Remembering.

When we first moved to Colorado from DeKalb, Illinois (with a brief pitstop in Pekin for 4.5 months while Evan was at training), I decided to start a scrapbook of our life in DeKalb. We'd just left our friends, our apartment, our routines behind and I wanted something that the girls (Elisabeth especially) to be able to hold and flip through to remember what a fabulous life we had in DeKalb.

Then I decided that scrapbooking our lives would be a great thing to do the entire time we're in the Air Force. So, as soon as I'm done with the DeKalb scrapbook, I'll be starting one for Colorado Springs. It'll be another physical reminder of what a fabulous life we've had here in Colorado.

Of course, if you know me even a little, you know I'm a picture-aholic. My camera is always with me and I'm always taking pictures every where we go. Documenting our lives has been enormously fun and rewarding. It also is a way to remember the girls at different stages in their childhoods that Evan and I have already kind of forgotten about.

I wanted to share with you just the smallest smidge of what is in the DeKalb scrap book. I'm hoping to finish it this month and start on the Colorado one soon.

We live in DeKalb from August 2005-December 2008.

In 2005, Evan was a 1L at NIU Law School.

Elisabeth was 2.5 when we moved to DeKalb. Just a small bundle of talking, spinning, curly hair sweetness.
Elisabeth started dance classes.
She used to LOVE playing school in the bath tub. Every bath time, she'd line up all her little animals and sing and talk for over half an hour in the tub. I miss that.
She was so short, she could dance and see her reflection in the dishwasher.
In 2006, Elisabeth had her first dance recital. Baby, Take a Bow!
We spent every day at Hopkins Pool in the summer.
She turned 3.5.
And dressed up daily.
In 2007, she got her first big girl bike.
Sycamore's Cinco de Mayo festival.
We had no yard, so we'd cross the street to the Ellwood House and play in the grass.
We'd also walk to the park by Evan's school as often as possible in winter...
and summer.
In 2008, we spent every day at Hopkins Pool for the 3rd summer.
Julia joined us.
Which we were all very thankful for.
Elisabeth got her ears pierced.
And we moved.
Elisabeth likes to sit by me when I'm working on the scrapbook and talk about all the pictures and what she remembers about the different pages I'm making. It's fun and I think that the girls will appreciate them later when they're telling others about all the places they've lived while their dad was in the Air Force.

I'll probably need another bookshelf to put them on, though...