Handmade Books for Kids

 

“The past is a source of knowledge and the future is a source of hope.

Love of the past implies faith in the future.”

-Stephen Ambrose-

 

journal entry:

My love of family history has opened my eyes to different ways of preserving it. Family History, that is. When we help others with their ancestral quest, we always tell them to start with themselves. To cement their own family group in time. That way their posterity will be able to find them and know them. I love recording the lives of our family members by taking “storytelling photographs” and telling “tiny tales”. Rather than picture after picture from a long week of activities, I like to take “moments” and capture them in little books with only a few pages.

 

 

I wore out my original Canon Telephoto Lens many months ago. I had been getting by but really missed it. I saved up and bought another. This time a Tamron for Canon and I am delighted with it. It is perfect for the photographs I want to take. This tiny tale is about the perfect rock. I was sitting in a lawn chair in the shade of the car while several, little grandchildren played in a wonderful, long and shallow river bed. I took this and other photographs from across the river bed with my new lens. I remembered why I had missed it.

 

 

When grandchildren live in different states, it is a special time when they can all get together. They provided so many opportunities to preserve their interactions and adventures and their love for each other. I am not really thinking about now when I snap these shots. I am thinking about twenty years from now when they go through my keepsakes and find these tiny tales.

 

 

Roasting marshmallows in the Canyon is commonplace. At least where we live. We are just fifteen minutes from a fire pit and adventures to match. These marshmallows were strawberry and pink. Of course they were a mess. They even stuck in little Lydia’s hair which she was kind enough to share for a photo. Who knows if someday life won’t be so peaceful and tiny tales like this one will remind us all of better times. Simple times without anywhere to go or anything to do except play.

 

 

I’m bored has long been the cry of children from the day school gets out until it starts again. Actually, it was impossible for anyone to be bored this week. Every day was a flurry of activity. There was a moment when I looked over and caught little Lydia sitting on a rock in the back yard. This tiny tale is told in pictures which show ALL of the things Lydia did that day. Someday I think she will think it is a funny picture and tell her children a story about it.

 

 

My daughter took this photograph with my camera. This tiny tale includes many photographs of  Talmage on this day. It is about boys and horses.

 

 

And, finally there’s George. This little book has only six pictures. Each is a close-up of George. Taken from many feet away. Without announcing what I was doing. Memories for the future.

 

 

And, so . . . the finishing touches and a quick look at some inside pages:

 

 

 

“Where is your camera?”

-Grandma-