my journals

I L O V E writing in a journal. I’ve kept a journal since 3rd grade. My mom recently found one from elementary school and I wrote in the front, “If you are caught reading this you will be fined $50.” She still hasn’t paid up.

I think keeping a record of your life is so important. Maybe I write down too much about what I do daily but a recent experience has taught me otherwise. Wes’ grandma Ruth kept fabulous journals. We ended up with hers for a while and we actually started transcribing them and it was amazing to read about her life. She wrote every day for YEARS. It may seem mundane but you get a true representation of what her days were like. It was fun to read and it showed me that writing every day isn’t pointless. Someone will hopefully enjoy it one day and be able to get a better glimpse in to my life.

Here are my list of journals I keep:

My latest journaling has been my G R A T I T U D E journal. My mom gave me this thing probably 5 years ago and I’m finally using it. There are lines for every day of the year so every night I write down one thing I’m grateful for and why. It pretty much turns in to a “what I did today” or “what I thought about today” journal but it’s been a fun way to record my life in 2008. And, it’s a great way to remember how truly blessed Wes & I are. Just a few of the things I’ve written down this year that I’m grateful for are: good food, my mom, memories, books, sisters, friends, eternal marriage, a clean house, weight watchers, the miracle of life, the ability to change, great weather, a sleeping pill, President Hinckley, quiet car rides, Wes & Nate, golden spoon, sleeping in, doctors, our health, long naps, play dates, organization, peace of mind, laughter, family close by, etc.

I write a journal to N A T E. I think I’ll turn it all in to a book one day and give it to him so he can see my thoughts about him throughout his life. I write monthly right now about what he’s up to and how grateful I am to be his mama.

I write my own P E R S O N A L journal about our life. I used to do this very regularly until Nate was born. The gratitude journal kinda took over but I at least write about big events like vacations, etc.

My other new favorite thing is LDSJournal.com. A friend of mine started this site. It really has nothing to do with being LDS . . . not sure why they named it that but whatever. It is an online journal so I can write in my journal whenever & wherever I want. If I’m at work and have 10 extra minutes before a meeting, I can write in my journal. If I’m on vacation somewhere, I can go online and write in that same journal without hauling the book around. I set up two accounts with LDS Journal. The first is my personal journal . . . I moved it from handwritten to online for convenience. They even have an option to turn your journal in to a printed book which I'll probably do each year. The other one is my “venting” journal. It allows me to V E N T about things I’m frustrated about or struggling with without having to gossip. Sometimes I can just tell my journal and it’s “off my chest.” This is where the therapeutic factor comes in to play.

And of course, we can’t forget about the blog and the scrapbook. I know, it’s all a little much but I enjoy doing it all. I think about how much I wish my grandparent's and parents had as much written down as I do. That's what keeps me writing.