Are You Caught Up?

If you've been wondering if I've given up on blogging lately, I promise I haven't! I've just been juggling between my day job, growing little bean, focusing on my family, playing along with Ella Publishing, reconnecting with quilting and serving as a Trainer in the current Library of Memories session. I'm loving every minute of everything but my poor blog does seem to go neglected a bit! Hopefully I'll find a bit of routine before little bean appears.

Today I want to share with you, with encouragement from Stacy Julian, my original post from 2/24/2010 that appeared on the Library of Memories Trainers Blog. This is my second year in the classroom as a coach/trainer & I feel is one of the most important ways I spend my time. Please visit my LOM archives to learn more about my own personal journey.

But really, when it comes down to it, the below is why I choose to spend what limited free time I have on spreading this message.


Are You Caught Up?

I’m going to be honest, when I hear someone ask this question my heart breaks just a little bit.

We have entered a new era in my household; I have become a soccer mom the last two weeks. Being the shutter bug that I am, I had my camera with me at the first game of the season on Saturday. It’s hard for the other parents to not notice the 25 week pregnant lady on her knees at the goal with a zoom lens pointed at their children. Naturally, I was asked at practice this Monday if I was going to share the pictures.

I answered of course I would share the pictures as soon as I triaged them. I confessed to the other Mom’s that I had taken 397 pictures but I was down to 100 so far. I was met with bewildered looks so I explained that I’m keeping several good series of other’s children because only a mother knows which face is “the face”.

Our conversation turned to the fact that I am a scrapbooker & that is when one of the mother’s said “I am too! Except, I’m two years behind in both my kids books so I don’t really scrapbook anymore.” She then told me “that is why I don’t take pictures anymore, because then I feel like I have to scrapbook them.” This is when a piece of my heart broke.

As I do with strangers, I gently introduced the concept of Photo Freedom & have promised to loan her my book at the next game.

I wanted to tell her if I was worried about the guilt associated with how many pictures I take I would miss series of photos like this.

I am a shutter bug who prints more pictures from my highlight folders than I will scrapbook because I am emotionally attached to my pictures. Sometimes I print a series and only scrap a few but sometimes even after a year I’m still emotionally attached to the entire series. When I find myself inspired, not guilty, I tell the story.

I wanted to tell her that if I felt obligated to create a layout for every single day I took pictures I would bore myself.


As an eager first time mother I took pictures of every new food Garrett tried in the beginning. Before I implemented my Library of Memories, I would have scrapped each new food individually. I am so glad I hadn’t made it to this set of pictures before I took this class. This one layout impacts me so much more than four individual ones would have.

I wanted to tell her that if I stopped taking pictures because I felt like I had to scrapbook them all, in order that I wouldn’t be able to look with perspective at how my son has changed.


If I had been caught up, I would have never been able to see the trend in my son’s clothing. How quietly we shifted from him being a willing participant in dressing to a little boy developing his identity & expressing it in his clothing choices.

I wanted to tell her if I felt every picture had to have a purpose when I took it I wouldn’t be able to tell stories that don’t necessarily have a picture to go with them.


Pairing this random shot taken on an afternoon playing at the track field was the perfect little something where I had more words than pictures to tell my story.

I wanted to tell her that there is another way and I did, in a very gentle, seed planting sort of a way.

I wanted to tell her that a large group of brave scrapbookers breaking free of guilt & embracing freedom. I applaud YOU! My heart sings to know that you are embracing a Library of Memories because I know how this will change you. So, hang in there, keep up the hard work & I promise you will see the rewards.

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I am so honored to be working with Stacy to spread her message. Viewing my craft in this light has sincerely changed my life. I welcome any & all questions.

lovemon