Confessions of an Ex-Scrapbooker #8

My oldest daughter is graduating middle school...she's going to high school next year! I'm so sad! I can't believe it. Time is really flying. It's incredible how life just moves past you without any warning whatsoever. She's turning into such a BEAUTIFUL young woman. I'm biased of course, but she's truly a beautiful person inside and out. She has been such a great support in our latest adventure. We just moved across the country almost 3 years ago. She had to start middle school at a school she knew NO ONE, start completely over and did it with an amazing attitude. We promised our kids we weren't going to move them again. We promised that these were the friends they were going to graduate with. Well....life throws some curve balls and some changes, good changes, and we're moving again. We're staying in the same county, but we're moving to a place that she'll have to start all over again, new high school, new friends, new teams....and for whatever reason, she's actually okay with it. She's very social, loves her friends and has so many connections in our little community. She's making it so much easier on our entire family by having this great attitude and setting a great example for her younger sister who will be in middle school for 2 more years.

So where am I going with all of this? I want to give her something special, something she'll treasure for her 8th grade graduation. She's moving on into one of the best but craziest times of life. I want her to know that her family loves her, knows her and that she can do anything she sets her mind to. I want her to remember that she's an amazing girl, spiritually strong and that she can make good decisions and be successful in the crazy times of high school. So I'm putting together a beautiful Cherish Bound book for her.

I've collected her report cards, awards, school pictures, sports achievements, letters from family, friends and teachers, scanning in special shirt logos, ticket stubs, etc. I'm putting it together in an A-B-C format....the ABC's of Surviving Middle School. I've listed so many different words for each letter...some have pics some are just goofy...example, L is for LOL. I know she'll get that. Or how about S is for Smarty Pants (she’s an A-Student). I’m going to list all of the fun fashions and fads that have come blazing through in the past 3 years. Her favorite foods, colors, music, movies, books, and so on. My favorite part is the letters from her family, friends and teachers. She’s going to LOVE this part. As a mother it’s so comforting to see how many people are rooting for her, how many people want her to WIN in life. I hope that she understands that this book will be fun to look at and bring back memories, but it will be a HUGE source of comfort and support.