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I scrap to remember. I scrap so that I will never forget, even in my darkest moments, that I have been blessed beyond measure.

My mother lost her 4-year-old son in a freak accident before I was born. It is my impression that this loss resulted in her spending many years of her life in a state of numbness, just going through the motions of her existence. She has so few stories to tell us from when we were younger, no records were kept, and hardly any photos remain. This is the reason I am so hell bent on making sure I never forget.

I have a notebook that I keep handy and write down as many of my thoughts and feelings as I can. I make notes of conversations I have with my oldest daughter, who is 4. I write down all the new little sayings of my 18-month-old daughter, as well as the cute things she learns to do. I write down how I feel about them and how they have changed our lives. My scrapping has become a bit of a gratitude journal. I know life is not always rosy, but looking for the good in every situation and documenting it makes life more pleasurable. I rarely ever scrap without journaling. If I do, it is because my photos are able to portray an emotion I am trying to convey.

The journaling aside, I am a photography lover. Perhaps that is an understatement. I am a photography nut. I have had a camera for as long as I can remember. I am currently the proud owner of a Canon 40D with a couple of lenses, studio lights, backdrops and a backdrop stand. Srapbooking provides me with the perfect platform to showcase my photographs. There is nothing more exhilarating than downloading my photos and finding I have captured the perfect shot. Even if I haven't, there is always Photoshop and Jessica's photo editing courses to help me make those imperfect shots perfect.:)

I also scrapbook for the creative aspect of this pastime. I have always thought of myself as being somewhat creative. When I was in primary school, I remember sketching a copy of a squirrel I found in a book. I was so proud of my reproduction. This hobby is the perfect outlet for my need to create. I can draw, paint, sew, color, and make embellishments to match my pages and photos to my heart's content. I am constantly thinking about the next story I would like to tell and imagining which supplies and photos would help me to convey that story.

I scrapbook for many reasons, and each of those reasons has its own merit. Be it photos and paper, hybrid scrapping, or purely digital, I am a happy girl as long as I can scrap:)