my roots

I have always had a desire to record my life for my future children. When I was eight years old, I started keeping a journal because I wanted my future kids to know how I felt when I was eight. This is why I have 64 journals, numerous scrapbooks, and a love for photography. This is also why I keep this blog and am taking a self-portrait every day for a year. I have always enjoyed looking at old photos of my parents and grandparents as well, but in the past couple of years I have felt an urgency to ask questions about the photos, scanning in copies for myself, reading histories, and discovering who my grandparents and great-grandparents were when they were younger.

One of the things I did while I was in Utah for Lindsey's wedding was visit my grandma and grandpa Roberts in their home. I had previously asked them for old pictures to scan, and we went through a bag of them together. My 85-year-old grandma told me all of her memories about each picture, which I lightly wrote on the back in pencil. The past couple of days I have been scanning these pictures in, labeling them on my computer with the information I have. As well as having copies on my computer and hard drive, I make cds with the pictures on them. I will eventually print all of the pictures and compile them into a book (after I'm done with school). I just eat this stuff up. Here are a few of my favorites from the ones I've been scanning over the past couple of days. I love the details like old cars and vintage bathing suites.
This picture was actually taken on their first date. I love it.





My grandma told me she didn't want a plain white bathing suit so she painted this one with oil paints.

My grandma's boyfriend (not my grandpa) sent her this skirt from the Islands while at war and she took a picture to send to him.



That little boy is my dad. Isn't he cute?


And a couple of pictures of them now, which I took at Lindsey's wedding dinner.



If anyone out there is also really into family history and you want a great resource for compiling all of your pictures, check out this book. I got it for Christmas and couldn't put it down (even though we were guests at W's sister's house and I was being kind of rude).

In other news, I am singing a solo tonight and I am really, really nervous. I am not a soloist by any means. I will be glad when it's over.

Also, in honor of our Savior and Easter, I want to share a beautiful video a friend shared with me. Check it out here.