My Heritage Month

I've been thinking about my roots lately. I love to look at heritage photos and match them with the stories of my ancestors.  I love to think about what life was like 'way back when.'   And as President Monson says, "Learn from the Past."

So goal #1 this month (in regards to Heritage) is to focus on the lessons learned and treasured moments of those who have gone before us.

I got a free Shutterfly book thanks to a promotion from Creating Keepsakes and I thought I'd dedicate it to Stories of our Heritage in our 'Have I Ever Told You' series. (info: Here and Here).

The main inspiration for the book stems from this quote:

“By keeping our past alive,

[we are connected] to the people, places,

and events that make up our spiritual heritage and,
in so doing, motivates us to greater service, faith, and kindness.”

Marlin K. Jensen - April 2007 Gen Conf.

This first page I created is a retelling or short clips that my Grandpa Lawrence Nels Nelson shared in his personal history.

I'm probably not the most qualified to put together a random sampler of short stories about grandparents, great-grandparents, and beyond, but I figured it will be fun, educational, and inspiring for me, at least.  Now I'll have to try and gather a few photos from histories and a few stories that would interest little ones.

Goal #2 for my Heritage Month is to 'live simply' as most generations have before us. Think of how much stuff we have compared to any other period of time. I think purging our junk and then only buying what we need and not the little fluffy things will help the pocketbook and also be a good reminder that having less sometimes helps us enjoy more.