christmas each  year, I give them a book with all the pictures in it called“Adventures, [and the
year].” They can read about the funny things they had, the adventures they took  and all the new friends they meet during the summer. They especially enjoy going  to their aunt and great aunt’s houses and visiting with old friends. Last year  the younger one played two music pieces at our church, and did a splendid job of  it. They love looking at the new and old“Adventures”  books.

Yes, times have  changed from those three-month visits and our pictures on their refrigerator
when they were babies. As they grew older, the books showing their activities  here in Texas took their place. 

Maybe you would like to borrow these ideas to incorporate into your family traditions. Family history
is about reviving memories. If you have a tradition you would like to share, I  would love to hear it.

TALK ON COLLIN COUNTY’S CREATION: Randy Farmer will speak, April 2, on "Creation of Collin
County: Find out how the Peter’s Colony arrived in Texas and how Collin  County was carved from Fannin County." It is from 10:30-noon in the lower level  of the Haggard Library. Come hear Mr. Farmer tell of how it all began. He  is the author of "From Blackland Prairie to Blacktop : a History of Collin
County".  By the way, Collin County began on April 3, 1846, one day after  his talk on this subject.

BILLION GRAVES NOW A  PART OF ANCESTRY.COM: On their website, BillionGraves.com says they will always  be free. They go on to state that their “primary goal is and will always be to  make records found in cemeteries readily available to people everywhere.” Their  website and their mobile app are free. Now that it is coupled with Ancestry.com,  it is still available at no cost from both the Ancestry and from Billion Graves  sites. That means we don’t have to switch back and forth between sites. Billion  Graves does offer extensive services to customers wanting extended services  through their subscription plus  account.

ELLIS ISLAND ASKS FOR HELP: Hurricane Sandy destroyed much of the electronic technology on Liberty
Island, except the immigration database, which operates elsewhere. The damage is estimated at $2 million. If you would like to help, visit their site at  www.ellisisland.org to donate.

Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy. Before
retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].